by Amali Rose
As though my thinking about her has conjured her up, my cell begins jumping about on the table in front of me, the screen displaying MOM.
Knowing she’ll keep calling until I answer, I snatch the phone up, apologize and excuse myself.
“Hey, Mom.” My stomach churning, I greet her once I’m inside, hidden away in the kitchen. I keep my voice low, so I don’t disturb Brianna and Tyson in the playroom.
“Hi, baby.” There’s an awkward pause as I wait for her to continue.
When she doesn’t, I clear my throat. “What’s up, Mom, I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“You’re working?” There’s an edge to her voice that makes me uncomfortable and I wonder if she’s been drinking.
“No, I’m with friends.”
“Your boyfriend, you mean?” She spits the words out and I swallow hard, embarrassed by the sliver of fear that shoots through me. It’s a leftover instinct from my childhood, I understand this, but it still leaves me unsettled.
“Yes.”
“Speak up, baby girl, I can barely hear you,” she barks snidely. “Do you have any idea how it felt to find out about this in a magazine? I bet you told your grandparents about this idiot.”
I grit my teeth at her insult of Miles, wanting to defend him, but knowing it will just make this worse and draw it out.
“Well?” she prompts.
“Yes, I’ve told Nanna and Poppa.”
She huffs out a bitter laugh. “Of course. Because they’re the perfect ones and I’m the fuckup. Were they the ones putting food on the table or clothes on your back?”
I want to say yes, to challenge the childhood she’s rewritten for me but there’s really no point. So, instead, I give her the answer she wants.
“No,” I whisper.
“No, that was me. The one you’re so happy to toss aside and forget about. Well, now it’s time to make it up to me.”
Panic slices through me. “What do you mean?”
“The Inquisitor is offering us a lot of money to do an interview. It’s scheduled for the fourth of next month.”
“No.” Surprise and contempt hardens my voice. “I’m not doing that.”
“Charlotte, you will do this for me. The money they’re going to give m—us is too good to turn down. Surely, what’s-his-name knows how the game is played and wouldn’t expect you to turn it down.”
Pain pierces my hand and I realize I have a death grip on my phone, so I consciously try to loosen it.
“There’s no way in hell I’m doing that, Mom, and if you go ahead with it, you can forget about having any kind of relationship with me.”
“Yeah, because that would be such a loss.” She sneers and the familiar ache spreads through my chest. “Think about it carefully, Charlotte. I’m not turning down this opportunity and if I do it alone, they’ll want something even juicier. And, I will give it to them.”
My mind is working overtime, the repercussions of her threat filling me with dread. This will make things at work even harder. I’ll most likely lose more clients which could be the final nail in my coffin at Harris & Erickson. Plus, the idea of being responsible in any way for destroying Miles’ reputation further crushes me.
But betraying him would be worse than either of those things and I can’t even consider it. Whatever hell my mother is about to rain down on us, we’ll deal with it together.
I end the call without a word.
Miles: Meet me at the bar in The Bardot on West at 12.
Charlie: ???
Miles: Just do it, Chicago.
I glance at the clock on my phone. Twelve oh one. She never replied to my last message and I hope she turns up. After her mother’s call, she was distracted all weekend, mentally preparing herself for whatever disaster is about to befall us.
When she explained the situation on Saturday, I was angry as fuck, but not for the reason she assumed. What kind of mother does this to her child? I’m only just starting to understand the extent of damage that woman did to Charlie, and I loathe her with a fierceness I have never felt before.
“What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?”
The question whispered close to my ear, startles me from my thoughts, and when I look up, she’s there.
Long legs encased in sheer stockings, a tight black pencil skirt hugging her curves, and a crisp white blouse hiding her full tits. Her chocolate-colored waves have been tamed with a straightener and her pillowy lips are painted a shocking red.
She’s looking perfectly well put together and I can’t wait to mess her up.
A playful smile lights up her face and I nod toward the stool next to me, indicating for her to take a seat.
She crosses one leg over the other and I allow my gaze to linger for a moment.
“Lunch drinks?” My cock jerks against my pants at the sound of her husky voice.
“A drink.” I hand her the White Russian I ordered for her. Just one, we’ll both have to head back to work soon enough.
She laughs and the sound sets everything right in my world.
“What are we doing here, Miles?”
“I thought…” I trail off, shrugging. “Mondays suck and I thought we might be able to think of a way to make it not suck so much.” I watch her expression closely, doing my best to gauge her response. “Maybe by doing something that involves a little sucking.” I see the moment she realizes what I’m suggesting, and I can’t contain my smirk.
“You want to get a room?” she asks breathily.
“Already got one. Want to join me?”
“God, yes.”
From our seat in the bar, we have a clear view across the lobby to the bank of elevators. We gather our things, and as we stand, the doors to the closest one opens and we’re both left shocked when Grayson and Adelaide slide into view. They look to be arguing over something, Gray playfully tugs a lock of Adelaide’s blonde hair and she turns to walk out of the elevator, rolling her eyes. Before she gets too far away, Gray grabs her wrist and pulls her to him, crashing his mouth to hers.
Charlie inhales sharply beside me, her eyes wide.
“Did you know about this?” she asks. I shake my head but my exchange with Gray at family night a couple of weeks ago crosses my mind.
“I’m going to be near your work on Monday, you want to meet for lunch?”
“Oh, wait, Monday? Yeah, I can’t.”
I start to head in their direction, determined to get some answers but a delicate hand on my wrist stops me.
“They’ll tell us when they’re ready.”
I know she’s right but fuck me. My mind is blown.
So, instead we watch them walk across the lobby, side by side, their shoulders touching. But as they approach the exit, Adelaide takes his hand and looks to give it a squeeze before she drops it and takes a small step away from Gray, putting distance between them. They walk out of the hotel, and the minute their feet hit the pavement, they turn and walk in opposite directions, neither one of them glancing back.
We both stand there for a moment, shocked.
“Should we… maybe we shouldn’t—”
“Oh, fuck no,” I cut her off. “My kid brother is not cock-blocking me.”
To prove it, I press my body against hers and take her mouth in a fierce kiss, tugging her bottom lip between my teeth, I run my tongue along it, tasting her need.
Her hands roam over my chest and she breaks the kiss breathlessly. “Let’s go.”
The five minutes it takes to get to the room feels like five days, and by the time I slide the keycard through its slot, I’m painfully hard.
We only take one step into the room before I have her against a wall and my mouth latched to her neck. She tastes so fucking good and I can’t imagine myself ever tiring of this.
My hand slides down and the feel of her breast causes me to thrust against her, my need for release becoming urgent. She grabs me, squeezing my length and I grunt out a harsh groan against her skin.
I want to taste her pussy and then feel it grip me, pulsing around me while she comes, screaming my name.
Before I get a chance to do any of that, she slips out of my reach, falling to her knees.
She looks up at me, biting her lip almost nervously. What she sees must settle her nerves because in an instant her reticence is replaced with a look of need. Her nails are painted a pale purple and they stand out against my black pants, mesmerizing me as she urgently undoes my belt and lowers the zipper.
As much as I ache to be inside her, there is no way in hell I can stop this now. No way in hell I want to.
She pulls my pants and boxer briefs down in one smooth motion, and when my cock pops up, bobbing against my stomach, she licks her lips.
Licks. Her. Fucking. Lips.
She leans back on her heels, just looking at my dick like she’s the lucky one in this situation. Not me, who’s about to enjoy the fuck out of those vivid red lips wrapped around my cock, but her.
The moment comes to an end, and with slow, measured movements, she removes her blouse and then her bra, tossing them somewhere behind me. Next, she pulls her skirt up, so it’s bunched around her waist, exposing her panty-less pussy to me.
Her eyes never leave my dick.
I have it in hand, jerking roughly, trying to control myself when she knocks my hand away. Her brows are furrowed as though she’s annoyed not to be touching me. I take a small step forward and bring my cock to her mouth, gently running it along her lips. Her mouth opens and I press forward, giving her just the tip. She closes her lips around it and swirls her tongue over the thick head. Heat rushes up my spine and I push in deeper. Her cheeks hollow as she sucks me off, and when she grabs my ass, her nails digging in, and pulls me to the back of her throat, I lose control. I thread my hands through her hair, pulling it out of the way so I have the perfect view of me fucking her mouth. Her hands slide around my hips, and while one grips my shaft, stroking where her mouth can’t reach, the other cups my balls. When she slides a finger lower, finding the spot that sends my orgasm forcefully rushing at me, I grit out a warning.
“I’m coming.”
She pulls back, her mouth popping off my cock just as it starts pulsing in her hand, sending streams of my cum over her tits.
She slows her strokes and looks up at me, her lust-glazed expression apologetic.
“Sorry about that,” she rasps out.
“About what?” My breathing is ragged, and I can’t tear my eyes away from the mess on her chest.
“Not swallowing.” She brings that lush fucking mouth of hers back to my dick and kisses the tip, smiling as it gives a small twitch of appreciation.
Dragging my gaze to meet hers, I shake my head and level her with a smirk.
“Charlie, your tits are covered in my cum. That just might be one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life. Trust me, you have nothing to apologize for.”
I stare down at her and the memory of the first time I saw her flashes through my mind. Buttoned up, her face lined with stress and giving off major stay-the-fuck-away vibes. I had every intention of doing just that when I heard her growl at the ice cream. It sounded like a puppy when it’s attacking its favorite toy. Cute as fuck. The first time I made her smile, I felt the same intense warmth I feel now with her smiling up at me, pleased as fucking punch.
I should go and get her a washcloth. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do, after all.
Instead, I offer her my hand and drag her up to stand. Her chest is heaving and she’s breathing fast, watching me intently with anticipation. I cup her cheek and she closes her eyes, leaning into my touch. I swallow hard, forcing the lump in my throat down.
I have no idea how I got so fucking lucky.
I release her cheek, letting my hand travel down the slope of her neck, the curve of her breast, the softness of her stomach, until I dip a finger into her slit, sliding it through her wetness.
A shudder rips through me and, just as she did moments ago, I fall to my knees in front of her. Lifting her leg, I wrap it over my shoulder, opening her up to me. She’s beautiful. Her pussy is pink and perfect, her arousal sliding down her thigh. I flick my tongue out and lick it up, loving the way she quakes under my touch.
When she breathes out a ragged groan and her hands clutch my shoulders, I give up any pretense of taking this slow. I swipe my tongue along her and circle her clit. Nails dig into me, urging me on and, not one to disappoint, I lightly graze my teeth over the hard nub. She arches her back, pressing her pussy against my face. She’s breathing harder, her unintelligible moans filling the room, and while I continue to tease her clit, sucking, biting, and flicking, I finger her entrance, pushing two fingers deep inside her, thrusting and curling them, searching for the spot that will send her over the edge.
She writhes against me and the overwhelming sensations leave me feeling almost drunk. The taste of her, the feel of her, the sounds she’s making. I want to bottle it all so I can relive this moment any time I doubt the existence of perfection.
I slip my other hand around the curve of her ass and slide my finger to her puckered hole. She gasps and her hands move to my hair, pulling hard as her body contorts trying to lean into every one of my touches, but unable to.
My finger breaches that tight ring of muscle at the same moment I suck hard on her clit and my fingers curl inside her pussy. She inhales sharply, her body stiffening and then jerking as she comes hard, my name echoing through the room.
I slow my movements, lapping up her juices, and my hands grasp her hips, holding her in place when her body goes slack against the wall and her hands loosen their grip on my hair.
We stay that way for a long moment until a contented sigh escapes Charlie and I pull back, watching her. Her eyes are closed, and a satisfied smile ghosts her lips. She’s exquisite.
“C’mon, let’s take a shower.” I slap her ass, startling her back to reality, and admire the glare she directs my way before she stalks to the bathroom, her swaying ass taunting me.
“I can’t believe Addy didn’t tell me about her and Grayson.”
We’re lying on the huge bed, dressed in our underwear, the afternoon sun is bathing the room in a muted glow through the sheer curtain. Charlie’s fingers are running over my pecs, playing with my chest hair and I am savoring every second.
“Where did she say she was going?”
“She started taking an early lunch on Mondays a couple of months ago, she said she was treating herself to a weekly massage and that was the only time they could give her a regular appointment.” Her hand stills and she raises wide eyes to me. “Do you think they’ve been seeing each other all this time? Is her massage with Grayson?”
“If you mean is Grayson giving her a happy ending, then I’d say yes.” I chuckle.
She slaps me. “Why wouldn’t they tell us?”
“I gave up trying to figure Gray out a long time ago.” I play with a lock of her hair. “Are you going to tell Adelaide you saw her?”
“No.” She pouts. “I’ll get better mileage out of her guilt if I wait for her to tell me.” An evil smirk plays on her lips. “What about you, are you going to confront Grayson?”
“Nah. I’ll bust his balls after he comes clean. Right now, I need to keep on his good side so he’ll watch Lulu for me in a couple of weeks. The animal shelter asked me to spay a litter of cats they just had handed in.”
There’s a pause and I glance at Charlie, wondering where her mind has gone.
“I could watch her. Or maybe I could help Grayson if you think it’s too soon for me to do it by myself.”
She sounds nervous, as though she’s unsure how I’ll react to her offer.
I lift her hand and bring it to my mouth, placing a kiss on her palm.
“You can have her for the day if you want to, I think she’d love that.”
Her face relaxes and she curls into my side.
“I thought you were going to be in Boston for meetings with the pharmaceut
ical company that weekend?”
Her face immediately shutters. “I’m not working with them anymore.”
“What happened?” I probe. She was so excited about that company. They were the first clients she had brought in to the firm and she was determined to work her ass off for them.
“It’s not a big deal. They asked to have a different lawyer work with them.”
I roll to my side so I’m facing her, my eyes examining her closed expression.
“Why would they do that?”
She sighs and the sound of it sends a chill through me. “They weren’t happy with the publicity I’ve been getting.”
“Because of me.” My words are hard.
“Miles, please don’t worry about this. I’m not.” She presses a kiss to my mouth. “I have plenty of clients to keep me busy. Speaking of which, I need to get back to the office.”
She hops out of the bed and begins dressing. I can’t even enjoy the view because my attention is still wrapped up in her confession.
The career that she has busted her ass for, that means so much to her, is under threat. Because of me.
I watch her dress silently and let her kiss me goodbye with a promise to call tonight.
As soon as the door has shut behind her, I jump into action. I refuse to let our relationship destroy something so important to her.
Snatching up my pants off the ground, I pull out my phone and type a quick message to Harvey.
I’m in. Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.
“You look like you’re going to throw up.”
I glance across at Aspen who is seated on a sofa opposite me.
She offers me a carefree smile. “It’ll be over soon, just relax.”
I let my eyes travel the length of her body, from her flawlessly made-up face to the red-soled stilettos on her feet.
“Why did you agree to do this show?” I’m suddenly desperate to know why this intelligent, beautiful woman would knowingly agree to be a part of something so tacky.
“Why did you?” she counters.
