The Secret Note Read online

  The Secret Note

  Lauren Rowe

  Copyright © 2020 by Lauren Rowe

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  Cover design: Tempting Illustrations

  Contents

  Books by Lauren Rowe

  The Secret Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Books by Lauren Rowe

  Author Biography

  Books by Lauren Rowe

  The Reed Rivers Trilogy (to be read in order)

  Bad Liar

  Beautiful Liar

  Beloved Liar

  * * *

  The Club Trilogy (to be read in order)

  The Club: Obsession

  The Club: Reclamation

  The Club: Redemption

  * * *

  The Club: Culmination (A Full-Length Epilogue Book)

  * * *

  The Josh and Kat Trilogy (to be read in order)

  Infatuation

  Revelation

  Consummation

  * * *

  The Morgan Brothers (a series of related standalones):

  Hero

  Captain

  Ball Peen Hammer

  Mister Bodyguard

  ROCKSTAR

  * * *

  The Misadventures Series (a series of unrelated standalones):

  Misadventures on the Night Shift

  Misadventures of a College Girl

  Misadventures on the Rebound

  * * *

  Standalones

  Countdown to Killing Kurtis

  The Secret Note

  He’s a hot Aussie. I’m a girl who isn’t shy about getting what she wants. The problem? Ben is my little brother’s best friend. An exchange student who’s heading back Down Under any day now. But I can’t help myself. He’s too hot to resist.

  * * *

  During a camping trip with my brother and his friends, I slip Ben a secret note, inviting him to my tent after everyone else has gone to sleep. Ben might be heading back to The Land Down Under in a couple days, but I’m betting I can tempt his hunky ass to show me everything he knows about “going down under” before then.

  * * *

  I’m not going to fall in love with Ben. There’s no time for that. But I’m sure as hell planning to have a damned good time with him tonight.

  * * *

  Note: The Secret Note is a complete, standalone short story (15k words), with a HEA, no cliffhanger, and no prior reading required.

  One

  Coconino National Forest, Northern Arizona, seven years ago

  It was a brazen move, slipping Ben that note. If my brother had seen me, I would have been mortified. To this day, my little brother, Carter, thinks I’m pure as the driven snow, silly boy. But I couldn’t resist. Ben is just too freaking beautiful. Around six foot four, I’d estimate. Chestnut hair and deep brown eyes. A chiseled jaw and cheekbones to die for. Scrumptious, kissable, suckable, bitable lips. Add the fact that he’s got that sexy Aussie accent on top of it all? Good lord, he’s irresistible. And it’s not like I’ll ever see the boy again. I’m visiting my younger brother for the weekend at his college and Ben is his semester-abroad roommate who’s heading back to Oz in a couple weeks. And so, fuck it. I went after what I wanted. I slipped Ben a note as everyone was getting settled around the campfire and then watched him open the folded paper as everyone around me chatted and laughed and started singing songs while my clueless brother played his guitar and stared at his girlfriend’s boobs.

  * * *

  Feel free to come to my tent tonight after my brother and everyone else have gone to sleep. No-strings fun. Bring a condom. Kaylee

  * * *

  That’s what I wrote to Ben on that note and then slipped it into his palm before taking a seat across from him at the campfire. And ever since that little scrap of paper left my hand, my heart has been thumping.

  I watched as Ben unfolded the note, my nipples hardening with excitement. And when he looked up from the paper and shot me a smoldering look across the flickering flames, my heart stopped. Ben’s look in that moment told me he’d not only come to my tent tonight, it told me he’d be coming to me with bells on. Or, rather, a big, throbbing Australian hard-on. It was in that moment I knew Ben was exactly what I’d imagined he was—a dude with a big dick he knows exactly how to use to maximum effect.

  And now, I’m stuffed into my warm sleeping bag in my little pup tent, listening to the sounds of crickets and wind whispering and lizards and rabbits rustling in the surrounding bushes and trees. And every little sound, every movement of the fauna, makes goose bumps erupt on my toasty warm skin. Was that last sound Ben? What about that one? Or is he not coming at all? Did that smolder he shot me over the flickering flames mean he’s aroused by my sexual assertiveness . . . or repelled by it?

  My breathing shallow and my heart pounding, I wait in my sleeping bag for Ben. I’m naked and touching myself. Wet. Ready. But just when I’m on the cusp of reaching orgasm, I hear a footfall outside my tent that makes me freeze. I grab my phone next to my sleeping bag and push a button to illuminate the screen, filling my small tent with dim light.

  In the glow of my phone, I see a dark figure stick his head through my tent’s entrance.

  “Kaylee?” a male voice whispers, almost inaudibly.

  “Ben?” I reply.

  “Yeah.”

  “Come in,” I whisper.

  Ben enters the tent and fills the small space with the scents of the campfire and weed. The scent of testosterone. Cold air is wafting off his sweatshirt and hair. He’s visibly shivering from the cold. “It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey,” he mutters.

  Oh, that accent. “Well, it’s toasty warm in here,” I whisper. “You want to join me?”

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “I’m naked,” I warn. “Do you want me to put something on?”

  “Fuck no.”

  Ben rips off his shirt like it’s on fire, revealing in the dim light the outline of a truly spectacular torso. Beautiful arms. An unexpected tattoo on his rib cage. His jeans come off. And then his briefs, revealing an unmistakable hard-on straining toward his delectable abs.

  When Ben slides into my sleeping bag with me, I jerk and shudder at the iciness of his flesh against mine.

  “Holy fuck-burgers,” I breathe, involuntarily lurching away from him. And we both laugh and then cover our mouths to keep from waking anyone.

  I put my warm hands on his cold ones and rub them fervently, thawing them out, and slowly but surely my body heat transfers to him.

  When we’re both warm, Ben nuzzles his nose against mine. “Thanks for the note,” he whispers. “I’d been trying to get your attention all night in all kinds of roundabout ways.”

  “Well, you most definitely got it,” I say. “I just figured I’d speed things along, seeing as how we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

  “Thanks for grabbing the bull by the horns.”

  “Or rather, the Aussie.”

  He chuckles softly and, much to my sizzling delight, leans in for a kiss.

  Ben’s soft lips are tentative at first. Gentle. Reverent. He’s kissing me like he’s not expecting anything from me but a simple kiss—like he’s assuming nothing more than that, despite our mutual nakedness. And I like it. I like
the way he’s taking his time. The way he’s making me feel wooed and courted, despite the fact that his naked hard-on keeps brushing my thigh. And so, I let him set the pace. I let him lead, as he’s clearly so good at doing.

  And it turns out to be a fantastic decision, letting Ben take charge. Because when he finally opens my lips with his and slides his tongue into my mouth and his hand down my back, every cell of my body explodes with desire like he’s just run his tongue straight up the full length of my slit. I run my hand down his muscled back to his ass and caress him and, in response, he kisses me more passionately and slides his hand to my ass. He pulls me into him and pushes his hard-on into my hip, all prior tentativeness gone. He’s claiming me now. Showing me what’s to come. He grinds his hard-on against my entrance, right against my throbbing clit, as his tongue claims my mouth and his hands squeeze and knead my ass with fervor, and I begin to throb and shudder and moan and yearn against him. This boy is good.

  In short order, I’m desperate. Humping the small space between us, my body aching to be penetrated. When Ben slides a finger inside me, I grip his hard cock in reply, egging him on—and he moans softly at my touch. When I feel the evidence of Ben’s need beaded at his tip, my arousal spikes. I slide the sticky wetness around his mushroom tip and down the silky length of his shaft and he moans his appreciation and slides another finger inside me.

  When I groan and hump his fingers, he slides yet another one inside me and finger-fucks me until I’m shuddering and cooing and gasping for air. A sound of pure desire lurches from my throat—a sound that makes him quake and thrust himself ferociously against my entrance. I open my legs and rest my thigh atop his hip, opening myself to him completely, offering him every inch of me, inviting him in, and his wet fingers slither to my hard tip. He pinches and teases my hard bud, making me jerk and jolt and moan with desperation.

  “Little circles,” I whisper, and, God bless this Aussie, he complies—and, within seconds, I’m hanging on by the barest of margins. “A little faster,” I whisper fiercely. “Oh, God. Yes. Don’t stop.”

  When pre-cum drips onto my hand, I lose it. Waves of pleasure seize my womb sharply and then ripple deliciously through my core, kissing every nerve ending in my body in sensual delight. A long, low growl of pleasure lurches from my throat, and I bite Ben’s muscular shoulder to muffle the sound. God help me if Carter overhears me and catches us in the act. “Do you have a condom?” I whisper when my orgasm ends.

  “Fuckin’ oath.” He reaches outside of the sleeping bag, filling the small space with cold air, just for a moment, and when he returns to me, his breathing is erratic. His excitement palpable. He gets himself covered, his chest heaving, and then, without hesitation, he slides on top of me, touches between my legs to find his target, positions his hard cock at my wet entrance, pulls my hands above my head and grasps my fingers in his, inhales deeply, and slowly burrows himself inside me.

  And I’m instantly in heaven.

  There’s nothing like the sensation of that first penetration by someone new. Especially someone as big and muscular and strong and glorious and masculine as Ben. There’s no greater turn-on than a man’s body filling mine, especially when he’s gotten me wet and aching for it. God, I crave this very thing. Yearn for it. And unapologetically get it whenever I can. And, wow, yes, talk about getting filled up. Ben is inside me all the way, all the way up to his balls. I feel them brushing against me as he begins to thrust. And the sensation lights me on fire.

  I grab Ben’s ass and squeeze, and he begins thrusting harder with a loud groan. I wrap my legs around him as best I can in the small space. He kisses me, the rhythm of his tongue’s movement matching his body’s.

  “Harder,” I whisper against his hungry lips. “I like it really hard.”

  Ben complies, making my eyes roll back into my head with pleasure. His thrusts are ferocious. His hard-on steely. His warm, muscular body on top of mine is sending me to Nirvana.

  I whisper his name. Over and over again. Dig my fingernails into his broad shoulders. Moan. Whimper. And finally, deliciously, blissfully come.

  And that’s it for Ben. As my innermost muscles constrict and ripple around him, he comes on my heels with a primal grunt and a fierce clenching of his formidable ass.

  When his body has finished jerking and jolting, Ben rolls off me to my side and we kiss and kiss and stroke each other and smile, our bodies intertwined in the small, warm sleeping bag.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he says.

  “So are you,” I say. And I’m telling the truth. He’s so beautiful he’s practically glowing against the darkness of my tent.

  “Was that good for you?”

  I chuckle, assuming he’s making a joke.

  “Can I tell you something crazy?” he whispers. “That was my first time.”

  I stare in shock.

  “And it was fucking awesome,” he adds. “Thank you.”

  “You’re serious?” I ask.

  “Dead serious.”

  “Your first time in the States, you mean?”

  “My first time ever.”

  “But how is that possible? You look like a god.”

  “Don’t judge a book by its cover. Before I came to the States, I had a longtime girlfriend. We were saving ourselves for marriage. Well, she was, so I went along with it. I had no particular desire to do it, to be honest, but her ‘virtue’ mattered to her a lot, so I said I’d wait. I honestly thought I was gonna marry her one day, so I wanted to respect her.”

  “Wow.”

  “As it turned out, my girlfriend and I broke up a couple nights before I came to the States. She wanted me to swear I’d remain faithful to her while I was here, that I wouldn’t even kiss anyone else the whole time—wouldn’t even flirt with anyone else. And in that moment, I realized I couldn’t make that promise. So I broke it off. I figured it was better to be honest with her upfront, even if it broke her heart, than even potentially cheat on her when I was away.”

  My heart skips a beat. “Absolutely,” I say. “But what took you so long to pull the trigger? You’ve been here a couple months, haven’t you? Why haven’t you had sex before now? You must have had ample opportunity.”

  Ben shrugs. “It’s a bit daunting, doing it for the first time. I wanted to do it with the right person. I’m a bit on the shy side, if you haven’t noticed. Making the first move isn’t my strong suit. I’m working on that. Taking an acting class to force myself out of my comfort zone. But it doesn’t come naturally for me to subject myself to potential rejection.”

  “Rejection? Who’d ever reject you? Ben, you’re gorgeous.”

  He shrugs.

  “Well, don’t worry about a thing, Shy Boy,” I say, stroking his chestnut locks. “You were amazing. I got off hard, if you didn’t notice. If anything, your shyness has been a turn-on for me. I’ve always been a sucker for the strong, silent type.”

  “Yeah?” He nuzzles my nose, smiling. “How big a sucker? Big enough to have another go with me?”

  I reach down and touch him and, yep, he’s hard as a stone. “Do you have another condom?”

  “I brought three, as a matter of fact.”

  “Three? Why on earth would a virgin bring three condoms on a camping trip with his buddies?”

  “Because Carter told me you were joining the trip at the last minute and that you’re really into sex, especially with younger guys. He said I should bring a shitload of condoms in case you happen to pick me.”

  Blood rushes into my face in a torrent. My brother knows everything about me?

  “What?” Ben asks, apparently reacting to my stiff body language.

  “What else did Carter tell you about me?”

  “Not a whole lot. He said you’re really into yoga and hiking. He said you teach yoga part-time while going to school full-time and that—”

  “No, no, not stuff like that. What did Carter tell you about me being really into sex? Did he tell you any specific stories he’s heard
about me? Any rumors?”

  “Shit. I’m sorry if I’ve said something wrong. I didn’t mean to—”

  “Ben, what did Carter say about me?”

  “Not a lot. He just said that you were legendary in high school. That was his word, not mine: legendary. He said you’ve always been super picky about the guys you hook up with—which, by the way, isn’t a surprise to me, given how hot you are—but that when you choose someone, the guy always feels like he won the lottery.”

  “What else?”

  He pauses. “He said the last two years in college you’ve left ‘a trail of happy dicks and broken hearts’ in your wake.”

  I cringe. Oh my God. My brain feels like it’s melting. I open and close my mouth, trying to process.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve said something wrong. I assumed you and Carter had talked about this stuff a million times.”

  My heart is in my mouth. “No. I talk to my best friend about stuff like this and nobody else. Least of all my little brother. It’s nobody’s business but my own.”

  “Absolutely. Of course. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul about tonight, if that’s what you want. Not even Carter.”

  “Yeah, right. You won’t tell the brother who told you to bring condoms that his sister did, in fact, invite you to her tent?”

  “If it would embarrass you for me to talk about it, then I won’t. Not with Carter or anyone else. If Carter asks, I’ll tell him I didn’t have the balls to make a move on you, and you didn’t make one, either.”