RUSH (Montgomery Men Book 1)

by C. A. Harms

  “I’m not.” I shrugged, choosing to ignore her blush. I lifted the lids from the plates and gave her the subject change I knew she was searching for as I displayed the mixture of fresh fruit, bacon, and poached eggs.

  Judging by the smile that now graced her lips, she was pleased with my choices.

  And oddly that pleased me.

  “I should go,” Kiera said as she pushed back from the table. “I can’t believe I’ve been here this long.”

  “It just means you’ve enjoyed my company.” I too stood and placed my napkin on the table. “Admit it, I’m not such a bad guy.”

  Her sweet, soft laugh only made me smile wider. Somehow her happiness only enhanced my own.

  “It was nice,” she said as she picked up her bag and placed the strap over her shoulder. “But as far as you being a good guy, the jury’s still out.”

  She’d turned on her heel and begun to walk toward my office door when without a second thought I hooked her around the waist and pulled her body back against my own. She yelped, but I didn’t let it halt me.

  The smell of her perfume mixed with her shampoo filled my nostrils, and for a moment I just took in the fragrance. I had never smelled anything more appealing. “Let me prove it to you,” I whispered. She was tense in my arms, and I knew I needed to tread lightly. Something told me that telling her I wanted nothing more than to pin her against the wall, reach beneath her skirt, and find the spot that drove her crazy would only terrify her. Yes, my usual tactics would not work on Kiera.

  “Have dinner with me,” I whispered against her ear. “You pick the place and the time, anywhere you want.” I fought the urge to demand her presence, which was my usual method because most women I ran across said yes without hesitation.

  But she wasn’t like the women I’d been with in the past.

  “Today was refreshing after all the tension faded,” she confessed, and I felt relieved that she thought so too. But it faded as she continued to speak. “I think it’s best that we keep things between us strictly professional. I just don’t have room in my life for anything more.”

  I felt like she’d just kicked me in the nuts.

  “I don’t know what happened to you,” I said in return, and though she tensed in my arms again, I went on. “I don’t know why you’re so scared of giving this thing between us a chance, but I won’t give up. It’s not who I am, Kiera. I’m a fighter, and when I have my sights set on something I want, I don’t give up until I’ve won.”

  I moved closer, making sure she could feel my lips against her neck when I continued to talk. “And you are all I think about. It’s quite distracting.”

  Chills covered her neck and shoulder as she shivered in my arms.

  Fighting my arousal was becoming more and more of a challenge. I was so fucking wired and turned on I felt like my balls were about to explode.

  “I don’t lie, and I don’t hide the way I feel.” I closed my eyes tightly and tipped my head just enough that her hair brushed against the tip of my nose. God, her scent was pure heaven. “I want you, Kiera,” I confessed, becoming lost in her presence, lost to the feel of my body pressed tightly against hers. “I know that seems to terrify you, but I need you to know. I won’t stay away; I can’t. I want to feel you against me, hold you close, and hear the sound of your pants in my ear. I won’t lie to you, Kiera,” I reiterated. “I won’t ever lie to you.”

  I pressed a soft kiss against the base of her neck, and for a moment she went stock-still. As if she was terrified of what I may do next. That thought left a bad feeling in my stomach. Did she actually think I would force her to do anything she wasn’t completely willing to do?

  I slowly released her, stepping back to put some space between us. My own heart was racing, and she wasn’t the only one that needed some distance.

  She kept her back to me as we both remained perfectly still, just calmly breathing. I didn’t speak for fear of spooking her. I’d already told her my intentions. I hoped that was enough.

  And when she reached for the door, pulled it open, and walked out without looking back, I felt like she took a part of me with her. I sagged in disappointment as I listened to the fading sound of her heels clicking against the tile floor.

  KINSLEY

  I HAD NEVER IN MY life been so aroused and angry, so frustrated and confused all wrapped up in the most tense fucking package. I felt like my damn head was spinning.

  “You,” I said as I slapped my hand against the top of the counter that separated me and Lex. “You’re the devil.”

  “Me?” He played innocent as he batted his eyes and pressed his palm against his chest as if he was offended.

  “Yes, you smartass.” I narrowed my eyes at him, hoping he got the hint. “You knew all along what I was walking into when I arrived here today. And you knew about the list of tasks I had. How I’m not sure yet, but I will figure that out. The fact you didn’t warn me was just cruel.”

  He shrugged and smiled. “Well, you two spent almost two hours wrapped up in that cruel environment.” He wagged his eyebrows suggestively, and I gripped the edge of the counter tighter. “So it couldn’t have been all that bad.”

  “Give me the files, Lex,” I said through clenched teeth. I now knew what Ashton had meant by everything being all taken care of. It seemed my pal Lex hadn’t been picking up dry cleaning after all but running my fucking errands instead. He was in on this from the very beginning.

  I held my hand out, and he placed the files against my palm, trying to fight back his smile but failing fast.

  “You’re the dragon,” I said before spinning on my heel and marching toward the elevator.

  I ignored Lex’s deep chuckle as I waited in irritation for the elevator to arrive. A feeling of déjà vu washed over me, and I wondered how many times I would be foolish enough to fall for the tactics Lex and Ashton seemed so eager to use.

  Damn men and their need to control everything.

  Two days after I left Ashton’s office, I still felt the aftereffects of his closeness. The spot on my neck that he’d kissed ached for more. Why did he have to smell so amazing, and why in the hell did I have to feel this annoying attraction to him?

  It was Saturday morning, well more like afternoon, and I was still in my damn pajamas. During the week I had places to go, an excuse to leave my tiny one-bedroom apartment. But on the weekends I was a hermit. Staying tucked away in my haven just felt safer.

  No, my place wasn’t fancy by any means. Everything within it was either here when I arrived or something small I had added over the weeks. But it had slowly become a place of my own as I added these little touches of me here and there that Jase never allowed. His home back in Miami was designed to give off a certain image, rather than being a place we both shared. He never gave me the chance to pick out a painting I liked or the color of the bedding. I never got to leave a pair of socks lying in the center of the floor because I was just too lazy to toss them in the hamper. I never even thought of doing things like this because Jase made the rules of our lives very clear. Which was why now, I was the complete opposite. I left my clothes on the floor just because I could. I left my dirty coffee cup in the sink and empty wrappers on the counter because it made me feel as if I was finally in control. I left the bed unmade for days, which always brought the biggest smile to my face. I didn’t care if it made me a slob. This was my way of rebelling.

  And when I took my shoes off after coming home from work, I left them in the center of the floor without a second thought.

  I still hadn’t found the perfect painting or the right color of bedding, but that was mostly because I could barely afford my lifestyle now. Those things would come in time though. Now I was just happy with my freedom.

  I didn’t miss the money or the fancy things because they were his, not mine, and he made sure to point that out every chance he got. He often told me I would be nothing without him.

  And these were the biggest reasons I couldn’t give in to the temptation
of exploring the attraction between me and Ashton I couldn’t risk repeating my past. And I had to keep myself free from any attachment. Because when you grow close to someone, the fears and secrets you hide find a way a resurfacing. I couldn’t allow anyone to know who I was, or where I came from.

  I had to keep Kinsley hidden forever.

  I should get a cat. I laughed at the random thought. I had no idea where that came from. I guess I was just lonely. I would have loved to pick up the phone and call my dad. Jase had always kept me from doing that. Just another way he controlled me.

  I missed my father. I often found myself remembering what our life together was like during those years before we fell into the hands of Bruce and Jase Hellman. We didn’t have much and my father’s health kept us indoors most of the time because couldn’t move much beyond the couch or his bed. But we were happy then. In those days, we would just talk for hours. At times we would get into debates about politics or something random on the news. My father and I were both hardheaded about our views of how the world should be. We’d get so lost in our conversations that we hardly noticed how much time had passed before we realized it was the middle of the night.

  It was still hard for me to believe that he was gone. And it was hard to fathom that I had no idea where my father was buried, or if he was even buried instead of being cremated. I just wanted to imagine him sitting on the couch beside me, laughing at how deeply I had gotten into learning about the recent presidential candidates. It was easier not to face the fact that I’d never see him again.

  Maybe this was wrong on my part, but it helped me survive, and somehow I knew my father would be okay with my choice for now if it helped me.

  I had to keep my head above water, and if I started mourning my father I knew I’d be lost. And then I would be weak.

  I couldn’t give Jase that. I would continue to fight against weakness because I refused to fall.

  ASHTON

  IT WAS SATURDAY EVENING, AND I was yet again thrown into the party scene.

  Normally an outing such as my current one wouldn’t bother me. It was for a good cause. Raising money for those less fortunate than myself had always been a must for me. But tonight, my mind was still completely wrapped up in some damn stubborn-ass brunette.

  The waiting was fucking killing me.

  I knew I would soon have to come up with a way to find myself coincidently in the same place at the same time as the beautiful Kiera. But I still hadn’t come up with a plan.

  “Why on earth are you hiding all the way over here in a dark corner?” My hand froze in midair with my tumbler of scotch pressed gently against my lips when Sloane, my ex, approached.

  I’d seen her when I arrived over an hour ago, yet I chose to ignore her. We shared the same friends and attended the same functions, so I knew we’d eventually run into one another again. I did my best to avoid it, but it was inevitable.

  “Maybe I was hoping the night would pass without you seeing me,” I said, disdain lacing my words. I fucking hated this woman. She was evil, she was conniving, and she had a heart of coal. All she cared about was herself.

  “Well, it looks like that tactic failed,” she said, taking the chair next to me, being sure to rub her pert breast against my arm in the process. She had a body made for fucking, and she knew it. The woman used sex as a ploy to get her way and I had fallen for her shit.

  But not tonight.

  “I guess so,” I said, ignoring the way her hand now rubbed my thigh.

  “You’ve been avoiding my calls,” she whispered as she moved her hand higher. “That’s not very nice of you, Ash. After the time we’ve spent together, you can just toss me away that easily?”

  “Yep,” I said, tipping my glass up to finish off my drink.

  “What do you say we get out of here and talk?” she asked as she brushed her fingertips over my cock. “I’ve missed you.”

  Just then the bartender approached and asked if I needed a refill.

  “No, I’m good,” I assured him.

  I stood from the barstool and Sloane’s hand fell away as she gave me a little pout.

  “But if you give this one enough attention, she’ll blow you behind the bar,” I told the bartender as I motioned with my thumb in her direction. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I ignored her evil glare. I was immune to it. “And if you offer to buy her something real pretty and expensive, I bet she’d even fuck you in the storage room.”

  I didn’t wait for him to respond. But I heard loud and clear the displeased response of the whore I left sitting at the bar.

  She slept around the entire time we were together, lied about it, and didn’t once give a fuck if she was hurting me in the process. And now she wanted me back.

  She’s was obviously insane.

  I chuckled at the word, remembering when Kiera asked me if I was, in fact, insane this Tuesday in my office.

  Since that morning when she stormed out, leaving me more aroused than I had ever been before, I’ve jacked off more times than I can count. She had me so wound up with unbelievable tension, I felt like I would explode.

  And I was still lost as to how I would change her mind.

  My driver was waiting by the curb when I exited the building, and I didn’t waste any time climbing inside the Lincoln. The last thing I wanted was for the raging bitch to follow me out and think this was an open invitation. She really was that fucking shallow.

  When I arrived back at my place, I moved without thought through my penthouse, gathering another drink as I loosened my tie and undid the buttons of my dress shirt.

  This shit wasn’t me. I didn’t often leave an event without a woman on my arm. Usually by this time I was balls-deep in a willing female, not sitting alone trying to come up with a way to get one into my bed.

  I didn’t work for pussy, pussy came to me.

  Only the woman I craved more than my next breath didn’t feel the same need as I did. Why the hell couldn’t I just accept that and move on?

  Frustrated, I walked toward my bedroom and began to undress, deciding a shower may help relax me.

  But the longer I stood beneath the warm cascade of water, the harder I grew thinking of Kiera and her sweet body pressed against mine. Only this time she too was naked as she stood in the shower, looking up at me with those big, brown eyes. I imagined her reaching between us to wrap her hand around my cock and gently stroke me.

  Closing my eyes, I gripped my erection and used the water to glide my hand over it in the way I’ve imagined Kiera doing it. I fantasized about the soft whimper of her excitement as she lowered to her knees before me and looked up at me as she took me into her mouth. Her soft tongue lapped at the head of my cock as she continued to pump me in her fist. She took me deep into her warm mouth and swallowed, and her throat constricted around my cock.

  The fantasy in my head felt so fucking real as I fell into it.

  Fuck, I was already so close to exploding as my stomach tightened and my dick throbbed.

  What I wouldn’t give to have her here before me, sucking me.

  My head was hazy as I pumped my cock harder and faster, chasing the orgasm I was just hanging on the edge of.

  And when I came, it was Kiera’s name I moaned.

  That both pissed me off and made me smile. I had to fucking decide what the hell I was going to do. I could either go balls to the wall and convince her she belong with me, or go out prowling and try to fuck the image of Kiera out of my head.

  But something had to give, because she was interfering with my days and consuming my nights without even being present.

  KINSLEY

  “LET ME MAKE IT UP to you,” Lex continued to beg as he followed behind me like a lost, saddened puppy. “Please,” he whined, and I rolled my eyes. “He signs my checks. Without him I would live in the streets, and we both know I love my shit entirely too much to let it all go. I would not survive without my weekly mani and pedi.” Lex was practically pleading as he followed me from Starbucks and
continued to tug on the strap of my purse.

  “You just don’t say no to Ashton Montgomery,” he said in a final attempt to explain exactly why he played along with Ashton’s plans to trap me in his office.

  I turned around to face him and he reared back, I’m assuming in response to my not-so-happy expression. “I told him no,” I said, arching my brow.

  “Yeah, and that’s exactly why we’re where we are now.” He cocked his head in a not-so-masculine way, and in that moment I remember just why I loved Lex so much. He was hard to stay mad at.

  “I just can’t,” I explained.

  “Why?” he asked. “He’s not a bad guy. Yes, he’s arrogant and controlling, but he has to be if he wants to remain on top. He owns more buildings and businesses in this city than any other person I know. So many people want to outdo him and take him down. He can’t come out of the gate weak. He has to keep control.”

  I tried to interrupt, but Lex was on a roll.

  “No, listen.” He nudged me to the side so people on the sidewalk could pass us. “Ash is kind and generous. He gives back to those in need almost daily. He comes from a good family.” Lex was really laying it on thick. I was a little skeptical about his motives for convincing me to fall for this version of the fire-breathing dragon—like maybe some sort of hefty bonus to his paycheck. “He’s worked hard to get where he is. And yeah, he’s fucked his way through his social circle, but they all knew it was just that—sex with no connection or lifelong commitment. But in no way does that define the man he truly is deep down, and I see something different about how he acts with you. I see the way he’s looked at you, and God knows I’ve been subjected to his continuous ramblings regarding the stubborn brunette who he can’t stop thinking about.”

  I ducked my head, my cheeks heating. Did Ashton really think of me like that?

  “If you aren’t convinced yet, then go to dinner with me tonight and allow me to tell you more about just who Ashton Montgomery truly is and where he comes from. The man behind the rough exterior.”