Page 5 of Archer's Awakening

Except I hadn’t felt miserable. I’d been busy building my practice. I’d wanted to be the best divorce attorney in Vancouver. In British Columbia. Hell, in Canada. I wanted the well-heeled to seek out my specialized services. I wanted to make tons of money.

Because that meant keeping Thea in style, helping my family and, most importantly, having the ability to take pro bono cases of spouses fleeing domestic violence.

In honor of my first client. The one who hadn’t made it.

Her memory drove me to be the best. And I hadn’t lost another client since, so I figured I must be doing something right.

Or my luck was about to run out.

Could go either way.

Would the guy have stayed the night?

I’d hoped so.

As I sorted through my pockets and hooked my phone up to a charger, I tried not to mourn what might’ve been. As a closeted bisexual, I hadn’t spent much time with men in romantic or sexual relationships. Nolan, in university during our undergrad years, but that’d been it. Once I’d started in the rarified air of the Peter A. Allard Law School at the University of British Columbia, I’d shoved that part of myself to the back of the closet.

Upon graduation, I married my sweetheart and had assumed we’d have children promptly. My stunningly successful law practice would soon follow.

I undid my belt and yanked down my trousers.

How did I wind up here? Why all these memories?

Because I’d designated tonight a fresh start. A delineation between my old life and my new one. An opportunity to remember why I liked cock.

A chance to obliterate the last fourteen years from my memory.

Off came my boxer briefs, and I sucked in a breath as the cool air hit my cock.

Should I turn up the temperature?

The bed looked comfy, so I turned it down. I’d just hop in and be warm in no time.

I eyed my overnight bag.

Fuck it. You only live once.

I carefully removed tomorrow’s clothes—jeans and a henley with a pair of running shoes—and set them aside. Then I removed the false bottom.

My pretties.

My toys.

The ones I never used for fear of discovery.

Thea might’ve been on the other side of the world sometimes, but I always worried someone might turn up at my house. One of my myriad of siblings, my parents, my assistant, the woman who kept our house… For all my desire to be alone at times, I very rarely was.

Hence building the house in the country.

My oasis. My escape from the rat race. My place of sanctuary away from nosy family, demanding clients, and diligent employees. Away from everyone who always seemed to be making demands on my time.

Riley, my foreperson, said we were on track.

She hasn’t checked in with me recently.

Better plan to call her. Later. Much later.

That resolved, I grabbed my dildo and headed to the bathroom.

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