"I'm afraid I have to ask: you're not having sex out of wedlock, are you?"
"Excuse me?!?" Bang Chan blurts.
"Sex out of wedlock? Remind me how that's your business."
"I'm a citizen of this town! Everything is my business. You're not even together! You're probably sleeping around with anyone who will have you." Marjorie says.
"(Y/N) and I are together. She's my girlfriend. I'm her boyfriend. The whole romantic dream."
"Well, I heard nothing about this! Is this true, Director (YLN)?"
"Yes. Why would he lie? Bang Chan and I are in a relationship. We're on a date right now."
"Sorry you missed the memo, Marjorie." Bang Chan says sarcastically.
"I...uh...I see..."
"Do you have a problem with that?" I ask with my browed raised.
"Um...no. You're free to do as you wish."
"I'm glad our relationship has your blessing." Bang Chan rolls his eyes.
I don't miss the sarcasm in Bang Chan's voice. Judging by Marjorie's pained expression, neither does she.
"You know, Marjorie, I heard you also run a B&B in town."
"Also? I run the only B&B in Blue Haven."
"That's why (Y/N) needed the renovation grant. She's going to turn her place into Blue Haven's 2nd B&B." Bang Chan informs her.
Marjorie's lips tighten.
"Is that so? Does the Mayor know about this?"
"He's aware."
"He hasn't mentioned it to me! Starting a business here is difficult. Lots of palms you have to grease... Lots of hoops to jump through."
Marjorie gives me an ominous smile.
"I'm sure if you've spoken with the Mayor already, you know all about the ordinances you need to work with... Oh, look at that! Our food is here. Lovely to chat with you, though."
When she leaves, I try to work out what she may have been referring to.
"She's going to make our lives a living hell, isn't she?"
"We'll get through whatever she throws at us. I promise."
The next day at work, I struggle to focus on library duties as Janet researches B&B ordinances.
"Marjorie has taken her harassment of you way too far. Now she's messing with both your businesses?!?" Janet asks shocked.
"She's probably hoping I'll cave to her demands about banning romance novels."
"Will you?"
"I absolutely will not!"
"I was hoping you'd say that. Marjorie can't win, or she'll think she owns the whole damn town."
Before I can say more, Katie bursts through the library doors in tears.
"Ms. (YLN), I..."
Katie can't get another word out, she's sobbing too hard. I pull her into my arms. She immediately hugs me back, her tears staining my chest.
"Shhh, it's okay. I've got you."
Janet hands Katie a tissue, and she blows her nose.
"Okay, sweetheart, take a deep breath and tell us what happened."
"I overheard my grandma yelling at my mom. She said you're a bad person who does gross things. She doesn't want me near you anymore...but I love the library! You're not really a bad person, are you?"
Oh no...I can't really explain to Katie that this is about erotica. Maybe I can phrase it differently?
"Some people in town don't like me and what I do here."
"What? Why? You're so nice, and you help me with reading and writing!"
"Yes...but I also provide the community with books, and some people don't like all the books. There's a practice called book banning, where people try to prevent libraries from carrying certain books they don't like. As a librarian, I cannot allow that. Not liking the contents of a book doesn't mean no one should be allowed to read it."
"Why would someone hate a book that much? There are some books I don't like, but I just stop reading them."
"Exactly. That's what you should do."
Katie beams at the compliment and wraps her arms around my legs. As Katie heads off into the children's reading room, I turn to Janet, who's struggling to hide her rage. After the reading hour, Katie's waiting outside for her mom when my least favorite little boys run over. Through the window, I see them shove Katie to the ground and rush outside to protect her.
"My dad is the most powerful man in the whole town, but I heard you don't even HAVE a dad."
"I bet her left you because of how big of a baby you are."
Shit. Katie is my secret niece, and she needs help.
"Katie, you don't have to take this..."
She frowns, then nods with resolve.
"You guys are just jealous because you get bad grades so you're always in trouble. And my mom is worth like 10 of your dads, 'cause girls are better than boys. So get out of here before I call your dads and tell them you need to be even more grounded."
The boys share disgruntled looks then run off. I help Katie up and dust the dirt off her clothes.
"Thanks, Ms. (YLN)."
"You can count on me anytime."
Her mom runs forward, gathering Katie into her arms.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Thanks to Ms. (YLN)."
Her mom stands, and before I know it, she's pulling me into a giant hug.
"You're maybe not as bad as I thought."
"Thank you."
"I'm not quite ready to forget everything, half-sis...but I'm going to try my best to forgive."
"That sounds like normal family stuff to me! Thanks for re-thinking your grudge."
"I'll do my best. I promise."
The next morning, I wake up to the sound of Bang Chan already working downstairs."
I want to give him a reason to drop what he's doing...and his jaw.
I quickly run over to my closet and look through my clothes to find something a little more sexy for Bang Chan. I throw on a navy blue lingerie set. I make my way downstairs, where Bang Chan is absorbed in his work beneath the new sink. But he still doesn't come out from under the sink, fully absorbed in his work.
This is my chance to surprise the man who keeps surprising me!
As quietly as I can, I tiptoe over to straddle Bang Chan with my legs on either side of his. I take a deep breath and squeeze both of his legs with mine, calling out his name.
"Good morning, Bang Chan the plumber!"
"Oh, Jesus!"
I sit on top of him and tease him with a small grind of my hips. He jolts in surprise, twisting the wrench wrong and spraying water in his face. In retaliation, he jolts up, taking the nozzle, and sprays me as well.
"Two can play at that game."
"Oh yeah...you're on for a water fight!"
I take the cup of water sitting on the counter and flick water droplets on Bang Chan's face as he tries to crawl out from under the sink. Bang Chan grabs my wrist, shaking it so the remaining water splashes in my face.
"Oh!"
"Now you're all wet."
"What are you going to do about it?" I ask with a challenging look.
At my taunt, Bang Chan pulls me in for a kiss. He then bends down and takes my nipple into his mouth. The feel of the wet fabric and Bang Chan's mouth have me gasping. Bang Chan pulls away and looks at me, licking his lips.
"That."
Together, we fall laughing to the floor.
"You should have woken me up."
"You were too cute sleeping..."
Bang Chan tucks a stray hair behind my ear as his deep voice rumbles in my ear.
"You're looking sexy as hell this morning, by the way..."
There's that voice again. When he talks like that, I feel like I'd let him do whatever he wanted.
I quickly press my lips to Bang Chan's. Before he can deepen the kiss, I pull away, but not before teasing his lower lip with my teeth.
"Surprise attacks aren't fair."
I circle around him, and he watches my fingers as I trail them along the countertop.
"I don't want to work at all, do you?"
"I want to work very hard."
"Oh yeah? Really get down on your knees and go at it?"
"Anything to get the job done."
Bang Chan suddenly pulls me close, gently grabbing my wrist and guiding my hand down. His hard cock presses against his pants. He teases up and down my back with his fingertips then captures my mouth in a firm kiss. I sigh when I feel him hold me tighter. He gently teases my mouth with his tongue.
"Someone's bold this morning."
"Is that a problem?"
"I hope you don't think you're in control here. Because you're my sexy woman."
In one firm movement, he grabs my wrists, and spins me around, pressing me against the counter. He growls against the sensitive skin of my neck as his hand trails down the front of my body, reaching for my core.
"Dressed like this, I can just lift that little skirt of yours and have my way."
"What are you waiting for? You're the Dom here, aren't you?"
At my bold declaration, Bang Chan presses my hands on the countertop. He yanks down my panties, biting both asscheeks as he lets the fabric rub against my tender skin.
"Mmm, Bang Chan..."
"That doesn't sound like a scream, but we haven't hit the main event yet."
He removes his own clothes and presses against my entrance, and in one swift motion, he's deep inside me. The angle from being against the counter has Bang Chan hitting a spot deep inside. I squirm.
"That's it, let me hear you."
"Fuck! Bang Chan!"
He thrusts at a brutal pace that has me crying out my first release.
"You like it when I take you from behind, don't you?"
"I need more."
"You're my fucking sexy woman. Cum again, (Y/N). That's an order."
As he shoves himself deeper into me, his finger finds my clit, rubbing circles as my legs shake with my next orgasm.
"I can feel you clenching around my cock."
He pumps in and out, until finally, he groans like he's on the edge.
"You've got three choices, (YLN). I want to pull this cock out and make you taste yourself as I take your throat... Or you're going to let me ravage you hard and deep until I cum inside you."
"What's the third option?"
"What it always is. Use the safe word, and I jack myself off in the bathroom. But you want my cum inside you, don't you?"
"Yes...cum inside my...fill my pussy up with your hot cum..."
He flips me over, grips my waist, and lifts me up against him, burying himself deeper.
"Oh yes!"
He brings me down again, filling me with his hardness. I clutch at his muscular back, digging my nails into his skin.
"Fuck, that feels so good."
"Bang Chan!!"
He cups my ass and drives into me with the same intensity, faster.
"Yes!!"
My legs shake as his cock releases, his warm cum filling my tight core. He catches my lips in a kiss as he pulls out. The cum drips out down my leg. Bang Chan catches me as I slide off the counter on wobbly legs.
"You're amazing, (Y/N)."
As I get back into my renovations, I'm surprised by a knock on the door.
"I caught wind of something bad. The Mayor proposed a bill earlier this morning that would prevent any business from operating on the lake!"
Before I know it, Bang Chan is at the door, his breath heavy and angry.
"Marjorie's gone too far. What are we going to do about this, ladies?"