The Barter System Companion: Volume One Read online

  The Barter System

  COMPANION

  Volume One

  Shayne McClendon

  The Barter System Companion – Volume One

  by Shayne McClendon

  The Barter System Series

  Copyright © 2017 Shayne McClendon

  Published by Always the Good Girl LLC

  www.alwaysthegoodgirl.com

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Also by Shayne McClendon

  The Barter System Series

  Choice of Subjects (Prequel)

  The Barter System

  Hudson

  Pushing the Envelope

  Backstage

  Liberation

  Radiance

  The Barter System Companion – Volume One

  The Barter System Companion – Volume Two

  The Great Outdoors Series

  Sunny’s Heart

  Permission to Come Aboard

  Permission to Land

  Special Delivery

  Embrace the Wild

  Country Romances

  Yes to Everything

  Somebody

  Gravity

  Break Down Here

  Roadside Assistance

  Short Story Anthologies

  Quickies – 2014 Edition

  Quickies – 2015 Edition

  Sports Romances

  Love of the Game

  Hart of the Matter

  Leap of Faith

  Dramatic Romances

  Completely Wrecked

  The Hermit

  Dedication

  To Jana, without whom, this chronology never would’ve come together. Thank you for knowing my books and characters even better than I do.

  Love ya big,

  Shayne

  Forward by Shayne McClendon

  A few years ago, I published my very first book, The Barter System, and it changed my life. Top to bottom, everything from that moment was different.

  Over time, I’ve gathered a faithful group of readers. Women (and a few men) who were invested in my books because of the people I wrote about in them.

  The eroticism of my tales certainly didn’t hurt.

  I started a private group and called it The Barter System because no matter how many books I write, everything started there. It was a place we could talk plots, act silly sometimes, and gush about characters that feel real to me.

  You have full lives overflowing with interactions in the real world. Average people you interact with who used to be background noise. Through my stories, suddenly all those normal people have stories, too. You ate it up.

  In the last two years, you wanted to know what happened to the characters after their stories ended, after Riya’s dissertation was finished, after I wrote the last sentence in their books.

  You wanted more.

  All the pieces have been there, additional stories I never told you. I just needed to find time to pull them all together.

  When I started this project, I had more than seventy stories in different locations all over my computer. I assembled them and asked my girl Jana to help me get them in chronological order. Once that piece was finished, I realized there were missing stories I needed to tell.

  Before long, I had an additional 30,000 words of new stories in the first half of the timeline alone. It was suddenly a much bigger project than I realized.

  I split them in half because I want to be certain you get everything you need to piece this universe together. A project Jana started on the group has taken on a life of its own.

  I think you’re going to love this collection. Some of the stories I’ve included have been seen. Some were in the backs of my books, others on my website, and still more floated here and there – all but forgotten by me over the years.

  Enjoy your walk through this volume of The Barter System Companion. I think you’ll end up with more questions than answers and I don’t mind.

  I have many stories left to tell.

  Much love,

  Shayne

  Table of Contents

  Chasing Camille

  Violin

  Sacrifice

  A New Friend

  Completely Wrecked

  Permission to Land

  Special Delivery

  Unpretty

  Pushing the Envelope

  Permission to Come Aboard

  Zero Tolerance

  The Carving

  The Seeds of Sin

  Portrait

  Expectations

  Embrace the Wild

  Savine in Review

  Wake-Up Call

  Lateral Move

  Extraction Plan

  Choice of Subjects

  Long Term Plans

  An Unorthodox Rescue

  The Party

  The Barter System

  Being First

  Working Shit Out

  Uncertainty

  The Queen’s Castle

  Lunch Break

  In Training

  Hudson

  Legacy

  Benevolent Masters

  Clean

  Cubicle Neighbors

  Rage

  Security

  Sweet Little Kitten

  Finding Jordan

  An Overdue Meeting

  Curb Appeal

  Moth to Flame

  First Impressions

  Paying Penance

  About Shayne McClendon

  Chasing Camille

  Philadelphia - May 1972

  Camille Truing left her economics class and walked rapidly across campus. It wouldn’t do for her to run but she could barely contain herself.

  It wasn’t ladylike to visit the athletic department but she hadn’t seen Noah Winters in three days. She was almost to the entrance when she heard her name across the courtyard.

  “Camille! Cami!” Turning, she grinned at Noah running full out in her direction. He caught her up and spun her around until all she could do was close her eyes and hug him tight. Stopping, he squeezed her harder and put her on her feet. “I see we had the same idea.”

  Leaning back, he smiled down into her face and she loved him, loved him, loved him. His black hair was tousled from the wind and his habit of raking his fingers through it. His black eyes sparkled.

  “I missed you, Noah.” Saying the words aloud made her blush and he cupped her face in hands that were strong, capable in a way few people seemed to have.

  “I missed you, too. May I kiss you?” He always asked her when they’d been apart and every time, it made her heart race with the knowledge he didn’t take her for granted.

  “Please kiss me.” It wasn’t appropriate but it was 1972 and she couldn’t stand the idea of not feeling his lips on hers.

  He didn’t make her wait. He was her first kiss, her first love, her first…everything. He changed her life in a single day when he insisted on using his umbrella to shelter her from an unexpected storm.

  Noah was smart, smarter than any man she’d ever known. At the top of his class in finance, he was being groomed to assume a position in his family company.

  That he despised his father and older brother didn’t stop them from planning his future. At first, she thought the men in his family were simply demanding.

  It was more than that.

  When Noah refused to return home for a family visit, his older brother traveled to their campus. Winston didn’t sear
ch out his sibling.

  He found Camille.

  She left her exam, planning to grab a bite to eat before she needed to be across the campus for her next one.

  Initially, she mistook the man dressed in an expensive black suit for Noah. They were the same height with identical coloring. He stood outside her class, waiting for her. She smiled as she made her way to him until she closed the distance and realized it wasn’t her boyfriend.

  Confused, she said, “Hello.”

  “Miss Truing. What a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Unclasping his hands from behind him, he extended one to her. She shook and was struck by how cold he was. “Winston Winters.”

  “Noah’s brother. It’s nice to meet you.”

  The silence drew out between them and she tugged her hand free when he didn’t release it. She didn’t know Noah’s family but she inexplicably feared the man in front of her.

  “Are you looking for Noah?” She glanced at her watch. “He’s taking his calculus exam. He should be done in the next few minutes.”

  “I wanted to speak with you, Miss Truing. I trust your English Literature exam went well?” His smile didn’t inspire an ounce of warmth or kindness.

  “I-I believe so, yes.”

  “Outstanding. Glad to hear my brother found himself such a clever girl. Shall we sit?” He gestured to a bench behind him and she didn’t know how to get out of the unusual situation.

  Walking around him, she lowered to the shaded seat and waited. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as he sat beside her.

  “How long have you been dating Noah, Camille?”

  Nonplussed by the question, she said, “Almost two years.”

  “You’ve never been introduced to the family in all this time. How odd. Nonetheless, my father wishes Noah to return to the family estate. He’s quite insistent but has been refused several times. I determined you might be able to convince him.”

  Every nerve in her body was on alert. “Why are you here, Mr. Winters?”

  His smile was slow. Despite being physically attractive in similar ways to her Noah, she wanted to recoil. “Aren’t you an astute little thing?”

  His eyes flicked down her body and back to her face. It felt as if he’d touched her and goosebumps broke out on her skin.

  “I’m here because my brother presumes to deny my father the respect he deserves. Every penny that pays for this school and his extracurricular activities – including his little adventures with his ever-so-lovely paramour – is at the behest of the Winters fortune. It would…let’s say benefit him to make an appearance when he’s been summoned.”

  Shocked, she replayed the words in her mind. “Are you threatening Noah?”

  “Not at all, Miss Truing. Simply explaining the facts as they stand.” He stood and straightened his suit jacket. “Financial security for my brother would presumably be in your best interests.”

  Frowning, she said, “I’m not with Noah for money.”

  His chuckle was terrifying. “Naturally. It’s true love which binds you to him. Your own family has adequate wealth so I’m sure you think very little about money. About the cost of things you take for granted. It’s a common affliction of the young.”

  Shooting his cuffs, he made a slight bow. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Truing. Do tell my brother I’ll expect to see him at the estate in two weeks’ time or I’ll return to fetch him myself. Will you be a dear and deliver the message?”

  “I will.”

  “I’ll let you get back to class. I believe you have your French final next. Is that right?” She nodded. “Bonne chance, mon cher.”

  He turned and walked toward the parking lot. She didn’t take her eyes off his retreating form until he was out of sight.

  Releasing a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she rubbed her arms to break the chill. There was no way to intercept Noah until their classes were done.

  Her stomach in knots, she made her way to class.

  Fluent in the language she’d taken all four years of college, her mind wasn’t on the test. Her thoughts ricocheted around the frightening man who made no secret that he knew everything about her.

  Why did he know so much about her?

  Later that night, she met Noah at their favorite café and told him about his brother’s visit. Everything about him changed right in front of her. The blood drained from his face, his body went utterly still, his jaw clenched, and his hands formed into fists on the table.

  Placing her palm over one of them, she whispered, “Noah. Are you alright?”

  “He frightened you.” It wasn’t a question. She nodded. “I’m sorry, Cami.”

  “It’s alright. Is your father like that, too?”

  A bitter laugh escaped, something she’d never heard from him. “My father created the mold, my brother seeks to improve it. By improve, I mean become more of a psychopath than dear old dad.”

  She swallowed hard. “You’re not going to go?”

  “I have no choice.”

  “I should go with you…”

  He leaned forward so quickly, she gasped in surprise. “Under no circumstances will I ever take you to my family home. I never intended for you to meet either of them.” Inhaling carefully, she watched him relax his body.

  “I’m worried, Noah.”

  His signature smile broke over his face. “I have the big tournament this weekend. I graduate in two weeks. Soon, I won’t ever have to deal with them again.”

  Taking both her hands, he told her, “Come with me to the race.”

  “How am I going to get to New York?” It was great to change the subject.

  “Drive my car. Follow us down. I’ll get you a room so we can celebrate.”

  Leaning closer, she whispered, “I sense ulterior motives.”

  Matching her volume, he confirmed, “You sense correctly. Say you’ll come. It’s my last race.”

  “I’ll come.”

  A few days later, she followed the team bus to New York City. She checked into the lovely little room he reserved for her and could barely sleep from excitement.

  Wearing a huge hat to protect her from the sun, she screamed herself hoarse the next afternoon when Noah’s team trounced rivals projected to win by everyone.

  She waited at the top of the dock, jumping up and down. He charged her, apologized for being sweaty, and picked her up.

  “You did it! I’m so proud of you, Noah!” He started kissing her and didn’t stop until his teammates surrounded them. “Congratulations, guys! Well done!”

  Noah’s best friend and co-captain grinned from ear to ear. “He told us on the bus you were a good luck charm. Guess he was right.”

  “That’s silly, Glenn. It was hard work that won it.”

  “I’m taking her out of here. I’ll see you guys on the bus tomorrow.”

  They raced for a cab, laughing and holding hands. At the hotel, he quickly showered before following her down to the bed and spending the rest of the day there.

  It was after dark when he stared at her with his head in his hand. She was pretending to sleep. “Cami, you’re the worst actress in history. Open your eyes, pretty girl.” She didn’t and he tickled her.

  “Okay! Okay! Goodness. What’s so important? Aren’t you exhausted?”

  “Nope. Sit your pretty butt up and pay attention.” She did and gathered the sheets around her naked body. “You’re the most beautiful woman I know. Do you know that?”

  “And you’re the most beautiful man I know. I know you know that.”

  “Guilty. I’m a dream.” They laughed and he kissed her. When he pulled back, his expression was serious. “Marry me, Camille.”

  In a whisper, she said, “What?”

  “You heard me. Say you will. Let me spend the rest of my life spinning you around and making you laugh.”

  “I’d love nothing more than to marry you, Noah.”

  Smiling, he picked up a box from the side table. “This isn’t a normal
engagement ring. It’s something my mother gave to me before she died. She said her own wedding set wasn’t a symbol of love but bondage. This is what she wanted me to use instead.”

  He opened the box and she gasped, her fingers over lips. “It’s so beautiful, Noah.”

  The antique platinum setting cradled one large gray pearl and two smaller white ones.

  “These pearls were given to her by her father. He was a sponge diver in Greece. Her mother made them into this ring when he was killed in a diving accident.” He placed the ring on her finger and smoothed a lock of hair from her face. “She loved this ring, clung to it when she was sad to remember her childhood. I know she’d adore you as much as I do.”

  Going up on her knees, she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him with every ounce of passion he inspired. The sheets fell away and he made love to her again.

  It was the perfect end to a perfect day. One she remembered fondly all her life.

  * * *

  When Noah returned from his visit to see his father, he was different.

  He explained that his family offered him a position in the New York office and he planned to work there for a year while she finished school.

  “Are you sure? I thought you wanted to get away from all that.”

  “Cami. It’s just for a little while. You’ll graduate and we can go wherever you want.” He left her his car since he didn’t need it in the city.

  Every couple of weeks, she took the train to New York and spent the weekend with her fiancé in his fabulous apartment. She was shocked to learn his father owned it but tried not to bring up his family.

  The subject of his father and brother could send him into deep depression.

  A few months after she agreed to marry the man of her dreams, he called her in the middle of the night. “Noah? What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

  “I’m coming to get you, Camille. We have to leave.”

  “Leave? To go where?”

  “Anywhere. Be ready. I’ll be there in the morning.”

  “You sound so upset.” Her hand shook so hard she could barely hold the phone. “I’m scared.”

  “I know, sweetheart. I know. Once I have you in my arms, everything will be fine. Be ready and I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”