by Iona Rose
I nodded.
“People who put in more than they are expected to,” he said.
I sat up in my chair. Now, that was unfair. Mason could accuse me of a lot of things but not anything that touched my work.
“The person I pick will have to demonstrate a willingness to go the extra mile.”
My heart fell. If going the extra mile involved my panties, this wasn’t going to happen. I was ambitious but not that ambitious. I’d been raised right and I prided myself on my morals.
“They would have to be willing to work late, come in some weekends and the like.”
I exhaled. That I could do. I felt a little ashamed at how quickly my thoughts had turned dirty. “I can do that.”
“I know you can. That’s why I gave you the heads up. You’re very good at your job.” He cocked his head. “I have a feeling that someday, you’ll even take my position.”
I laughed. “I don’t want your position.”
“Good, because it’s not vacant.”
I stood up. I smoothed down my skirt and noticed Mason’s eyes greedily following the movement of my hands over my hips. He was an irritant, that was all. I could handle him for a couple of months until I got the job.
All I needed was to work overtime and show Mason I could do the job.
Blaze didn’t come back to the office but he texted me and made plans to meet at my place for dinner.
At five, rather than rush out as I always did, I stayed to go over the payroll and ensure everything was accurate. After which I reconciled some accounts, a task that took days but which went very fast because of the lack of interruptions.
It was rather nice after everyone had left. I’d never realized how much noise happened during the day. Phones ringing, people talking and doors banging.
Just as I was about to leave, a knock came on the door.
“Come in,” I called.
Mason peered in. “I see you took my words to heart,” he said, a pleased expression on his face.
“It helps that I like my job,” I said and glanced at the time. “Oh, crap! Its already six.” I started closing open windows on my computer.
Blaze and I had agreed to meet at half past five. Shit, shit, shit.
“What’s the rush?” Mason said. “You’re just going home, aren’t you?”
“I was meeting someone, and I’m late.” I grabbed my purse and jacket.
“I’ll help you with that,” Mason said, taking my jacket.
He held it for me and after a slight pause, I turned around and pushed my arms in. My skin crawled as he arranged it, going dangerously close to the swell of my breasts. It didn’t escape my notice that when he was done fixing my jacket, he seemed a little breathless.
I almost sprinted out of my office in an attempt to get out of Mason’s sight. On the way home, I questioned my earlier confidence on handling Mason. His attention was exhausting and his lust for me a little frightening. A lot of men usually backed off if they saw the woman was not interested.
Why wasn’t Mason backing off?
I felt pulled in two different directions. I wanted the job but now, I wasn’t sure I could cope with his attention. I paid for the cab and hopped out. As soon as I entered my apartment, the scent of food wafted up my nostrils, quickly followed by guilt.
I was supposed to cook, not Blaze. I dropped my purse on a small table by the entryway. “Hi,” I said as I walked through the living room to the kitchen, kicking off my shoes.
“Hello you,” Blaze greeted me. “I thought I’d get dinner started, seeing as you were running late.”
“Thanks,” I said and sniffed the air appreciatively. “What are you cooking?”
“Grilled chicken breast and spinach salad,” Blaze replied.
“Sounds delish,” I said.
“Go and shower. By the time you’re done, it will be ready.” Blaze nodded.
“Thanks,” I said, hurrying to my room.
I took a quick shower all the while thinking what a great guy Blaze is. Another man would not have been so cool about me being almost an hour late for our date or even gone ahead and cooked.
I felt happy Blaze had the key to my apartment. I had given him the spare in case he needed something while he was working upstairs and I wasn’t there.
It was a warm evening, so I slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top with nothing underneath. I grinned, remembering that evening in Hawaii when I did the same. It had driven Blaze crazy. I wasn’t averse to the same reaction, but first I wanted to tell him about the job opening.
“You look hot,” he said as I padded into the kitchen.
His gaze moved over my chest and my body instantly reacted. My nipples hardened and pushed against the fabric of my top.
“Dinner is ready,” Blaze said, his voice affected.
“Thanks,” I said and sat down.
“You look so damned sexy,” Blaze said as he sat down facing me.
“In this old thing?” I asked playfully.
Blaze narrowed his eyes. “You knew what you were doing, walking in here braless with your delicious nipples begging to be sucked.”
I sucked in a gasping breath. “You sure do know how to wet a girl’s appetite,” I quipped.
“I have a good mind to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to the bedroom,” Blaze growled.
I giggled. “What’s stopping you?”
“Dinner,” he said. “I know you’re starving.”
I grinned at him and proceeded to fork a few pieces of chicken onto my plate followed by the salad. “Delicious.” I nodded when I took my first bite.
“You’re welcome,” Blaze said.
“I’m sorry I was late,” I spoke in between mouthfuls, “Thanks for cooking.”
He waved a hand away. “It’s fine.”
I told Blaze about Grace going on maternity leave and not returning to work. “So, the job is up for grabs.”
“Is that why you were working late?” Blaze asked, cutting straight to the point.
“Yes,” I said. “Mason said he was looking for someone who would be willing to put in everything they had to get the job done. I can do Grace’s job with my eyes closed.”
Blaze contemplated me. “I have no doubt that you can. It’s Mason I don’t trust. He’s dangling a carrot in front of you to tempt you.”
I went still. “I’m not a child. I know what I’m doing and besides, it’s not a carrot. The job opening is real.”
“Just take care of yourself is all I ask. I don’t trust that asshole,” Blaze gritted.
“I don’t trust him either.” I nodded. “I’ll be careful.”
This seemed to appease Blaze and the tense look left his features.
I shifted the conversation to less explosive topics, like my parents. My mom had called me earlier in the day and as always, the conversation had revolved around her and my father and what fun they were having in the community facility they lived in. It had always been like that with them. She hadn’t asked me anything about my life but I’d told her anyway. I’d learned to force my way into their lives.
“How are they?” Blaze asked.
I shrugged. “Fine, living their own lives as usual.”
“I used to envy you, Hot Sauce,” Blaze said.
“What for?” I asked as I noticed the chicken was grilled to perfection. “This is perfect.”
“Right from when you were young, your parents treated you like an adult. You had more freedom than anyone I knew,” Blaze said.
I let out a cynical laugh. “Freedom? It’s funny how differently we see things. I would have given anything for my parents to be like yours. Sometimes, I even wondered if they could see me, or I’d grown invisible.”
Blaze looked puzzled.
“They acted like I wasn’t there. As if my being born was an inconvenience to them and that’s how I felt.”
I could see Blaze wrestling to understand. “They loved you. All parents love their kids.”
My throat was closing up. I rarely thought about my past, let alone spoke about it. “Maybe all parents love their kids but there are some, like mine, who didn’t want them in the first place. So, the only way to deal with them is to ignore them.” I refused to blink for fear that the tears in my eyes would flow out.
“I’m sorry,” Blaze said, inhaling deeply. “All along, I thought you had it really easy. It looked perfect from where I stood.”
I smiled wryly. “I know it did. A lot of my friends envied me. We used to sit for dinner and in that forty-five minutes or an hour, neither one of them would speak to me.”
A look of horror came over Blaze’s face. He reached across the table and took my hands into his.
I sniffled. “I used to try and come up with stuff I thought would interest them. They would listen with barely concealed impatience and when I was done, they would continue with their own conversation like I hadn’t even spoken.” I didn’t want to admit all this stuff. It just left my mouth of its own accord. It was as if I were no longer in control of myself. As soon as the first words had formed, the rest just tumbled out like a river that had broken its banks.
Blaze squeezed my hands. “They were the adults, not you. It was up to them to make conversation with you. Ask you questions.”
I nodded. “I always thought something was wrong with me if my own parents found me boring.” I drew in a trembling breath. I’d never made this admission to anyone.
“Nothing is wrong with you. You’re perfect as you are,” Blaze said, his voice harsh. “Come on, let’s go to bed, I want to hold you.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Blaze
I knew I held her too tight, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to protect her from her painful past. I wanted her to know how special she was to me. She’d always been but now more so, because as lovers, we’d grown even closer.
It was the first time I held Brooke in my arms without sex on my mind and intent. We were lying on the bed, fully clothed, talking.
“I never knew,” I said, the regret I felt echoed in my voice.
Brooke playfully hit my chest. “You weren’t supposed to know. It was my deep dark secret. I tried to be normal and happy like everyone else but what really helped was coming to your house.”
I recalled how much Brooke hated going home which had always puzzled me. I never could understand what she liked so much about my noisy chaotic home.
“Your parents were awesome. I loved it when your mom scolded me or made me clean up,” Brooke said with a laugh. “It made me feel alive. Visible.”
My chest ached with sadness. “How could such normal looking people do that to a child? It’s abuse!” It was a miracle that Brooke had turned out the way she had—a normal well-adjusted adult. I caressed her face and leaned down to kiss her. “Have you ever asked them why they were like that?”
She shook her head, a vulnerable look in her eyes. “No. My parents are not the kind of people you talk about such things with. I’ll only end up hurting myself. They’ll pretend not to know what I’m talking about.”
“I’m sorry sweetheart,” I said, feeling helpless and inadequate.
“Don’t sound so sad for me,” Brooke said. “It wasn’t all bad. I had your parents. They made me know what normal looked like.”
“Until Dad died,” I said.
“Yeah,” Brooke said. “But the three of you were awesome. You banded together and tried to make life as normal as possible.”
“We had to, for Mom’s sake,” I explained.
“You’re lucky to have each other,” Brooke said.
“I’m lucky to have you,” I told her. “You’ve brought fun and focus into my life.”
Brooke giggled. “Those two words do not belong in the same sentence. Fun and focus.”
“In your world, they do. You’re fun and you are focused. My mom can’t stop telling me how impressed she is that I actually own a house,” I said with a laugh and then grew solemn. “After Jack and I finished college, got jobs, and moved out of the house, I was determined to be young again. No responsibilities apart from the bare necessary.”
“And then I came with the idea of buying a house,” Brooke said.
“A good thing.” I nodded. “Jack and I had tried all our growing years to fill the shoes that Dad left. I wanted to be carefree again, but it wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be.”
“You’re an old soul in a young body,” Brooke said.
“I agree. I can’t turn back the clock and recapture my youth. I am who I am and I like it. Adulting with you is fun, Hot Sauce.”
“Thanks,” she said. She popped open the top button of my shirt and then another. She played with the hairs on my chest.
My insides clenched. “Is this the fun part of adulting?”
She lowered her head to my chest in response and kissed my exposed skin.
I closed my eyes as Brooke popped more buttons and opened my shirt.
“I love your nipples,” she said as she sucked on one and played with the other.
“I love yours more,” I said, making a move to her breast.
She slapped my hand away. “I don’t want any distractions.”
I lay back and gave myself completely to Brooke to do with me as she wished. I fisted my hands to keep them in place as small grunts escaped my mouth. “That feels good,” I groaned as she trailed kisses down my belly. My breath suspended when her hands moved to unzip my pants. It was unnatural for me to stay still but I forced my hands to remain in place. I longed to fill them with her soft flesh.
She reached into my boxer briefs and pulled out my painfully hard cock. The relief of having her stroking my cock with her hand almost made me explode but I managed to control myself.
Her tongue lapped at the head of my cock and swirled around the sensitive tip. “I love how big you are,” Brooke cooed as she sucked on it like it was her favorite flavor of ice cream.
“That feels so good,” I said.
“It’s only the beginning.”
“Fuck.” I thrust upwards into her hand and mouth.
She chuckled softly. “Someone’s impatient.” Then she slid her mouth all the way down along my shaft.
I almost creamed myself. There were no half measures with Brooke. When she did something, she gave her all. My cock hit the back of her throat before she pulled out and did the same thing all over again. She teased me with the muscles of her mouth, while licking the tip of it with her tongue.
I rocked in time to her movements, shoving my cock inside her mouth. I could feel an orgasm building up. I held her shoulders. “I want to be inside you.”
“You never want to come in my mouth,” she complained.
I chuckled softly, the urge to come decreasing. “That’s because I like it when we come together.” I’d always been a considerate lover and for me, a woman’s pleasure came before mine. But with Brooke, my pleasure ranked way below. She came first, second and third.
I watched her as she got off the bed and slowly undressed. I feasted my eyes on her curves as she exposed herself to me. Her breasts spilled over the top of her lacy bra as she stepped out of her panties. Next to come off was her bra and while she snapped it open, I pulled down my pants and shrugged off my shirt.
She straddled me again and I pulled her to me so I could kiss her. I groaned as her nipples grazed my chest. I palmed her breasts and brushed my thumbs over her nipples. “Your body is perfect Hot Sauce,” I said to her.
“Thanks,” Brooke said, her words coming out like a moan.
There was so much I wanted to do to her and as much as I loved being under Brooke and letting her do things to me, I wanted to do more. I flipped us around and lined her body with mine. “I want to make love to you,” I whispered to her while looking into her eyes.
“I want you to make love to me,” she said without her usual trace of humor.
We were doing more than looking at each other. We had stripped down all our defenses and it was
just me and Brooke. Our past hurts were no longer a barrier between us and when I kissed her, it felt as if our hearts too, had meshed together.
I inhaled her scent and made appreciative noises in my throat. I took her lower lip into my mouth and sucked it gently before moving to the top one and repeating the action. I angled my lips over hers and kissed her deeply. She felt so good in my mouth. All my senses came alive with just the tangling of our tongues. I used one hand to support myself and with the other, I stroked her shoulder and arm, before moving to her nipples. I slid down her body, took the other nipple into my mouth to suck and swirl it with my tongue.
“Blaze,” Brooke pleaded, arching her body.
I flicked my tongue across her nipple and she let out a sharp cry. I grinned and did it again with the other nipple.
Brooke whimpered.
I loved to hear the sounds of pleasure that came from her. I loved how she went out of control and thrashed her body around while fisting the sheets with her hands. I slid down between her hips and parted her thighs further to expose her pussy to my gaze. I swiped the length of her clit with a flattened firm tongue.
“Blaze, please,” she begged over and over again.
I teased her clit and licked her folds until juices gushed out of her pussy. I pushed my tongue in and fucked her with it.
Her hands gripped my head, pushing me down as she let out a desperate achy moan. I replaced my tongue with two fingers and used them to fuck her while sucking on her clit. She whimpered loudly and thrashed her hips. I ignored my throbbing cock and concentrated on making my Hot Sauce come. I fucked her faster and faster with my fingers.
Her pussy clenched around my digits as her fingers curled around my hair. The sound of my name on her lips became more frantic, urgent. She raised her hips and rocked them against my mouth. This was how I liked Brooke… free and uninhibited.
When she finally exploded, her whole body shook and her legs wrapped around my head as if to keep me imprisoned in her pussy forever.
I moved up along the bed and lay facing her.
Her face looked flushed and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
