A beat of silence settled over the room, only broken by the quiet hum of the fridge and the gentle clink of Selena's spoon against her mug. The three of us had shared so many of these moments—comfortable, familiar, but lately, they’d begun to feel a bit too still.
I loved the sisterhood I had with Selena and Tasha. The kind where a look could say everything, and an inside joke could lighten the heaviest day. But sometimes, I wished we all had more to do with our time, something outside these walls. As it stood, we were as single as I was, each of us wrapped up in the quiet demands of The Three Bears.
Between bookings, managing staff, and keeping our guests on the path to healing, there was little room for anything else. Maybe that was why, when a man like Lennox showed up—smooth, sexy, and with that easy confidence—it felt like the airshifted. Like the world outside had slipped through a crack in our retreat’s walls, reminding us of what we’d left behind.
Philly had its grit, its rhythm, and Selena and Tasha carried pieces of it with them, even here. And I had my own ties to Pittsburgh, a city with enough edge to keep me sharp, enough warmth to make me miss it. But the Poconos? It was all winding roads and wide-open spaces. Beautiful, yes, but not exactly a place to get lost in anything but your own thoughts.
I wondered if they felt it too—that ache for something more. Or maybe it was just me, caught between the comfort of what I’d built and the longing for everything I’d put on hold to make it happen.
“Good morning,” Lennox said, his voice a smooth rumble. He seemed oblivious to the undercurrent in the room, but I knew better. His control was as much a mask as mine.
“Morning,” Selena replied, offering him a small smile. “Did you get enough sleep?”
He hesitated before he said, “Nah, I didn’t get nearly enough.”
His eyes found mine, a subtle, smoldering look that sent a shiver through me. There was no mistaking the double entendre, and I had to force myself to keep my expression neutral, to not let my thoughts drift back to the way his mouth had felt pulling and tugging, the heat of his breath, the roughness of his hands. My pulse quickened, and I took a slow sip of my tea, hoping to cool the heat rising beneath my skin.
Selena rose from the table, breaking the tension. “I’ve got to set up for the morning’s mindfulness session. Tasha, will you join me?”
Tasha slid her chair back, her eyes lingering on me. “Of course.”
When they left, the silence sat between me and Lennox, thick and heavy. He took a slow sip of his juice, and for a moment,I thought he might say something. But he only watched me, his amber eyes dark and thoughtful.
I swallowed, my mind racing. “I should get ready for the day.”
He nodded, his gaze never leaving me. “Yeah. Me too.”
I turned, walking out of the kitchen with as much composure as I could muster knowing his lust-filled eyes followed my every step.
10
LENNOX
The guests at The Three Bears Retreat were mostly middle-aged, a mix of professionals and retirees, all searching for something—peace, strength, maybe even redemption. I knew the feeling well. I also knew better than to put them through rigorous routines that would be a liability to the retreat, clauses be damned.
I guided the group through light resistance exercises, demonstrating proper form with resistance bands and light dumbbells. “Engage your core,” I instructed, holding a plank. “Feel the burn in your triceps, your quads. It’s supposed to hurt a little—means it’s working.”
Their groans were a chorus, but I could see the determination in their faces. This was what I loved—the push, the perseverance. It was more than physical; it was mental. You had to want the change to feel it.
I moved through the rows, adjusting a posture here, correcting a grip there. The weight of a dumbbell in my hand, the strain of muscle under tension—it grounded me. Normally.
But today, nothing could keep my mind off Naima.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Felt her. The sweet, addictive taste of her sweet pussy on my tongue. The way her body had opened up to me, unguarded and needy. How her breath had hitched, her hands pulling my locs as I devoured her clit, pulling the plump into my mouth and making it cum for me.
I shifted, adjusting my stance as heat stirred, threatening to stiffen my dick. I couldn’t afford to get hard out here, surrounded by retirees and soccer moms. Fuck.
I brought the class into a cooldown, guiding them through gentle stretches. My voice stayed calm, but my mind was anything but.
When I’d left her in the kitchen last night, I’d been a mess. Hard as steel, precum dampening my pants. I’d barely made it back to my room before yanking off my clothes and stepping into the shower. I hadn’t turned the water cold. I wanted to feel everything.
Hot steam had billowed around me as I gripped my dick, soap slicking the way. I’d braced one hand against the tile, my other moving in tight, desperate strokes. The image of Naima’s pretty lips, the way she moaned my name, the wet heat of her against my tongue—it all came back to me, vivid and raw.
“Lennox...” I could still hear it, the breathy whisper, the way her thighs trembled around me.
I’d stroked myself harder, faster, the tension winding tight until I spilled hot cum into my own hand, her name a curse and a prayer on my lips.
“Mr. Gold?” A soft voice pulled me back to the present. The strain on the face of Ms. Cunnigham brought me back to reality.
