He traces patterns on the back of my hand with his finger. “So you want to hide the person you truly are? You think that will make you happy?”

I shrug. “It’s better than being miserable all the time.”

Neither of us says anything for a couple of moments. Being completely honest with someone is draining. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but I can tell by the slight slump in his shoulders that he’s disappointed. If we lived in the same city and he wasn’t a famous rock star with temptations of other women in his face constantly, I might be more into the idea of having a relationship with him. But as it is, I can’t go through heartbreak again. I might not make it through another.

“You’re right,” he says. “I’m probably not that guy you’re looking for. I’m not the white picket fence kind of guy. Things between us would probably end eventually.”

Even though this is basically what I said to him, it doesn’t lessen the pain of rejection. I fight back my emotions and give him a casual smile. “Good. I’d still like to spend more time with you and end this thing as friends.”

He pulls his lips into a tight line before he picks up his beer and clinks it to mine. “Friends it is.”

Even though I’m getting exactly what I asked for, why do I have this pit of disappointment in my stomach?

“Well if this weekend is the end for us, I saw something a couple shops down I want to buy for you,” he says with a wicked grin as he grabs my hand.

The look on his face tells me it’s not a souvenir keychain. “What is it?”

He shrugs. “Something I want you to keep an open mind to.”

We leave the bar and head out into the cool Texas night air. Zach’s long, guitar playing fingers wrap around mine as we walk hand in hand down the street past all the little shops. A glowing white sign with red letters catches my eye. It simply says Naughty Land on it.

I instantly giggle as he holds open the door for me. “A sex shop? Really?”

He bites his lip toying with his lip ring. “You seem to be down with the kinky sex last night, so I figure we get the right equipment this round.”

Intrigued by him, I ask, “What do you have in mind?”

We step inside and my eyes widen. There’s everything from battery-operated boyfriends to full on bondage beds lining every inch of this place. “Wow.”

He steps behind me when I walk into a secluded aisle and places his hands on my bare shoulders. “Wow as in your down for some of this, or wow like you’re scared to death of it?”

I shake my head. “I’m not scared.”

“Then prove it,” he growls in my ear. “Find something you want to try out and we’ll buy it. Since this is my last time with you, I want to pull out all the stops and give you the fantasy fucking you’ve always dreamed of.”

I swallow hard. His sexual forwardness in combination with the sight of all this stuff is enough to cause me to get a little wet.

He allows his fingers to trail down my arm and then down my waist before finally finding their way onto my ass. He squeezes it with enough force to let me know he means business as he grinds himself into me backside. “I want back inside you. Feel this? This is what you do to me.”

The hard length of him presses into my back through his jeans. I lay my head back on his shoulder and let out a soft moan. The things this man does to me.

“That’s it. Now keep this feeling in mind and go find us something to play with.”

Before I can say anything else, he pulls away, leaving me panting. A cold rush of air fills the space against my back where his body used to be and reality sets in that I was so turned on for a moment I was just about ready to fuck him right here in this store.

I walk around the room and pass all the vibrators. I don’t have any problems having an orgasm with Zach, so I don’t feel like those will be exciting enough for us. The sex game boards don’t interest me either, so I drift over towards the fetish section.

A black riding crop catches my attention and I think about how much Zach enjoyed being blindfolded last night and how something like this could be fun.

“You ever used one of these?” he asks, startling me.

I shake my head. “No, but it looks interesting.”

“They can be fun if you know how to use them the right way.”

“H—how…what’s the right way?” Even I can hear the uncertainty in my voice.

He takes one off the rack. “I’ll show you.”

After he pays for the equipment and we ride back over to the hotel. We barely make it through the room door before we’re all over each other. He kisses my lips and neck while he strips away all my clothes and then his own.

He pulls the crop out of the bag and rips it from the package. “Use this on me.”

“I don’t think I can,” I whisper.

He places a finger under my chin. “You want to dominate. I saw it last night with the blindfold game.”

“I failed miserably at that. I was thinking, maybe…” Gah! This is harder to ask for than I thought. “You could use it on me.”

He bites his bottom lip and flicks the ring between his teeth. “You’re so fucking sexy it hurts. Do you know that?” He kisses my lips. “Go bend over and put your elbows on the bed.”

I make my way over to the bed and do what he asks. I feel a little self-conscious with my ass sticking in the air. “Like this?”