by Audrey North
She didn’t look that way anymore at him and for that, he was grateful, but eventually…when she realized fully who he was and the starry feeling of a new relationship wore off, he was afraid she would look at him that way again. And that was something he definitely didn’t want. Actually, in the last two weeks, Easton realized he didn’t really want anyone to look at him like that anymore. But what could he do? He had a reputation and it was going to be stuck with him for life.
“Are you going to go to bed?” he asked her, attempting to distract his own mind.
Maisie stretched and moved away from his arms to let him get up. It took everything he had to stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her back into him.
“Yea,” she told him. “I’ve got the lunch shift tomorrow.” Easton could see the way that she was averting her eyes, the way she didn’t want to look at him, or couldn’t.
“Something bothering you?”
“It’s just….” She twisted her hands in her lap and his heart started to pick up speed at the nervousness that was inside of him. “It’s late. And whatever you’re going to do right now, it isn’t good is it?”
Apparently his moments ago thought of ‘eventually she’d look at him differently’ was happening right there, on the couch.
“It’s not as bad as you think,” he tried to hedge. But wasn’t it bad? Maybe taking down a corrupt politician wasn’t so bad, but playing the heart of his already hurting wife was. And it wasn’t as if he was doing it to get someone better into office, he was doing it simply to get someone more corrupt in. Someone his father could use as a better puppet to do whatever he wanted.
“But it can’t be good. And you’ve done bad things before right?”
Easton rubbed his hands down his face. This was exactly what he didn’t want. Already the look was changing in her eyes and he was losing her. He didn’t know what to say to her.
“You don’t want to know. You don’t want to be in that part of my life. Please. And I don’t want you there,” he begged.
Maisie looked at him, her eyes filled with tears, only for a moment before she dropped her eyes back into her lap. “Alright, I get it.”
Quickly, as if reaching for a life preserver, he grabbed her hand, afraid to let her slip any further away. “You’re too good to be in that part of my life. You’re too good to even be with me. And I don’t blame you if you want to run away screaming from my life…”
As the words were tumbling out of his mouth, she leaned over and put a finger on his lips, like he had to her that first night. Leaning over, she gave him a kiss. Sweet and passionate, but he could feel that it wasn’t the same.
10
Claire couldn't believe it when Massie had told her that Luke was really Easton. She had an even harder time understanding why Maisie hadn't turned on her boot heels and run. But then again neither could Maisie. It was obvious that Easton was not the type of guy she should be with. Especially if any of the rumors that she'd heard were true about some of the things he and his father had done. But when she looked in his eyes, heard the pleading in his voice, felt his lips against hers, she couldn't walk away. There was no way to explain it in words to Claire, no way to make her understand it when she couldn’t even understand it herself.
At first, it felt easy to pretend that Easton was still the same guy she had thought he was. Other than the fact that they saw each other every free moment they got, nothing had changed. They still texted all the time and their conversations had actually gotten better. Now that she knew who he really was, he had stopped just skirting around who he was and actually starting to open up to her. With everything except his place in the mafia. Claire couldn't understand how Maisie could just ignore the biggest part of his life, but Maisie didn't see it that way. Somehow, she had been able to separate who he was and what he did. But as good as she'd been doing that, it had started to creep in her mind that her Easton and mafia Easton were the same.
''So you actually said something about his job?'' Claire asked over a mug of steaming morning coffee.
Maisie shook her head at her own disbelief. "I didn't mean to. I was just so tired and didn't want him to leave. It just kind of, popped out."
"So what happened?''
Maisie didn't know if he had felt it too, but as soon as she even brought up what he was doing and hedged at the things he'd done, something had changed. Their kiss had felt like there was something caught between them, in the way of what they had just had moments before. Even their texting that night had seemed a little off.
"I don't know. He begged me not to leave him, and I really don’t want to."
''Are you sure that this is what you want? You just got out of a serious heartbreak, are you sure you want something this heavy right now?"
That's what Maisie had been thinking about all night. As much as she wanted to ignore who Easton really was, how long could she really go on pretending?
''I don't know. There's something different about him. I feel different around him."
Claire took a sip of her coffee and Maisie could see that she was deciding what she thought of the situation.
"I want to be happy for you, I really do. But it’s hard to be happy for you when I know you’re with someone who is trouble. Especially because he is not being honest about all the trouble he is."
She was right and Maisie knew that, she had just been putting off admitting it. The last thing Maisie needed in her life was to be hurt by another guy who lied. And she knew, at the end of the day that was most likely the road she was headed down
"Maybe I should just break it off with him before I get in too deep.” It was nearly impossible to keep the disappointment from her voice. For a moment she could feel Claire staring at her, studying her.
"Maybe you already are."
All day, as Maisie sat waiting for Easton’s messages that were now coming less often than they had just the day before, she thought about what she should do. Her brain was telling her that she was crazy, that she had to get out before any more of her got hurt. But her heart was telling her not to give up, not quite yet. The argument wrestled inside of her throughout the day, both pieces of her throwing valid points at her. Her brain would tell her it wasn't as if she'd known him long enough to have that much of a connection, her heart would argue that something felt amazing inside when she was with him. Countering, her brain would tell her that he'd done bad things, but her heart would tell her that he was a different person around her too. The final words came from her brain.
"You listened to your heart last time," it told her. ''look how well that turned out." the moment that thought popped into her head, she knew what she had to do. She texted him.
Can we talk tonight?
Almost immediately she felt her phone buzz.
I know where this is going. I don’t need to come over. We’re done, aren't we?
Maisie’s hands shook as she tried to reply like her own body was betraying her.
I’M sorry, but I just can't handle the truth.
Staring at her phone behind the counter at work, she waited to see the little bubbles to know he was answering. She knew he wouldn’t yet she wanted him to reply. But nothing came. Just as quickly as it all began, it was over. When she got home, the house was empty, lonely. Claire had the night shift and wouldn’t be home for hours which was why she had planned on Easton coming over. Instead, she looked over at the couch where just twenty-four hours ago she had felt so happy. Happier, she realized, then she’d been in a long time. Probably years. But she’d taken it and thrown it away. Her brain had made too many good arguments she needed to protect her heart.
So why was it that she could feel her heart breaking anyway?
Tired and only wanting to forget the day, forget Easton, Maisie changed into a baggy sweater and leggings and poured herself some wine. She had just gotten herself wrapped warmly in a blanket on the couch when there was a knock at the door.
Eagerly Maisie went to the door, ready for the warm
cheesy pizza that she had full intentions of finishing herself, when she opened to door to the softest brown puppy-dog looking eyes she had ever seen.
“Can I come in?” Easton asked her.
Maisie pulled the blanket around her tighter, and looked away from him. She was completely a sucker for his eyes, and his lips, and every other body part she’d seen from him. And she had the distinct feeling that she’d be a sucker for the parts she hadn’t seen yet too.
“I don’t know if that’s such….”
In one swift move, he stepped forward and grabbed her firmly around the waist, pulling her into him. He was only a breath away and she couldn’t hold out any longer. She looked up into his eyes only for a moment before he bent his head down and kissed her. Hard. With intention. For a moment Maisie felt stunned, but soon her body relaxed into his and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her. His tongue opened her mouth and she tasted him, but her body wanted more. She could feel the space between her legs start to throb and wanted him to touch her so desperately.
Reading her mind he gently pushed her back into her apartment, shutting the door behind himself. Being there before he led her toward her bedroom, without ever having to take his lips away from hers. When he finally got her in the bedroom he shut the door and before Maisie knew what was happening he was pulling at her sweater, lifting it over her head and leaving her breasts exposed to the air, as his hands slid down her leggings. Everywhere he touched burned her, warming her. But she didn’t just want his hands, she wanted to feel his whole body pressed against her.
Fervently, she undid the buttons of his shirt, not letting her lips leave his. He pressed his hard, smooth, chest against hers and wheeled her over to the bed. As he laid her down, naked, she felt exposed to him, open to him, and she wanted him to see and feel every part of her. She pulled away, forcing him to look at her, see her whole body as she took in him. His chest was like soft caramel, and she expected it tasted as sweet. She could see the hard muscle beneath it and she let her fingertips trace the planes of his body. Easton took a sharp breath in as her touch traveled down to his belt, undoing his pants and letting them fall to the floor.
In the dim light of her room, they stared at each other, marveling for a moment in each other’s bodies before he climbed on top of the bed, encircling her. When he kissed her again it wasn’t with the intensity as it had been in the doorway, but with sweet tenderness, which made her body ache even more. Easton didn’t even need to touch her before her body was ready for him, slick with desire.
Maisie felt the pressure as he pushed inside of her, simultaneously filling her and releasing something sensational in her body. Their bodies danced, slowly at first, placing sweet kisses on each other at every second, and then the heat began to build between them, stirring intensity and longing in the space between them.
They clawed at each other, pulling each other closer together, in the desperate attempt to make them one. And when they both fell over the edge of ecstasy, they did so together, filled with screams and quivers that sent their bodies reeling.
Panting, Maisie and Easton held each other in the still of the night. He rubbed her arms, sending goosebumps along her body, and she trailed her fingers over the V that lead from his stomach down lower.
“That was amazing,” he whispered.
“It was,” she breathed. Having him so close to her, breathing him in, was more amazing than she could ever have imagined.
For the rest of the night, they lay there, alternating between talking, touching each other, and, sending each other over that perfect edge over and over again.
11
The sun streamed in from the windows, waking Easton from the most relaxed sleep he could ever remember having. It took him a moment to realize exactly where he was but when he felt the weight that was cradled in his arms and smelled a hint of strawberry shampoo, it all came flooding back to him. Her kiss. The smoothness of her skin. The scent of her lingering in the air. Every inch of her that he had kissed and caressed was now a permanent part of his mind and it felt so good.
A smile slid onto his face as he replayed every detail. Gently he kissed the crown of her head, afraid to wake her at such an early hour of the morning. All day, he thought, he could lay there like that with Maisie tucked safely in his arms. This was how life should be, this was how he wanted it to be. A great woman in his arms, the feelings he had for her rolling through him in pleasant waves, the peaceful feeling that filled him inside. Easton could feel inside of him that being with Maisie was exactly where he should be. Shattering the silence, his phone started to clatter along the nightstand. Quickly Easton grabbed for it, hoping that the buzz of the vibration hadn't woken her. Clicking the side-button he silenced the phone. He checked on Maisie and found her still soundly asleep. After the night before he couldn't blame her for feeling exhausted. He loved the feel that her skin was still seared into his brain
In his hand, his phone buzzed again signaling another text message. Grudgingly Easton opened the messages, they were from his father.
Cindy is going to be leaving town. You need to get her to meet you now and stop her until you get the info.
He scrolled to the next message.
This is not a question.
Easton rubbed his eyes. This was the last thing he wanted to deal with, the last thing he wanted to be reminded of.
She's not ready to tell me yet.
Easton knew as soon as he sent the message that there was no way his father would accept that. Sure enough, another message came in, one that made Easton's stomach sink.
Then you make her. She doesn't leave until she tells you.
It wasn't as if he hadn't done things like that before, used force to get something done, but usually, it was against people who were just as corrupt as he was. But Cindy, though she probably wasn't entirely innocent in her ex-husband's dealings, wasn't a choice. If he had been able to get her to talk by using the online chats then his father wouldn't have cared how he got his information. But he had failed. And now things had to be done. Things that he suddenly felt sick that he had to do. Rolling back toward Maisie, he wanted to wake her to tell her he had to go but as he watched her face, so sweet and peaceful, he knew he couldn’t wake her. He didn't want to tell her he had to leave, she'd know why and he didn't want to see the hurt that would come with it. And he suspected that there was very little chance that she wouldn’t see straight through him, to the fact that he was about to do something that disgusted himself.
Instead, he slid out of the bed, without rustling the sheets, and slipped on his clothes as quickly as he could. It would be worse if she woke up and saw him sneaking away from her, though he hated to think he was sneaking away. He wanted to pretend that he was protecting her instead, protecting her from knowing that he was leaving her to go do something he shouldn’t be doing.
For the first time, Easton felt the pull of his job against what he wanted in his life. There hadn’t been many things in his life that he felt had been more important than working for his father, than doing his job and creating the lifestyle that he had grown up with. But for the first time, the lifestyle, the money, and even his father’s approval wasn’t feeling like enough anymore. Something in him had shifted ever so slightly, enough that had he wanted to he probably could have buried the feeling and continued on with his life as it always had been.
But he looked at Maisie. She deserved better. A man that could talk about his job and his life, and man that didn’t have to worry about keeping all the power and connections in order to avoid being hauled away behind bars for life for some of the dirty deeds he had done. She deserved to have safety, security. And as much as he knew that she also deserved the finer things in life, jewelry and vacations, there were ways to give her those things without needing to be part of the seedy part of the city life.
For his whole life, he had pictured his mother as a radiant person, who was always welcoming his father’s guests and putting on glamorous
parties, making sure to put out a positive and strong appearance. But last time he had seen her, Easton saw the lines around her eyes, the slight paling of her skin, and the creases between her brows which gave away how much she frowned. If you looked briefly at her, you’d never see it, but when you looked closer you saw the toll that his father’s lifestyle had taken on her.
He wanted better for Maisie which was something he knew. But what he wasn’t sure was if he could be the one to give her what she deserved.
