Hanging On 2: Surreal Neal [Awakenings 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Read online

  Awakenings 6

  Hanging On 2: Surreal Neal

  Sophia DiMarco and Drew Snow have everything they could possibly want--wealth, property, and true love. So why do they keep inviting thirds into their bedroom? It's the only way for Sophia to spend time with a submissive and for Drew to scratch his itch for having a man in his bed.

  Neal Purcell isn't looking to tie himself down to anybody again, especially those with money to throw around and a dominant streak. He's been hurt badly, and now he only wants to focus on his career as an up-and-coming chef.

  When Sophia and Drew hire Neal to work at Sensual Secrets, they have a hard time keeping their thoughts on business. Neal figures he's safe from emotional entanglement with a married couple, so he proposes a casual fling.

  Can the three of them overcome the obstacles to find happiness together?

  Note: This book is written in first-person point of view.

  Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 81,306 words

  HANGING ON 2: SURREAL NEAL

  Awakenings 6

  Michele Zurlo

  MENAGE AND MORE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage and More

  HANGING ON 2: SURREAL NEAL

  Copyright © 2013 by Michele Zurlo

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-451-8

  First E-book Publication: September 2013

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Hanging On 2: Surreal Neal by Michele Zurlo from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Michele Zurlo’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Zurlo’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  I’d like to thank my wonderful beta readers: Michelle PM, Michelle MM, Sylvia C, and Kelly S. Feedback from you four made all the difference!

  To my readers: Though this novel stands alone, you’ll understand Drew and Sophie a lot better if you’ve read Hanging On.

  Lastly, to Eric: Thanks for letting me use the name of your fake Neil Diamond cover band for this novel’s title.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  HANGING ON 2: SURREAL NEAL

  Awakenings 6

  MICHELE ZURLO

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Sophia

  I had never seen so much body glitter in one place. People had it in their hair, around their eyes, on their lips. Women slathered it across their breasts and chests. Though it did highlight those sexy curves, these people made 80’s glam look tame. Even Drew had glitter down the right side of his shirt from hugging friends and fans.

  I made my way around the room slowly. A few people voiced a greeting, but nobody bothered me. After all, I wasn’t an attraction. I was the wife of an attraction. Even those few who had smiled and nodded didn’t recognize me. They were the types who were hoping I was somebody high up in the network, but I wasn’t in the television business. Besides, the room was too full of food-related celebrities for someone like me to garner any attention.

  And that was just fine. It was sometimes a little lonely, especially when someone from the network stopped me to engage in small talk. They liked to maintain the illusion of a family atmosphere, but I had trouble buying into the false front. While I liked the people I met, most of whom had been instrumental in advancing Drew’s career, there was no substitute for actual family. I come from a close-knit family. I’m very close to my parents and my brother’s family. Since I’d been with Drew, I’d become close to his parents and sister as well.

  I also had a network of good friends, one of whom was here tonight, though I couldn’t seem to find Ginny anywhere. Ginny was Drew’s best friend and business partner. Her wife Lara rarely traveled for these ostentatious events. She was always there to support Ginny in a competition, but she hated glitter and glittery events.

  Those things didn’t bother me, but they didn’t impress me either. Personally, I avoided it because the little metallic flecks always seemed to end up where I least wanted them. After being hugged by the enthusiastic French pastry chef, I had fled to the restroom to remove a stubborn flake from my eye.

  When I was ten feet away from Drew, I stopped to watch. A throng of people surrounded him, both genders drawn by his supermodel good looks and his genuine personality. He was gifted at networking, which awed me a little. After four years together, I still wondered what such a handsome, charismatic man wanted with
me. Outside of my comfort zone, I was shy and reserved. I hid behind a veneer of ice.

  Perhaps that’s why we worked as a couple. I had no desire for the spotlight and he liked to regularly bask in it.

  He glanced up, zeroing in on me immediately. The smile on his face shifted subtly, taking on a bit of a sinful quality. He reached through the throng to take my hand, and guided me to his side. “And here’s my lovely wife, Sophie.”

  People murmured greetings, and some of them didn’t mask their disappointment. For some reason, people regularly assumed Drew was single. He always wore his wedding ring, and pictures from our wedding appeared on his website. Our cake was featured on the pastry homepage. It wasn’t like he hid this part of his private life. I pasted on my public smile and tried not to laugh as I gave a polite response.

  He put his arm around my waist and tucked me a little closer than decency dictated. Some of the hangers-on got the message and drifted off. I felt the minute release of some of his tension the moment the crowd shrank.

  “What do you say we get out of here?” He planted a kiss on my neck just below my ear.

  While I would like nothing more than to get him alone—I hadn’t seen him in three days—they hadn’t given away the awards yet. It was the reason I had flown to Atlanta instead of waiting another day for him to return from this string of appearances.

  I laughed. “We can’t leave. You’re one of the guests being honored tonight.”

  He growled and nipped at my earlobe. “How about we sneak away for a quickie? We haven’t had sex for three days. I have a lot pent-up lust to release on you.”

  I did as well, so I scanned the exits, looking for a likely avenue of escape.

  Drew took my hand and led me toward the back of the convention center. “I know the perfect place.”

  I expected him to lead me through the kitchen, which was the place where he felt the most comfortable at any party. However, the path he selected led to a hallway. The banging of cookware and the shouts of voices came from a door on one side. Silence came from the other doors. Two were marked as employee restrooms. Drew hurried past them and pushed through the door at the other end.

  It was a deserted break room.

  “No breaks until after dinner service.” Drew grinned at his genius as he guided me to an alcove in the back. Hooks lined the walls. Some had jackets or bags hanging from them. He brought my hand up and kissed the back. “‘How now, spirit! Whither wander you?’”

  I laughed, a husky sound, at his use of a line from our favorite Shakespeare play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream had been the theme of our wedding. I answered his line with one of my own. “‘Over hill, over dale,’ through airport security, ‘I do wander everywhere.’”

  He shoved me against the wall and kissed me hungrily. I returned his fervent passion, running my hands over his shoulders and down his chest. We had video messaged and had engaged in cybersex, but I had missed the solid, warm feel of him under my hands.

  I cupped his cock through his pants. Hard and ready, he ground against my palm. I loosened his buckle, and he lifted my dress. This was going to be quick and dirty.

  His purposeful caress moved over my hips, but he found nothing. Surprised, he broke the endless kiss. “Did you go commando for me?”

  “Hell, yeah. Do I know you or what?” I finished exposing him and closed my hand around his cock.

  He lifted one of my legs high on his hip as I guided him into my starving pussy. I closed my eyes as I luxuriated in this connection to the man I loved.

  “God, I’ve missed you, Sophie.” He pumped his hips slowly, savoring the moment and taking his time finding a good rhythm.

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  Drew kissed me again, his strong lips soft with the flavor of his cherry lip balm. Sometimes he wore more makeup than I did. At least he wasn’t into glitter.

  We shut up and gave ourselves over to the feeling of our bodies moving together, getting reacquainted after a three-day drought. He felt so good. I didn’t want to climax too quickly. I wanted this to last as long as it could.

  I felt Drew’s mouth on my shoulder, his teeth scraping gently over my skin and generating a storm of sensation that spiraled down my chest. He closed his hand over my breast through the fabric of my dress and kneaded that softly swollen globe.

  When he pinched my nipple harder than usual, my eyes flew open and I gasped. He was close to losing it, and I knew he was holding on, waiting for me to go over that cliff first.

  Except when I opened my eyes, I became aware that we had an audience. Near the door stood a tall man with a lanky build. The shadows half hid him, so I couldn’t get a great look at his features. I noted the broadness of his shoulders and the slimness of his hips. He was thinner than Drew, younger than both of us, and from what I could make out, he had dark hair and nice cheekbones. He hadn’t noticed me looking at him yet because his eyes were glued to Drew’s backside.

  I whispered in Drew’s ear. “We have company. Don’t stop.”

  Both of us liked an audience. We occasionally played with a third, always a submissive who we often made watch us from some kind of restrained position.

  I lifted the tail of Drew’s dress shirt, exposing his butt a little better. He worked out regularly, and he was proud of his muscles. His body shuddered against mine, and the pace of his thrusts slowed. He knew exactly what I was doing.

  Our mystery man’s gaze lifted. His eyes met mine, and I winked, an invitation to stay and watch.

  I couldn’t quite tell because the room lacked enough light, but I think he blushed. Just then, Drew hit my sweet spot perfectly. I gasped and fisted his shirt tighter in my grip. Forgetting about my desire to prolong our union and the man watching us, I arched against him, and we increased our pace.

  Our visitor stepped closer, in what I think was an unconscious reaction. Too caught up in the way Drew made me feel, I vaguely noted his move. Waves washed over me, hot and cold. I went stiff in Drew’s arms and buried a scream of ecstasy in his neck. Drew’s climax followed mine on his very next thrust.

  He collapsed against me, pinning me to the wall with his greater weight. His chest heaved against mine. When I was able to move again, I ran my fingers through the shorter hairs at the nape of his neck in a soothing motion. I was careful not to mess up his hair.

  By the time I’d gathered my wits, our visitor had disappeared.

  Drew slipped out of me slowly, as reluctant to sever our intimate connection as I was. We fixed our clothes, and then he wrapped his arms around me and delved his tongue between my lips for one last, hot kiss.

  “Three hours, I think, until I can have you in my bed.” He tugged at the waist of my dress and smoothed out some wrinkles. I liked that he always caught details like that. Thanks to him, no bad photos of me had appeared on the Internet. Drew, of course, looked good no matter what, so no bad photos of him were to be found either.

  I grinned. My high heels put me nearly at eye level with him. “You’re seriously going to wait until we’re in bed?”

  He quirked his lips up in a half smile. “Probably not. Hopefully we’re alone in the elevator.”

  “Maybe our friend will miraculously show up in the elevator. We could invite him to participate.”

  Drew grinned. It had been a few months since we’d played with a third. I resolved to scope out all the kitchen staff in an effort to find our mystery man. If he was attractive, I would proposition him.

  Chapter Two

  Sophia

  The award show happened during dinner, which was nice for me. I was famished, and after another hour of looking, I still hadn’t found the man who had been spying on us. To be fair, he had been in the shadows, and so had we. It was entirely possible that I wouldn’t know him if I saw him again, and he wouldn’t know me. Those nervous tells would be absent, and I wouldn’t even have those to go on.

  Thinking about that made me sad. Whether he was submissive didn’t matter. Drew really liked having sex w
ith men, and it had been too long for him. I could meet his needs in an artificial way, but it wasn’t the same as having another man in our bedroom.

  “Sophie? Is everything okay?”

  My musings were cut short by Drew. He’d leaned close to whisper in my ear. I tilted toward him. “I can’t find him.”

  “Maybe he’s not a server. Maybe he’s a chef’s assistant.”

  That possibility hadn’t occurred to me. The man had been so young. Drew had started young, but he’d come from a wealthy family who had financed his dream. This man didn’t strike me as growing up rich. However, Drew understood how people went about hiring kitchen help better than I did. I processed their paperwork and paid them. He and Ginny did the hiring.

  I conceded the point. “Maybe.” That didn’t mean I would stop scoping the place for him.

  We mingled after the award ceremony, which I thought was a waste of time. Beforehand, those who had been nominated spent the time sizing up the competition and psyching one another out. Afterward, some winners gloated. Others behaved graciously. Some were humble. Okay, very few were humble. Those who lost kissed up, commiserated with other losers, or fled the room to hide anger or tears.

  Drew won for an episode featuring my mother’s barbeque sauce. She was going to love that. He thanked her in his speech, but it wasn’t televised or recorded, and that would disappoint her. She liked when he publicly acknowledged co-opting her recipes. The rest of the meal had been pure Drew, but she would conveniently overlook that, and Drew would let her. He was sweet like that. I recorded his speech on my phone so I could send her the video.