by Gemma James
I push my ass into his groin, urging him deeper. “You feel so good. Don’t stop.”
“Not a chance, Jules.” He rams me from behind, and each thrust is a frantic, raw, untamed claim on me. The band launches into the next song, and the riff of an electric guitar drifts to the loft from the first floor, accompanied by the drum beat.
The music floods my ears, but all of my other senses belong to Cash, and I close my eyes to amplify each remaining one.
The linger of his champagne kiss on my lips.
The wafting spiciness of his skin.
The deep thrusts of his cock.
Only a few minutes pass before I come in a violent wave, and my spine bows under his onslaught. Mouth forming a muted circle of ecstasy, my eyelids drift up, and I find the shocked gaze of his brother staring back from the top of the stairs.
28. Common Ground
Cash
I’m mid-orgasm when Jules stiffens with a surprised gasp that is not born of pleasure. Following the direction of her gaze, I glance over to find Kaden standing like a statue, watching us rut like animals.
Fuck.
The band’s set comes to an end, submerging us in unsettling quiet. Kaden clears his throat and turns his back to us, granting me the few seconds I need to finish the job. As I jerk inside Jules, spurting the last of my seed, I’m suddenly angry with Kaden for ruining this moment, despite it being my own damn fault that we got caught.
But when it comes to Jules, I’ll never be able to control myself, and I can see us getting into all sorts of trouble in the future. As I pull out and zip up, I make a mental note to install a lock on my office door, since fucking her on my desk is going to become a midday ritual.
“You okay?” I ask her, keeping my voice low as I pull up her pants.
She rises and turns to face me, and fuck, do I find the flush of her cheeks sexy as hell. Smoothing the burgundy dress-like shirt over her leggings, she darts glances in Kaden’s direction every couple of seconds.
“I’m fine. I just need to find the ladies’ room.” She’s off toward the stairs before I can say a word, winding a path around Kaden in her haste to seek refuge in the privacy of the restroom.
I grab my abandoned champagne flute and take a seat. Kaden pours himself a glass and joins me though he’s apparently avoiding my eyes.
“Not the image I wanted in my head, little brother.”
“Let’s not go into the things we don’t want burned into our minds.”
“Point taken.” He raises his glass toward me before taking a sip. “How is she?” His voice dips, and I don’t have to ask to know he’s referring to Monica.
“She’s handling it about as well as can be expected. I think she realizes it could have been a lot worse. She could have gone away for twenty-five to life.” I tip the flute back, emptying it in a single gulp. “Think you’ll ever forgive her?”
“I don’t know.” He’s silent for a few moments, expression one of contemplation. “I have a child out there somewhere that I knew nothing about. I’ll never get to meet her.”
“Her?”
He nods. “Monica said the baby was a girl. I can’t tell you how it feels to know I have a daughter I’ve never met, and will probably never meet.”
I don’t envy him one bit. “It’s going to take some time to process it.”
He lets out a laugh laced with sarcasm. “I have time. Three years to be exact.”
Three years is nothing for accidentally killing someone, but to Monica it will seem like an eternity. She was lucky to get off with an involuntary manslaughter charge.
We fall into a companionable silence, and that’s one thing I like about Kade—he’s always been good at coexisting without saying a word. I’m thankful for it now as we watch the band pack up their equipment on the first floor.
“They’re really good,” I say, nodding toward Jules’ friends.
“They are. Remind me to thank your girlfriend for hooking me up.”
“You could have given them the gig without dating her.”
He arches a brow in my direction. “You still upset about that?”
“How do you know I’m upset about it?” It’s not like we’ve talked about it. And maybe that’s our problem.
When did we stop talking about shit?
The longer I study my carbon copy, the more I measure the distance between us. I’m not sure when the fissure happened, exactly. Definitely not all at once. Kaden and I grew apart in stages, seemingly insignificant on their own but add them together and the gap is painfully obvious.
“I didn’t know,” he says. “Until now.”
“Fair enough. Just keep your hands off Jules, and maybe I’ll forgive you.”
“I wouldn’t have asked her out if I’d known you had feelings for her.”
Despite everything, I believe him.
“Speaking of your girlfriend,” he begins. “Is she ever going to show her face again?”
I laugh. “That’s a good question.” I still have a lifetime’s worth of things to discover about Jules, but I’d wager a bet she’s never been caught in such a compromising situation before.
Kaden finishes off the rest of his champagne before rising to his feet. “I need to get back down there. I’ll send my bartender in to check on her.”
I nod my thanks as he leaves, and it isn’t long before someone else makes their way to the top of the stairs. I recognize Jules’ friend as her dark eyes zero in on me.
She strides across the loft to where I’m sitting alone, and I can’t read her expression, though her clunky heels meet the ground with purpose. Without so much as a greeting, she takes the chair Kaden vacated, and I sense the weight of her scrutiny on me.
“You guys are really good,” I tell her, settling in for the coming conversation—because I know she’s got something on her mind.
“Thanks. Your brother was really cool for giving us a chance.”
“It’s well-deserved.”
She crosses her leather-clad legs. “I think we both know I didn’t come up here to talk to you about the band’s talent.”
My mouth twitches with the threat of a grin. “Didn’t think you did. Am I in for a twenty-questions session?”
“How about just one?” She leans forward, dashing her pink-streaked wispy black bangs to the side. “Are you going to put Jules first?”
Jesus. This girl doesn’t beat around the bush. “Jules means everything to me.”
She narrows her eyes—not in a threatening way but in a way that says she’s sizing me up. “You sound pretty confident.”
“I’m one-hundred percent confident that I’m in love with her. Does that answer your question?”
“It helps. There might be hope for you yet.” She leans forward, features a swath of seriousness. “Because her ex never did put her first. Jules bent over backwards for him. She put up with so much shit, all in the name of love.” The purse of her charcoal-hued lips gives away her disdain for Jules’ ex.
I already like this girl.
“As far as I’m concerned, Jules is the first word in the book of my life.”
Lesley breaks into a huge smile. “I think we understand each other.”
“I think we do. You’re a good friend to her.” Just then, Jules returns, and behind her, the rest of the band files in, one by one, and the party kicks into gear amidst introductions and handshakes.
Jules and I have the rest of our lives in front of us, and I plan to spend every day of mine cherishing the ground she walks on.
29. Victorious
Jules
“Garen isn’t so bad,” Cash says as we leave the club.
I shoot him a glance. “As opposed to…?”
“To my first impression of the guy when I saw him hanging all over you weeks ago.”
“You were jealous?”
“Fuck yes. I hadn’t even kissed you yet, and I had to watch this wannabe rocker put his hands on you.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to
call him a wannabe.”
“Okay,” he concedes. “Maybe he’s not a wannabe. Like I said, he’s not so bad.”
Probably because Garen was drunk off his ass for most of the party and spent the night flirting with Les, much to Zan and Leo’s irritation.
“So you enjoyed the party?” I ask him, sending out feelers for how he faired after a night spent with the people who mean everything to me. I’ve been part of his life for months now, having met his family and spending my days by his side at MontBlake. It was a nice change of pace to witness Cash in the middle of my world.
“I did. What about you, compromising positions aside?”
If I never have to relive the moment I found Kaden staring at me while Cash pounded me from behind, it’ll be too soon. “It wasn’t bad for a party.”
He laughs. “I didn’t realize you were such a hard sell.”
“I’m kidding, Cash. It was seriously the best birthday ever.”
“It’s not over yet.”
I eye him. “You got something up your sleeve?”
“Absolutely. I haven’t given you your birthday gift yet.”
“I’m too curious to say no to that.”
The air is crisp but the skies are clear. Cash pulls the collar of my jacket close around my ears, ensuring I stay warm in the soft breeze.
“Feel up for a walk?” he asks.
“Probably a good idea.” I glance down at the jacket covering my flat belly, which won’t be so flat in a couple of months. “Considering all the cake I just inhaled.”
He takes my hand. “You’re pregnant, Jules. In my book that means you’re allowed to indulge every once in a while.” He tugs on my arm until I’m facing him and slides a palm along my cheek, fingers tangling in my hair. He lowers his mouth to mine in a brief kiss that leaves me aching for more. “I can’t wait to see your belly growing with my child.”
“You’ll get your wish soon enough.”
He entwines our fingers, and we take off down the sidewalk toward the waterfront, and it isn’t long before I realize where we’re headed. The Great Wheel stands in the night, rising up in a circle of blue neon glory.
“You did say I needed to see the view at night.” I gesture at the ride.
He smiles. “You remember.”
“Of course I do.” Does he not realize that every moment we’ve spent together is tattooed on my brain?
He ushers me past the ticket booth, and I note the lack of a line. Or a lack of people in general. The pier is deserted, save for a few employees. For a Friday night, even in the briskness of fall, I’d expect to find at least a few people loitering about.
“Are you sure it’s open?”
His grin is secretive and a little smug. “It’s open for us, Jules.”
He pulls me behind him, winding through the roped-off sections marking the non-existent line, and we halt at the front.
“Good evening, Mr. Montgomery. Your gondola is waiting.”
“Thank you.” Cash nods at the ride attendant, and the college-aged guy manning the front lets us pass. Cash gestures for me to step into the gondola first, and the instant I do, my stomach drops in a mixture of nervousness and exhilaration.
This is different from the last one we rode on all those weeks ago. The floor is glass, and four leather seats replace the two benches. I settle into one of the seats facing the skyline, and Cash takes the other. The gondola glides upward, carrying us away from the glimmering water. The lights from the city ripple at the edge of the bay, creating a black mirror for the ferries coming and going.
“It’s breathtaking,” I say, my focus drawn to the emerging skyline. Soft pop music comes through hidden speakers, creating a romantic ambience.
“It certainly is.”
The huskiness of his voice draws my gaze. In the blue glow from the wheel, his eyes have never appeared so liquid—like melted silver.
“Jules, I have something I need to ask you.”
A furrow forms between my brows. “What is it?”
He’s so serious, and my brain is speeding down the roadway of what-ifs, wondering if this could be about the baby, or us moving in together. He hasn’t brought it up again since the day Monica ended up in the hospital, but I know he’s already put the penthouse up for sale.
We reach the very top and come to a standstill in the breeze. Cash shifts, and the gondola swings with the movement. I suck in a breath from the unexpected motion, then I let it out in a stunned huff as he drops to his knees and presents a white box in the palm of his hand. He flips the lid open, and I’ve never seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. The marquise diamond sparkles in brilliance, centered in a rose gold tulip setting.
“Oh, my God.” I meet his gaze, finding so much hope and love there that my composure shatters. Hot tears fall from my eyes, and I’m pretty sure my heart has stopped beating.
“Will you marry me?”
As if I could ever say no.
“Yes!”
His joy overflows from every part of him; the gleam in his eyes, the press of his lips to mine, the way he winds his arms around me and squeezes the breath from my lungs.
“God, you’ve made me the happiest, luckiest guy on the planet.” He slips the ring onto my finger.
This moment is surreal.
Magical.
And that’s when the lights go out.
I glance up in alarm. “What’s happening?”
“Shh,” he whispers, placing his finger against my lips. “I arranged to have the lights shut off.”
“There’s no one else on this ride, is there?”
“No. It’s just you and me, Jules.”
“You did this all for me?”
“Does that surprise you?”
His question has the power to make me examine my insecurities, and I want so badly to shelf them for good. “I guess it does.”
“It shouldn’t. You’re worth this and so much more. I want to give you everything.” He pulls me to my feet, hands steady on my shoulders as the gondola sways beneath us.
“We’re not supposed to stand,” I say, voice jittery with nerves.
“The rules don’t apply tonight.” He gently pushes me to the other side and bends me over the back of the chair so I’m still facing the skyline, and like he did earlier tonight at the club, he tugs my pants low enough to expose my ass.
Over these past few weeks, Cash has proved himself insatiable. Then again, so have I. Even now, burdened with the memory of coming while his brother watched, I’m aching for the fullness only his cock can give me.
He dips a finger inside me, eliciting a pleading moan from my throat.
“I want you,” I say with a glance over my shoulder.
He smacks my ass. “Don’t waste the view.” Another finger joins the first, slipping in and out in unhurried strokes. “I want you too, but I can’t do what I’m dying to do right now.”
“Why’s that?”
“The lube is at your apartment.”
I don’t even have to ask what he needs lube for. As if to confirm my suspicion, he probes my backdoor with his thumb. Biting back a moan, I dip my head, and my hair falls around my face in thick blond waves as he fingers me.
Then we jolt forward, and I gasp. “We’re returning to the ground.” I try standing again, hands grasping the stretchy material gathered at my thighs, but he spanks me once more, much harder this time.
“Do you want to come?”
“Of course I do! But the attendant will see us.”
He returns my hands to the back of the seat. “The lights are off. No one’s going to see us.”
My teeth chatter—not from the chill of night but from the thrill of reaching the ground with my pants down, literally, while Cash fucks me with his devious fingers. We swing by the attendant, who is standing with his back to us, and take off for another rotation.
And Cash ignites a feverish throb between my thighs for the next few whirls on the wheel. I’m panting, grinding on his fingers, min
dless of the attendant every time we pass him.
“God, I need to come.”
“Not yet.”
I’m clutching the back of the chair with such strength and desperation that my knuckles cramp. The engagement ring draws my focus as it catches light from the nearby buildings, and my heart skips a beat. Unable to help myself, I liquefy around his fingers in pulsing waves, and the dam bursts.
“Oh fuck, Cash. Fuck!”
His pace quickens, forcing me to ride out the orgasm until I’ve reach an agonizing level of sensitivity. He lays a final slap on my ass then yanks up my leggings, and we stand for a few seconds, swaying precariously before he drops into the seat with me on top.
I straddle his lap as our breaths come hot and labored. He’s hard underneath me and feverish to the touch, and I can’t help but tempt him further by unzipping him. I take his throbbing cock in my hand and stroke his entire length.
He spews a curse heavenward. “You disobeyed me, Jules.”
“What are you going to do about it?” My lips curve in a challenge. I might live for this side of him, but I plan to test him at every turn for the rest of my life.
“Well, I had foreplay on my mind, but you’ve stolen my control, you little vixen.” With a push to my shoulders, he forces me to my knees and shoves his cock between my lips.
Forget engaging in public foreplay. The only thing Cash Montgomery has on his mind is total conquest. As I work him toward the back of my throat, and his hands become two tight fists of desperation in my hair, I’m not sure who’s the true victor here.
Because I’m pretty sure we both are.
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