by Ava Alise
My hand rummages through the bag of tortilla chips as I search for one that isn’t crushed into crumbs. We’re lounging on the couch, recharging from what feels like a marathon of screaming orgasms and dirty moans. My legs are draped across his lap, and he absentmindedly rubs my thigh as he cycles through the menu on Netflix. He's wearing only boxers, and I’m in a tank and panties.
"So, Kels. You know about my last relationship,” he says, still peering at the television. “What happened with yours?"
My jaw tightens, and I stop chewing. Sitting forward, I slide my legs from his lap as a remarkable amount of eeriness slides up my back.
"What?" he asks, lightheartedly, after giving me a quick glance.
"It's... not a good story".
"And telling you I got dumped for working too much is? Come on... can't be that bad." He glances at me again with a smile, but does a doubletake when he registers the look of discomfort laced in my eyes. He places the remote down and faces me.
I take a deep breath, hoping it stops the pressure that’s building in my chest and the blood from rushing through my ears.
I don’t care to talk about him, and I hate thinking about him. Every time William crosses my mind, I can’t help but picture his face, hear his voice. The anger, the pain, the torment. It gives me goose bumps, fucking chills.
“Kelsa, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say, but I’m sure it doesn’t sound convincing.
“We don’t have to talk about it, babe,” Drexel says, rubbing my knee.
“I just… Have had shit luck in the relationship department. I’m a magnet for the insane fuck-ups and the do-nothing assholes, all who ended up being more stress than they were worth.”
“So, I take it your last boyfriend was the king of the ‘do-nothing insane assholes’?”
“No,” I scoff.
“He was just pure fucking insane.”
Drex’s brows knit together at my forced tone.
“At first, everything was okay, but something flipped his crazy switch and he went from being sweet and fun to moody and controlling. He wanted to know where I was and who I was with at all times. Not long after that shit started, it snowballed and things got completely out of hand.”
"Out of hand how?” His tone hardens. “Did that asshole hit you?” he asks.
“No,” I say with a wounded voice.
Drex, clearly not convinced, stares at me with such intensity that it almost takes my breath away.
“No,” I repeat, more assuring. “He scared the shit outta me, but no, he’s never hit me.
"Okay."
The room is silent as heaviness strangles the mood. I have put William and his shit past me, and I don’t want that fuck up to ruin anymore of my headspace, especially not right now.
Drex’s thoughts seem to be far away as his jaw ticks and his fist clinches.
“Listen…” I say after a beat, causing Drex to look at me, “…fuck my ex, fuck the past. I don’t want to ruin our time here with bad memories.”
“Okay.” He nods, blowing out a forced breath. “You’re right.”
“Instead of all this talking, I’d rather my mouth be busy doing something else.” I smirk. Moving in, I kiss him lightly, and I keep moving forward until he has no choice but to lie back on the couch. “This is our fuck bubble, right?” I ask, straddling him.
“Right.” He grins and slides his hands down my hips, landing on my ass.
His dick hardens beneath me, and he groans as I slide my pussy against it. “I would much prefer…” I pull my shirt over my head, “…a lot more fucking.”
The smile falls from his lips once my breasts come into view.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Kelsa,” he says, and then his eyes lick down my body as if he’s suddenly starving. Before I can respond, or breathe for that matter, two fingers come up to meet one puckered nipple, about the same time as his mouth meets the other. I moan as he works his amazing mouth over my breast; my hips rock against him again as my senses start to dim. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me—how hard to suck, how light to touch. I love how well he reads me, but is it due to skill or chemistry? My hands clench around his shoulder, and I moan as he grips my hips and rocks me against his deliciously hard dick.
“More fucking, huh? I think I can help you with that,” he says in a gravely tone as he leans forward and crushes his lips against mine.
The alarm wakes us, signaling that not only is it time to head toward the Miami airport, but it’s time to pop this bubble of bliss. I’m surprised to feel sad. I didn’t expect to be so overtaken by Drex, completely turned on and fucked senseless… maybe, but not overtaken. For the entire ride to airport, my skin burns with the memory of his lips on mine, but I sit quietly in the front seat as he and Jackson talk. After we board the plane, we have three hours to desperately try to get things back to the way it was… well, before all the mind-blowing sex.
"Ready?" he says, pulling the belt around him and clicking it into place. My eyes travel from the now lit 'Fasten seat belt' sign to my belt.
"Ready for what?"
"Going back the real world?"
"Well..." I smile. "I could’ve used another week at the beach, but... yeah, I think so."
I’m not ready, and what I could really use is another full week or two of him.
He smiles, and his eyes linger on mine a little longer than they should. My heart drums in my chest as I try to stop myself from falling into his emeralds. The very ones that peered up at me when he had his face planted between my legs and turned me into a puddle of lust every time he ordered me to come for him.
And come I did.
God, it’s getting hot in here. Just two minutes out of the fuck bubble and I already want to drag him into the restroom and put my mouth on him.
Somehow, I find the strength to look away first. I have got to get my head in the game here. My itch has been scratched, curiosity satisfied, needs met. My infatuation with Drexel Adams needs to end here.
We make it back to New York around two p.m. The cab driver retrieves my luggage from the trunk of the car, and I resume the 'don't bust your ass in the snow' game where I left off a few days ago. From the looks of it, someone attempted to shovel the sidewalk leading to the entrance of the building. There is a neat pile of snow that stands about two feet high along the length of the street. It doesn't matter much because it's starting to snow again, and a new fresh pile is forming in its place rather quickly, causing the ground to feel slick. Carefully, I place my carry-on bag on the handle of my rolling suitcase and make my way into the building. As much as I will miss sunny Miami, I’m happy to be home. I use my key to unlock the door to the flat. Renee isn't home, so I kick out of my shoes and head directly to my room. I'm excited for Monday. New position, fresh start. I know it will be hard to see Drex in the office and not want to attack him, but we made a deal. We’re adults, with careers we don't want to lose. That type of complication is the last thing I need.
5 weeks later
I hit the send button on my phone, then bite my lip hard to hold in my naughty grin. The moment Drex gets my text message, his eyes close briefly as he exhales. We’re with our friends, Mila, Phillip, and Lisa, having lunch at the diner across the street from the office. Though Drex and I don't work with them anymore, we make a point to meet up with our old Martin crew a few times a week to catch up. Mila laughs loudly as Phillip continues a story that I'm barely catching; this sexy as fuck conversation with Drex has my attention. It's my fault, really. I may have texted him, telling him I liked his shirt... and yeah, I may have even told him it would look better draped over me naked and in heels. But I couldn't resist, it's a great shirt. Drex looks from his phone to me, and I watch as his eyes darken with a hot as hell gleam.
DREX: Fuck, baby. Do you know what you're doing to me right now?
We had good intentions when we left Miami, we really did, and leaving the fuck bubble behind us actually worked for a while. Well...
for about two weeks. We spent that day 'fucking it out of our systems', but couldn't help but give in to the heat that wouldn't die between us. Believe me, we tried. I feel like a sex-crazed teenager anytime we are in the same room. It's fucking ridiculous, really. It's his eyes, his body, and his dirty mouth that ignites me; not to mention, I’ve had all of what he's packing, and that alone deserved another round... or five. As the days ticked by, the thought of fighting to stay away from something so amazing, to go back to drooly and fumbly hookups, started to feel insane.
My hand slides under the table as I type out another message to Drex.
ME: Well, I won't tell you what I'd rather be doing to you.
A smirk plays on my lips when I glance in Drex's direction again. His eyes are heated and locked on mine, causing a small shiver to tickle my spine. The look in his eyes is ravenous, and it's the same one he'd give me right before he'd slam into me.
God.
My body flushes at that thought.
We were insane to think that after opening that gate of heat, we could easily close it and walk away. Luckily our friends don’t seem to notice our blatant eye fucking due to Phillip’s story.
I look away and try hard as hell to tune in to Phillip as I reach for a drink of water.
DREX: You better not tell me anything, if you plan to make it through lunch.
ME: And what if I don't care to make it through lunch?
DREX: Then keep it up and our friends will be finding out about us sooner rather than later.
ME: Really? How so?
DREX: Because I doubt we'll make it to the door before my mouth is on you.
I bite back a moan as I read the last text. He's right. Maybe I should stop. Our flirting game has always been hot, but now it's legit foreplay, which makes it so much hotter. A waitress appears behind Drex and asks us if we need anything else or if we’re ready for the check. I run my fork through my half-eaten pasta and decide I’m finished with the meal.
It was the night of Mila’s party that broke us.
I had found myself embarrassingly jealous of the redhead who hung on Drex's arm like a leech that whole night. She wasn't his date, but her bug-like radar sniffed him out and she jumped on him immediately. I was annoyed with her and more annoyed with myself for being annoyed with her. He wasn't... isn't mine, but the idea of him kissing her made my stomach flip. I decided to try to ignore it for Mila's sake, and I stayed long enough to be supportive. I dashed out of there the moment it was appropriate and was surprised to find Drex standing at his car when I step outside to order my Uber. There were no words between us. It was like the magnet we had been fighting exploded, and we basically mauled each other in the driveway. He asked me to come back with him to his apartment, and I didn’t fight it. I wanted him. After we got there and he killed the ignition, it took all we had not to fuck in his car like horny teenagers.
Since then, we've been spending a lot of time together. We have lunches with friends, pow wow dinners where we bounce advertising ideas off each other and, of course, the sex... all of the sex. The crush I've had on the guy was supposed to be purely sexual, but I'm quickly finding myself excited to be with him even when it isn't sex related. I can tell it's the same with him, and I have no idea when things changed between us. We aren't out in the open with our 'relationship’, but that’s because it’s frowned upon in the office. I fucking love my job, but can't imagine backing away from Drex, so we stay hidden... a dirty little secret and always behind closed doors.
"How are things going with Amber?" Philip asks, looking at me. "Is it like working for the devil?"
"No. It's going great actually." I smile as I finish my water and grab for my check. Drex gives me a death glare. He insisted on buying me lunch today, but he can't put up much of a fight in front of our friends, now can he?
Amber Cleary is tough as nails, tack sharp, and a no-nonsense marketing executive. She is fierce, creative, rumored to be a mega bitch, and is also my new boss. I honestly don’t see what all the fuss is about. She has been nothing but nice to me. I’m one of Amber’s two assistants; the other is Shane Fletcher, who's been with her for two years. We share the workload and help her out with whatever she needs.
Drex works directly with Ronald Fullerman as his only assistant, and their offices are down the hall from ours. For the first two weeks, the only time Drex and I were in the same room together was when we attended our weekly group meetings with the marketing team. Every Friday, I had to endure two excruciating hours of reminding myself not to ogle the guy across the table. The goal of entering the thirty-four-hour Miami Fuck Bubble was to scratch that desperate itch. You know, douse the temptation, but all I feel is heat from the smoldering flame.
Mila takes a final bite of her burger and slides the empty plate away from her. A chiming sound vibrates through the air as another group of EDG employees enter the diner.
"How are things with your teams?" Drex asks.
Mila and Phillip work together on the same team in research, and Lisa works in advertising. They all begin telling stories about how great or awful their new co-workers are.
"He does absolutely nothing," Lisa says, referring to one of her teammates. "I have no idea how he got the job."
"Maybe he's fucking the boss." Phillip laughs.
"Well, if he is, and he's not at the junior level at least, he must be doing it wrong," Drex says.
We all laugh.
"It's great that you guys get to work with such great clients. I'm so proud of you," Mila gushes. Drex and I thank her.
Everyone was thrilled when it was announced that Drexel and I were chosen for the jobs. Mila about lost her shit and was pissed I didn’t tell her about the trip, but I didn’t want to jinx it. We linger at the table for a beat, talking before we head back to work.
New York is still a block of ice, even though we haven't gotten any snow since last month. As we all step outside of the diner and head across, the cold air stings my warm skin. The traffic is busy, and we are slowed down by the cars. Phillip and Lisa make it across the street, separating from Mila, Drex, and me. Mila comes to my side, hooking an arm through mine.
"Did you hear about Harold Tanner? The guy who was supposed to be in the running for the jobs that you and Drex snagged?" she asks, blowing out a breath of frosty air.
"No. Who?" I ask, and Drex, who's on my opposite side, looks over as Mila speaks.
"Harold Tanner. He's on Lisa's team. She told me yesterday that he had a meltdown and was suspended for three days the week after it was announced that you two got the jobs. He was next in line for the promotion before the merger."
"Damn, that sucks," I say.
"Tough shit for him." Drex shrugs.
Both Mila and I look at him.
"What? It's business. I mean, it sucks that he lost out, but if he was the better man for the job he'd have it."
"True... but business mergers suck for everybody. We just got lucky," I say.
We all nod and head inside the building.
"Come on, Renee, take a break; it's been forever since we've been out."
It’s seven p.m. Saturday, and for the last two hours, I've been trying to convince Renee to go out. She doesn't respond, but gives me a side eye and shifts a long piece of material over a mannequin.
Her pen clatters to the floor, and she moans a frustrated huff then bends to retrieve it, only to knock the scissors off the table.
"Shit!" she curses. She crawls over to pick up the scissors, but stands too quickly and almost knocks the mannequin over. She's agitated and moving way too fast; just watching her is making me tired.
"Come on, babe," I plead.
"Kels, I really want to get this damn thing finished before Monday." She's hard at work on a new dress design that she can't wait to show the queen of all witchiness, Mosia. I love that she's so dedicated and loves her work, but the girl is wound up so tight that she could probably sweat diamonds. Plus, she's been moody as hell for the last two days.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, and you will have all day tomorrow to work on it. Just one drink... come on. You need a break. Hell, when's the last time you got laid? You're crabby as shit today."
She shoots me a hard glare, but then a haze moves over her eyes and I can tell she's trying to remember. Slowly, her gaze softens, and she exhales a long breath.
"I'm sorry, Kels..." She drops into a nearby chair. "I really have been a bitch."
I offer a smirk. "A little bit."
She sighs. "It's just that all the crap that Mosia has us doing is ludicrous. Then there's Tom; he texts every other day wanting to reschedule our little 'meeting', and I just can't bring myself to do it."
"I thought you wanted the closure?" She was supposed to meet up with him weeks ago, but canceled and has been avoiding him ever since.
"I did...I do," she says, bringing a frustrated hand to push back the unruly pieces of hair that hang from her ponytail.
"Well, if you don't want to see him, a quick telephone conversation will allow you to air all of your grievances. You don't owe that bastard anything!" I snap. "If you don't want to see him, then don't."
"Yeah." She nods.
"He needs to move on… and you need to get laid," I say, pulling her up by the hand.
"Know what? You're right!" she huffs.
"Fuck yeah, I'm right."
"Yeah." She drops my hand and walks toward the hall that leads to our bedrooms. "It's been too long."
"Months!" I exclaim, egging her on with a smile.
"Right! Months... and for what? To stay home stressing about my ungrateful boss and fuck up of an ex-boyfriend?"
She stomps into her bedroom, throws open her closet door, and begins looking for an outfit.
"I'm going out to find a hot guy to help me forget about my problems for a night. I think I deserve that."
