“Yes, I mentioned it,” I told Lex, suddenly remembering I hadn’t answered his question.
“And she argued, didn’t she?” Lex had gotten to know Kiera over the last few weeks. At first the way she’d let him in bothered me, but now she had opened herself up to me as well, and I found myself only wanting to know more.
“Yes, she did,” I replied, still thumbing through the messages from people hoping to gain my support on their projects or sell me their properties.
“But?” he pressed.
Lex knew just how well I took no as an answer.
“But,” I said, finally looking up to meet his curious stare. “I never gave her a choice. I already have a dress being delivered to her on Thursday, and the limousine has been arranged to pick her up at 7:00 p.m.”
“And if she still refuses to come?” he challenged me with a cock of his brow.
“I can be very convincing. I’m more than positive I’ll be able to convince her.”
Lex grew almost giddy as his eyes widened. I could tell he was running the scenario through his mind, and I didn’t even want to envision the details of what he could be imagining right now.
“Oh to be a fly on the wall during those events,” Lex said dreamily. He faked a shiver and bit his lip.
The phone rang from the reception desk just outside my office, and I waited for him to get up to retrieve it. When he remained seated, still lost in his erotic dreamland, I learned forward and placed my elbows on the desktop. “Isn’t there something else you should be doing besides fishing for details of my weekend?”
“Fine,” he said in a huff. “You take all the fun out of everything.”
I could only shake my head in wonder as he rushed from the room. He was harmless really, but extremely exhausting.
My last meeting of the day couldn’t have come soon enough. The continuous talk of opportunity for growth and the benefits of this or that investment had all begun to run together, and I just wanted to leave early and make a surprise visit to Stockman and Wright. After more than forty-eight hours of full, uninterrupted access to Kiera, I was beginning to go into withdrawal.
I had just lifted my cell so I could send a dirty little message to the woman that now consumed my mind when my desk phone rang. It was my direct line, and only a few people knew to call me there.
I laid my cell back on the desk and leaned forward to answer. “Hello.”
“Well if it isn’t the brother who deserted me Saturday night.” Beckett tried to come across as irritated, but I knew he wasn’t. “You do know I had to entertain both Milly and Tiffany all on my own.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, something tells me you had no trouble with that task. And who the hell are Tiffany and Milly anyway?” He said their names like I should have known who they were.
“I told you about the woman I met while I was in Jersey last month,” he replied quickly. “We set this double date up weeks ago, man. Tiffany is her roommate. But after I got a few drinks in them, they no longer cared that my mega-rich older brother stiffed us.” He let out a low whistle, and I imagined his cocky smirk as he continued. “The only stiff they were thinking of then was my very happy cock.”
“So then you can thank me for not showing.”
He chuckled again. “I guess I can. It was definitely a night to remember.” My brother was even worse than I had been when it came to one-night hook-ups. “So who did you ditch me for?”
I thought he was long past this question, but apparently the girls he’d been with warranted no further conversation.
“Her name is Kiera,” I offered. “I met her a few weeks ago.”
“And?” he pried.
“And we spent the weekend together.”
He grew quiet, and I could picture his shocked and puzzled expression.
“Before you say shit, just know that she isn’t like the other women I’ve spent time with.” I hoped he understood my meaning.
“Well it would appear that our mother’s excessive talk of us settling down has finally reached her eldest son.” I was thankful he didn’t say something about the magic of Kiera’s pussy, because I’d heard that one before. He used to say it when Sloane and I were together, but Sloane had absolutely nothing on Kiera. Sloane was convenient for a time, but Kiera had quickly become a necessity.
“Just enjoying one another’s company and seeing where it takes us,” I explained.
“You sound like a fucking woman,” he grumbled, and this time I was the one that laughed. Beckett was such a manwhore. He loved women so much, I wasn’t sure he would ever be able to choose just one.
But then again, that was exactly what I used to think about myself. Until I met her.
KINSLEY
The way you moan just as your orgasm hits you, I’ve never heard anything I crave more.
WITH HEAT RISING IN MY
neck, I stared at the message Ashton had sent me and thought of his good-bye to me just before he left my apartment this morning.
He’d left me hunched over the couch, my panties still around my ankles as he slowly backed away, buckling his pants. A look of pure satisfaction and arrogance covered his face. He knew what he did to me. I had attempted to pretend I didn’t want him to take control and make me weak with desire, but I failed. He could see right through me, and there was no hope of hiding the fact I wanted him as badly as he wanted me, if not more.
He was like a drug. One I had no desire of breaking clean from.
What should have been a simple good-bye kiss morphed into something more very quickly, and I didn’t fight him when he pinned me to the sofa and took control. Giving him power over my body made my head spin with dirty thoughts. I wanted him to conquer me because I knew he was nothing like Jase. His dominance gave me pleasure, not fear.
And the pleasure was toe-curlingly good.
I’d been so lost in the memories of our morning that I hadn’t gotten the chance to respond before he send a second text.
Ashton: I spent 90% of my day hard just thinking of that sweet moan.
I smiled, imaging the uncomfortable situation of being in a meeting, surrounded by men in suits while sporting an erection. The thought made me laugh.
Me: I’d apologize for monopolizing your thoughts, but I am not sorry.
I stared at my phone, waiting for his response. I looked forward to our banter. Ashton didn’t hold back, which in turn made me feel free to do the same. I could say whatever was on my mind without any repercussions.
Ashton: I think you should make up for your invasion.
Me: And how would you suggest I do that?
I grew anxious once again, waiting for his response. And when his suggestion came through, I’d be lying if I said I was shocked.
Ashton: Dinner. Or you could just show up here at my office unannounced and kneel before me just as you did Saturday afternoon and put an end to this uncomfortable erection I’ve fought all day.
The day he was speaking of was the one where I fought off my nervousness and for once took control of my own thoughts and desires. The shocked look on Ashton’s face when I unbuckled his jeans and freed his cock had sent a thrilling jolt of excitement through me. It gave me the courage I needed to continue. And with each moan or thrust of his hips, I grew more confident. Every moment with him gave me back just another piece of the woman I’d thought I’d left back in Miami.
I wanted more of this newfound sense of freedom. I wanted to take what I desired without thinking twice about it. I wanted to take over and leave him with no other choice but to give me what I needed.
And he did. Without hesitation. It was like he could see my desire to regain yet another piece of myself and he didn’t question it.
My phone vibrated in my hand, ringing instead of announcing another text. Ashton’s name flashed across the screen, and I realized I’d been too lost in thoughts of our weekend together to respond to his message.
“Hello,” I said in a rush.
“Did I scare you off?”
“Actually I was remembering Saturday afternoon,” I confessed, and he responded with a deep intake of breath. “The way your head fell back against the cushions of the couch when I took you into my mouth. You say my moans are sexy,” I whispered, “but the look on your face in that moment was by far one of the most tantalizing things I have ever seen.”
“It would appear we’ve both discovered a few things we enjoy seeing during our time together.” His voice sounded strained. Quiet and husky.
“I have a list,” I assured him without hesitation.
“A list, huh?” he asked curiously, his voice now a little stronger. “I’d love to hear this list.”
“I was thinking I could just go through it item by item and show you instead.” I smiled when he groaned just loud enough for me to hear.
“I love the way you think, Ms. Masterson.” He paused, and I heard him cover the phone with his hand as he spoke to someone close by.
“I have a call coming in,” he said when he returned. “But after that I’m coming to get you.”
I started to argue when I looked up at the clock and found it was only a little after three. I still had close to two hours before my day came to an end. But he didn’t give me the chance to say that before ending the call and leaving me staring down at my phone in confusion.
Surely he knew he’d have to wait until five to whisk me away. Right?
Apparently not.
Less than thirty minutes later, there was a light knock on my door just before Meghan entered with Ashton following closely behind. She smiled big as she stepped to the side and allowed him to pass.
She took an appreciatively stroll over his body with her eyes, and a laugh escaped me when she bit her knuckle as if to hide a moan.
Ashton looked back over his shoulder and caught her mid-fantasy. He cleared his throat, and she straightened up quickly, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
“I’ll just, um,” she said, trying to regain her composure, “leave you two to it, then.”
When the door was closed and Ashton turned back to face me, he cocked an eyebrow and I could no longer hold back. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter, and he shook his head in amusement. “I’m pretty sure she was seconds away from reaching her peak,” I told him. “Don’t you feel bad for interrupting her?”
He stepped forward and took a seat on the edge of my desk. “Not at all, but I would like to see you at your peak, Ms. Masterson.”
“Not here you won’t,” I said matter-of-factly. I knew then that I had actually just challenged him.
He didn’t say anything more as he stood and rounded the corner of the desk.
“Ash,” I said in warning, but it didn’t faze him in the least. “Ashton,” I said, a little louder this time in hope that he would listen.
“You should know, sweetheart, that I do not back down from a challenge,” he said just before gripping my wrist and tugging me up from the chair. My body crashed against his as I stumbled forward, and he wrapped his arm around my waist securely.
I looked up to find him staring back at me with a look of pure intensity.
“I’d love nothing more than to bend you over this desk and hike up this skirt of yours just to prove a point.”
My heart raced as my core tightened in anticipation. Would I fight him if he chose to go forward with that threat? No, I didn’t think I would. Because the excitement that raced through my body at his words had me wanting him to prove he would do it.
He traced my jaw with the tip of his nose and leaned in closer to nip at my neck. “I know you’re thinking about it. I can tell by the way you’re panting with desire.” He brought his lips closer to the shell of my ear. “Instead of giving you what your body is begging for, I’m going to make you wait, because nothing makes me hotter than knowing you want me that bad.”
When he released his hold on me and stepped back, disappointment washed over me. And that must have shown in my expression because Ashton chuckled.
“Don’t worry, baby,” he said as he took another step backward, still eyeing me with that cocky arrogance he oozed. “I’ll make up for it later. In fact you may want to call in tomorrow so you’ll have adequate time to recover.” And when his gaze dropped to where I still had my thighs pressed tightly together, he grinned, knowing I was aching for him.
I had a feeling he was going to torture me, very slowly, almost making me crazy with need, before finally giving me what I now wanted so desperately.