by Ward, Alice
“Okay, stop, stop,” he insisted, pulling his hips away from me. “I don’t want to come yet. Not like this.”
“Do you have a condom?” I whispered. I fell onto my back and pulled Asher down on top of me. He kicked his slacks and boxers the rest of the way off and let them fall off the foot of the mattress.
“I have a whole box,” he assured me. He reached for the bedside table and pulled out a small foil wrapper. He folded one hand over it and laid down beside me, returning his lips to my neck.
“You’re sure you want this?” he whispered.
I opened my eyes and met his gaze. “Are you?”
He nodded and kissed me again. “I’ve never been so sure of anything. I feel like I’ve been waiting for tonight my entire life.”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed, diving for his lips. I’d had enough of waiting and talking. I’d taken the time to get to know Asher. I was ready to give myself to him completely. I pushed him back into the headboard, took the condom from his hand, and climbed into his lap. I rolled the rubber down his shaft and let my dripping pussy hover above him for a moment. Asher slipped his fingers inside me again, teasing me until I started to sink down. He held me open, helping me take in his thick girth.
“Mmm,” he groaned as I slid down his shaft. “You’re so wet, baby,”
“That’s all your fault,” I teased. I held myself motionless for a few moments and relaxed my body, taking Asher in even deeper. I’d never felt so filled, so satisfied, so stretched. And the emotions coursing through me were even more exciting than the physical sensations. I felt like Asher and I had truly become one person in two bodies as I rocked in his lap.
Asher gripped my ass cheeks and helped me rise and fall on his cock. Every inch of my body was on fire with his touch. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held my forehead to his.
For the first time in my life, I felt like a man was completely in tune with my mind and body at the same time. Asher seemed to anticipate my every movement and moved in tandem, pushing me closer to the edge.
The higher I climbed, the less control I seemed to have of my body. With one swift movement, Asher pushed me onto my back and drove further inside me.
“Oh, God,” I gasped. “Harder, baby,” I begged.
“Yeah?” Asher groaned, and thrusted harder and deeper.
“Oh God, yeah,” I gasped again, holding onto him tightly.
Waves of pleasure crashed over me and I felt my eyes roll back in my head. I came loud and forcefully, thrashing beneath Asher as he moved above me. Bright colors danced behind my closed eyes and I felt Asher explode within me. He immediately reached down, grabbed the base of the condom, and pulled out of me. He collapsed beside me on the bed, spent and satisfied. It was then that we noticed the smell of burning cheese.
“Oh shit,” he groaned. “Smells like dinner is ruined.”
My stomach grumbled and we both laughed. Asher propped himself up on one elbow and kissed me gently on the mouth.
“That was the most amazing experience of my life,” he confessed. “Part of me feels like I’ve stepped into someone else’s world.”
“I feel the same way,” I agreed. I threw an arm over Asher’s chest and nuzzled my face into his neck.
“I’m glad we waited,” I whispered. “And I’m glad the wait is over.”
“Me too,” he agreed.
My stomach growled again and Asher reluctantly rolled out of bed. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and offered me a clean t-shirt.
“Let’s see if we can salvage some of our dinner. If not, we’ll have to get dressed and drive into town.”
Fortunately for us, only the bottom layer of the lasagna was ruined. The rest was bubbly and cheesy; Asher and I ate it directly from the baking dish and then went for round two up against the kitchen island.
***
I stepped into a small diner near my loft and spotted Claire in a back booth. She smiled and waved me over.
“Good to see you, stranger,” she teased.
“Hey.” I rolled my eyes and wrapped her in a side hug. “I know I’ve been MIA lately. I’m sorry.”
“I was just giving you a hard time. I’m happy for you, Lauren. Though it would be nice if you called more than once a week. You know, Royce and I know how to behave in public. You can introduce us to your boyfriend,” she said, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.
“I’ve told Ash we need to have you all out to the house for dinner. Royce would really love it up there. There’s plenty of land to get lost on.”
“Sounds like fun,” she assured me. “Just let us know when. Our schedules are pretty flexible right now. Is the new job going as well as the new boyfriend?”
I shook my head, turned my empty coffee mug upright on my saucer, and filled it from the insulated decanter on the table. I stirred in cream and sugar and took a long, scalding sip.
“I’m still getting attitude from the designers under me. But that should all change on Wednesday. I’m presenting my first round of graphics for the new forest fairies kids game. I’ve had a lot of fun with the designs and I really think it’s some of my best work. And I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I’ve seen the work the people under me have been putting out. There’s definitely a reason Asher named me lead designer.”
“So will the other employees have to start implementing your techniques? How does this work, exactly?”
“I delegate specific tasks to the people under me,” I explained. “For instance, at the moment, I have one artist creating nothing but mushrooms in every color, shape, and size you could imagine. Another group is working on very realistic trees, etcetera, etcetera. When they finish their assignments, they pass them along to me. I make any alterations I see necessary, add their work into mine, and send it all up to Rachel. She reviews it and either sends it back to me or on to Asher. She focuses on all of the non-game related art when she’s not overseeing me.”
“That sounds incredibly complicated, but fun,” she observed. “Do you and Asher sit around and play games all the time?”
I shook my head. “Believe it or not, he doesn’t even have a system at his house. He says he spends enough time gaming at work.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Claire agreed.
“So, is anything new with you?” I asked. I hadn’t seen Claire since the day David fired me from the museum. I felt like a terrible friend for not keeping in better touch.
“Not really,” she said with a dismissive wave. She stared down at the table and a slight flush crept across her face.
“Claire, you’re keeping something from me. What’s going on?” I pressed.
“It’s nothing… at least, it’s probably nothing. Royce has been distant lately. But I’m sure he’s just overwhelmed at work. He’s been staying late at the office more often, and… no, I can’t say it out loud. It’s just too crazy to consider.”
I reached across the table and took Claire’s hand. I saw a waitress approaching from the corner of my eye. I turned and met her gaze, gently shaking my head to tell her we needed a few moments alone. She recognized my plea and retreated back behind the counter.
“Claire, are you worried something’s going on with Royce and someone he works with?”
She nodded, still unable to look at me. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away with her free hand.
“I keep telling myself I’m being paranoid. But he’s hardly ever home and he hasn’t touched me in almost a month.”
Oh no. That doesn’t sound good.
“I’m sure it’s something much more innocent than you’re thinking,” I insisted. “Have you tried to talk to him about it?”
Claire shook her head and took a long sip of her coffee. “I’ve thought about hiring a private detective. Hell, I’ve thought about just packing up and leaving him. I’m not sure we make each other happy anymore, Lauren. I’m afraid we’ve finally grown up and grown apart the way everyone warned we would.”
&nbs
p; “It’s been bad for longer than a month, hasn’t it?” I asked, careful to keep my voice gentle.
She nodded again.
“Why haven’t you said anything?”
“Because I didn’t want it to be true,” she told me. “I know this doesn’t make much sense. At first, I didn’t want to bother you with my problems. You were away at school for so long. I didn’t want to welcome you home with complaints about my life. Then you were confused about Eric, and then Asher came along. I guess I just felt like you deserved to focus on your own life.”
“I love you, Claire, but if you ever keep something like this from me again I may have to slap you,” I insisted playfully. “You’re my best friend. You have been since we were little girls. Which means if there’s something wrong in your life, I want to know about it. You don’t have to work through this sort of stuff on your own.”
“I know. I should have said something sooner. I think I was a little embarrassed to admit what was happening. You moved away and built a whole new life for yourself, while I stayed here with the boy who used to rub my face in the dirt during recess. Part of me didn’t want to admit you’d made the right decisions.”
“We’ve both made plenty of right decisions, and wrong ones,” I insisted. “That’s not important. What do you want to do about Royce?”
“I don’t trust him to tell me the truth,” she confessed. “Not anymore. But I’m not sure I can walk away from over a decade’s worth of good times unless I know for a fact that he’s seeing someone behind my back.”
“That’s completely understandable,” I assured her. “I’m sure Asher knows a private investigator. In fact, I won’t be surprised if he has one on staff. I’ll ask for a recommendation, but I won’t give him any details,” I promised.
Claire sighed and refilled her coffee mug. “Thank you, Lauren. I’m sorry I just had a mini breakdown on you.”
“It’s nothing to apologize for,” I insisted. “We’ll figure out what’s going on with Royce, Claire. I promise. And whatever happens, you won’t have to deal with it alone.”
***
Claire and I had a long breakfast and then I ran to my loft to grab a few changes of clothes. I hadn’t spent the night in my own bed since a week before Asher returned from Denmark. The apartment felt cold and impersonal; I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Asher and I hadn’t talked about me moving in. It just made sense because his house was much closer to the office. I didn’t know if the situation was permanent, or just until Deacon’s nearby townhouse was ready for me. I was certain that I’d fallen in love with Asher. But I knew when the newness of the relationship wore off, there was a good chance we’d both want some space.
I carried my duffle bag down to my car, tossed it into the backseat, and slid behind the steering wheel. Before I slipped my key in the ignition, my phone rang. I fetched it from my purse, panicked to see Jackson’s number on the screen.
Jackson hardly ever calls me. God, I hope nothing’s wrong with Kennedy.
“Hello?” I answered, the word rushed with panic.
“Hey, Lauren. Calm down, everything’s fine,” he immediately assured me.
I exhaled a long sigh. “Thank God.”
“I’m sorry I scared you. Next time I want to talk, I’ll call from Kennedy’s phone so I don’t send you into a panic.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” I agreed, willing my heart rate to decrease. “So what’s going on? Is this about your trip to the city? Do you want me to help plan something for Kennedy?”
“No, that’s not why I’m calling.” I could hear the hesitation and discomfort in Jackson’s voice.
“Just spit it out, Jackson,” I insisted. “I’m on my way to Asher’s, which means I have about ten minutes before my phone cuts out the first time.”
“You’re spending an awful lot of time with him, Lauren.”
Jackson’s words sounded more like a warning than an observation.
“If I remember correctly, you and Kennedy spent every waking moment together you could when you first started dating,” I reminded him. “If you have something to say to me, Jackson, just say it.”
“Lauren, you know Kennedy ran a background check on Asher. And I know you wouldn’t let her tell you what she found.”
My pulse increased again. “She said she didn’t find anything alarming.”
“That wasn’t exactly the truth,” he confessed. My heart was at full speed and I abandoned my plan to drive and talk at the same time. I turned the key a half turn, lowered my window, and then turned the car off again.
“What’s going on, Jackson? I know Kennedy. If she found something she thought I should know about, she’d have told me whether I wanted to hear it or not.”
“This is complicated,” Jackson said with a sigh. “Just bear with me and let me try to explain. Kennedy didn’t know what to tell you last week, because she found nothing. She traced Asher back to when he was eighteen years old and attended MIT. There’s no record of him existing before then.”
I sighed, trying to control my irritation. “Listen Jackson, I appreciate you two worrying about me like this. But I’m sure this is all a big misunderstanding. Asher’s told me all about his childhood. He grew up in Seattle. His parents passed away in a car accident when he was in college.”
“If any of that’s true, why can’t we prove it?” Jackson asked, his voice flat.
“I don’t know. Maybe he goes by his middle name and hasn’t thought to mention it. Maybe he paid to be untraceable offline the same way he’s nonexistent on the internet. But there’s not a doubt in my mind he exists, Jackson. In fact, I’m not quite sure what you’re suggesting.”
“I’m afraid Asher isn’t who he says he is.”
I didn’t appreciate Jackson’s grave tone.
“Well, who the hell do you think he is?” I demanded.
“I don’t know, Lauren. That’s why I’m concerned, and why I called. I did some digging of my own after Kennedy told me about her search. I called some contacts, put some feelers out. I found one of Asher’s college roommates. He said Asher received a full ride to MIT and claimed to have gone to Central Seattle High. I called every high school in the city and no one had ever heard of him. I’m nervous for you, Lauren. Asher’s obviously a genius. Someone with his intelligence could no doubt pull off an identity theft. He could have been anyone before he became Asher Reynolds,” he warned.
“Or he could be exactly who he says he is,” I snapped back. “Jackson, this is ridiculous. If you and Kennedy want to team up and solve crimes together like Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys, be my guest. I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful team. But find another target to fixate on. Asher hasn’t done anything but make me happy. I’d have thought if anything, the two of you would have been happy for me.”
“We are happy for you,” Jackson insisted. “We’re just concerned. But you’re right, Lauren. This is your life and Asher is your choice. If you trust him and truly believe you’re safe with him, I won’t say another word about it.”
“I trust him, Jackson. And I’ve never felt safer with anyone in my life. Now, when the hell are you going to bring my friend to visit? I think if you and Kennedy could just meet Asher and get to know him, all of these silly fears you have will disappear. I think the two of you will really hit it off. You have more in common than you’d imagine.”
“We’re coming in with the parents the third weekend in October,” he promised. “And I think you’re right. Kennedy and I worry about you because we care, and we’re not around to take care of you anymore. Not that you ever needed it in the first place. But I think we’ll both feel better if we get to know Asher for ourselves. Any chance you two could make a trip up here in the next few weeks?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll check,” I promised. “I’m going to let you go so I can get on the road. But I’ll talk to Asher about it tonight and text Kennedy one way or another.”
“Sounds like a plan. Driv
e safe, Lauren. And call if you need us.”
“I will.”
I ended the call, texted Asher that I was on my way, and tossed the phone into the passenger’s seat. I turned the car toward Silicon Valley and wondered when all of my friends had lost their minds.
CHAPTER 5
“Hey baby, this sure is a role reversal. I’m home early and you’re nowhere to be found. Don’t tell me you’re still behind your desk.”
“Ash, don’t tease me,” I whined into the phone. “You know I’m stressed about tomorrow morning’s presentation. I want to make sure it’s perfect, especially since I’m also going over the new protocol changes. I haven’t earned anyone’s respect yet, but I’m determined to change that with this meeting. I’ve been going over my lecture for the last three hours.”
“My god, are you going to talk for three hours? Because I love you baby, but I’m not sure I can sit through that.”
“Ha, ha. No, I’m not going to lecture for three hours. Unless I trip all over my words, I’ll have it wrapped up in forty-five minutes’ tops,” I promised.
His voice changed, grew deeper. “So now that the lecture’s perfect, are you on your way home? I miss you.”
I sighed into the phone. “I just need to scan through the graphics one last time to make sure the renderings are all perfect. I should be out the door soon.”
“Perfect. Text when you’re on your way and I’ll light the grill. I’ve had Hawaiian chicken marinating for two days. It’s going to be delicious.”
“I can’t wait. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I sat my office phone back in its cradle, saved my files, and closed all of my open documents. I pulled up the graphics folder and immediately noticed a problem—Rachel had checked out and edited the file less than an hour before.
I know she has access to everyone’s work, but I didn’t think she’d just check it out and make changes whenever she wants. Maybe that’s not what happened. Maybe she just wanted a little sneak peek at the presentation.
I checked out the file, held my breath, and hit ‘open’. My heart sank as work that wasn’t at all mine filled my screens. I stared at it for a moment, took a deep breath, and rose to my feet.
