by Alexis Ayres
As if he knew I was watching, his green eyes slowly opened.
"Hey," he said in a raspy voice, reaching out to caress my cheek. "You look gorgeous."
"I could say the same for you," I smiled. "What a crazy night."
"But crazy good, right?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow.
Trying not to gasp at his perfect pectoral muscles, I had to silently remind myself that it was rude to stare.
"Yes, crazy good."
Dash started stroking my hair. "Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?"
"You keep talking like that, and I'm gonna start getting all frisky again," I warned him.
"And that would be a bad thing because...?"
He scooted closer to me on the bed, reaching down and tightly squeezing my bare ass.
"Well, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing at all," I admitted, surrendering to his touch.
I was like a fly caught in his spider's web, rendered completely immobile by his combination of sweetness and sex appeal. Not to mention his body, and his musky scent...which seemed even more intense in the morning. He pulled me into his chest, which felt warm, the muscles taut but the skin soft and buttery.
"What do you have to do today?" he asked, slowly running his hand up and down my back.
"Uh, I have to go check on my cat...and that's pretty much it. What do you have to do, besides running a multi-billion dollar corporation?" I joked.
"You're funny," he smiled, quickly brushing his lips against mine. "I have a board meeting soon. But remember, you have to get ready for the New York trip when you get home."
"When's that?"
"Wednesday," he grinned. "Maybe we can hang out there until the weekend, finally get a chance to relax together."
"Oh...so do you have to leave now? What time's your meeting?"
The thought of Dash leaving made me inappropriately sad. It was like the sun going away.
"Meh, nine."
I looked quickly at the clock on the nightstand. 8:45.
"Oh geez, you better be on your way then!"
"I'll leave soon," he said, starting to scratch my back with his fingernails.
"Mr. De Maio!" I reprimanded him with faux shock. "Are you propositioning me before your meeting?"
"I am," he growled in a low voice, his touch intensifying. "What if you just turned around and I slid inside of you? Would you want it like that?"
I was shameless. Turning onto my side, I balanced myself on my elbow and tossed my right leg back on his, so that my thighs were spread open. I could feel his erection growing against my leg.
"Like this?" I asked innocently.
"Oh God, baby, you're so hot," he groaned, his hand immediately finding its way to my pussy, which was already wet.
He was like a drug. Every time we had physical contact, I just wanted more and more. He slipped inside of me and started thrusting. I arched my back, moaning at the sheer delight of his body filling me up again.
"Oh Dash!" I sighed, as he reached around and massaged my shoulder with his warm hand.
His lips traveled down the back of my neck as he continued pumping. It was very slow and intimate this time, completely different from our encounter the prior evening. And it had only been going on for a few minutes when I felt my body begin to tense up and prepare for an exquisite release. He moved his hand down, and started touching my clit.
"We're so good together, Ella," he grunted, quickening his rhythm ever so slightly.
And that was all it took. Within mere seconds, I was practically crying from the ecstatic arrows of pleasure I was receiving from Dash and his thick cock.
"Ohhh," I shuddered, as the spasms continued to shake the core of my body.
As soon as he heard me come, he pumped for a few seconds more, then pulled out and exploded all over my back.
"Let me get a towel!" he said sweetly, spanking my ass lightly.
We were both out of breath from the brief, hot encounter. I'd never been so deliciously exhausted in my entire life. As Dash went to the bathroom to get the towel, I found myself slowly dozing off. A few seconds later, I could feel him wiping down my back.
"I'm gonna get in the shower, gorgeous girl," he whispered, kissing me on the neck. "Stay as long as you want."
I could hear the sound of the shower starting as I continued to drift back to sleep...sweet sleep. When I got home, I would be free to hang out in my pajamas all day. And I probably would. The weekend had been such a whirlwind of activity, and I was physically and emotionally exhausted. There was also the not-so-small matter of the lap dance contest. I couldn't just let Daniela win without some friendly competition.
And then I heard the phone beep on the nightstand.
Jarred from my rest, I realized that it must have been Dash's phone. My purse was god-knows-where (maybe the design cottage?) and this phone sounded much different.
And then...this is the horrible part...
I have no idea what compelled me to do it, but I grabbed the phone off the nightstand. It was very sleek but extremely heavy.
"Did they make this thing out of titanium?" I muttered.
And then I snuck a peek. Big mistake.
*Can't wait to see you this week! XO Ronna
My heart sank. A freaking text message from Ronna Jensen?!? One of the women who consistently made those online lists of "Super Skinny Bitches Men Love" or whatever the hell they're called?! Daniela had been right. Dash was dating Ronna Jensen.
Why did this always happen? As soon as I started to like a guy, something would inevitably ruin it. It was like my love life was fated to be a disaster.
As my mind raced a million miles a minute, I desperately tried to control my anger. Dash had obviously told Ronna his plans -- they were still going strong. My palms felt clammy and my adrenaline raced. I'd had my heart broken too many times to be dealing with crap again. It just wasn't fair. How was I going to compete with some supermodel chick?!
I wanted to tell Dash to go screw himself as soon as he got out of the shower. I wanted to throw his stupid, heavy, ridiculous phone at him. But there was one small problem.
He was my new boss. And I needed my new gig. Desperately.
So I did what any sane girl would do. Well, what any sane, scared girl would do. I decided to break it off with him first. But gently, so that he wouldn't be angry enough to fire me.
The problem was that my dress -- the black corset dress I'd been wearing the prior evening -- was on the floor somewhere. How do you dump someone when you're practically naked? I decided that I wouldn't let this stop me. Then Dash came out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around his gorgeous body. I covered myself up with the sheet and decided to have the talk with him then.
"Hey, Dash..." I started.
His smile was like sunshine. Too bad, I reasoned. Maybe he shouldn't screw supermodels.
"You woke up!"
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you think it's a good idea for us to be seeing each other while I'm the brand ambassador? You know, mixing business with pleasure and all that?"
His smile began to fade quickly.
"What do you mean? Are you having second thoughts, Ella?"
"Um, it's not that I don't find you charming and impossibly sexy -- trust me, I do --I just don't know if it's the best idea for us to pursue this while we're working together."
"Huh." He looked shocked, his green eyes seeming to get darker for a split second. "Well, if you feel that way, then I certainly don't want to pressure you into anything. It's just...I thought we were having fun..."
"We were!" I smiled a little too big. "I'm just thinking of the ramifications, for me, you know...I don't want this to get awkward."
"Because clearly it's not awkward now," he barked, turning around to head to his closet.
I couldn't believe him. The nerve! He was supposed to be gracious about this, not immature and evil.
"I'll just get my dress then," I muttered, catapulting out of the bed and
scanning the floor for my dress.
Aha! I quickly scooped it up and hopped right into it, attempting to lace up the front.
Dash, who was dressed in just business pants by this point, walked over and came to my rescue. He grabbed the top with his strong hands, lacing it up quickly with his nimble fingers. Against my will, I still felt incredibly attracted to him. He looked gorgeous just out of the shower, the drops of water still in his copper hair.
"How did you do that?" I was amazed. Then suspicious. "Lots of experience?"
"The corset dress has been a staple of our design studio for years now," he said in a snotty tone. "It was retrofitted for the new line, but it's basically the same. I would be an idiot if I weren't at least somewhat familiar with it."
"Dash, I'm sorry if I..." I really didn't know what to say. He seemed so angry.
"It's fine," he muttered, stomping back to his closet and pulling out a button-down shirt. "I really have to get to this meeting. We'll see each other in New York. Debra will be in touch with all the arrangements."
"Okay," I said quietly. "I'll just go down to the cottage and get my stuff then."
"Cool," he shrugged. "See you later."
"Cool," I replied, stomping out of the bedroom. "I'll see you in New York."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JETTING OUT
I'm not going to lie. Daniela's lap dance was routine was really good. But mine was getting better. After going to Stripper Class and receiving our first critiques on the dances (harsh!), we decided it was definitely time for a beer. And, obviously, I had to spill my guts about Dash.
"Well, you don't know what's going on with this Ronna chick for sure," Daniela said, sipping on a lager.
"You're the one who told me they were dating!" I exclaimed, taking a big swig of my Guinness.
"Yeah, but what do I know?" she pontificated. "You can't trust everything you read on the internet."
It was really aggravating. I had expected Daniela to back me up in my fury, to assure me that what I'd done was the right thing.
"Well, I think that if you have some internet evidence combined with text messages, it's a safe assumption."
"I dunno," she said, taking a closer look at me. "You really like him, don't you?"
"What?" I was aghast.
"You do this every time you like someone. Run away."
"Daniela!"
"It's true! Ella, you're one of my best friends, but sometimes you have to live a little, risk something. Why wouldn't you just ask him about it?"
"What, admit that I was snooping in his phone?"
"No," she lectured me. "You could have asked him in an adult way, 'Hey I know we just met so maybe you're dating a ton of people, but maybe you're not? Are you?' That's the only way you would've found out, Ella. Instead of doing that, you just ditched him, so he's understandably aggro about the whole thing."
"Understandably aggro, huh?"
"Yup," she said. "God, those french fries smell good. Do you want some?"
"Yes. Definitely. The fries here are insane."
She had a point. Daniela could be annoying, but her observations were not without merit. Maybe I had jumped the gun. After all, Dash wasn't beholden to me. We barely knew each other. Why was I freaking out so much?
After munching on the fries, which were topped with a sinfully exquisite truffle oil, Daniela and I paid our tab and left.
"Anyway, I'm really proud of you!" she said, giving me a hug outside the bar. "You managed to get this amazing gig, and Blaine's gonna eat his words when he sees your new ads come out!"
It was true, and Daniela was such a good friend to remind me of it. If nothing else, I'd managed to transform my financial situation -- and my dignity -- over a weekend. I would no longer have to worry about money, at least for a year or so. Surely that had to count for something.
"Oh, and let me give you my keys!" I grinned, fishing the extra set out of my purse.
Daniela would be cat-sitting for Ruby while I was away.
"Maybe you can convince them to fly you in a private jet next time, so you can take her with you!" Daniela joked. "Not that I don't love watching her!"
"They're flying me first class!" I replied. "That's already a huge upgrade for me."
The next few hours passed like a whirlwind -- I was packing like crazy. After all, people would expect a lot from a new brand ambassador. I packed lots of hair products and makeup, things I didn't even normally bring on a trip. There was no way I was going to mess up this job.
In the morning, the car service picked me up and whisked me away to LAX, where I was hanging out in the fancy airline lounge before my flight.
"Coffee?" the flirty gay male bartender asked me. "Or a Bloody Mary?" he winked.
"You, sir, are a man after my own heart," I smiled. "Bloody Mary it is!"
"You're that new model, aren't you?" he asked, as he mixed up my drink.
"Uh...what?"
"The new Dash De Maio girl! I saw something about you online. You're so gorgeous."
I was thunderstruck. I know that's probably not really a word, either, but this was how I felt upon my first meeting with a fan. Sure, I'd expected the job to bring me money, but not necessarily recognition. But clearly this wasn't the case. Not even forty-eight hours after my first event, and I had already been spotted.
"That's incredibly kind of you," I smiled. "Thanks."
After years of pounding the pavement in L.A., things were finally starting to turn around for me. And I'd been a total bitch to the man who had been responsible for my rise. I needed to call Dash. But then I realized that I didn't have his phone number. Of course. He'd been in such a rush after the Monday morning hook-up, and his office had coordinated everything for my trip. I had no way of getting in touch with him until we saw each other in New York.
And then my phone beeped...and my heart leapt. What if it was him?
I was somewhat surprised when I saw that the message was from a certain Carlo Catelli.
*Luscious! Just got in from a wild night out...missing you. Wishing you were here to wrap those long legs around me...when are you coming out here again?
His timing, as always, was impeccable. Carlo always had a very strong street sense -- I supposed he had to, in his line of work. It was as if he psychically knew I was coming.
Carlo Catelli would be the best way to make me forget my idiocy with Dash. I wrote back immediately.
*Funny you should ask. Be there in six hours. XOXO Luscious
I turned my phone off and tucked it away, giggling at how Carlo would react. And I wondered if I'd get a chance to see him while I was in the city. Nothing in the world would distract me more than a romp with New York's most notorious bachelor.
The thought of it made me take a big gulp of my Bloody Mary. I finished my drink, paid the bill, and made my way to the gate. It was such a treat to be flying first class. Now, I'm not a snob by any means. For a two-hour flight, I truly see no purpose in forking out extra cash for a first-class ticket. But a five-hour flight is an entirely different story. Settling into the comfortable first-class seat (with legroom!) I looked out the window.
It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles, one of those days that made me sad to leave. Especially after the pilot informed us that New York was dealing with what appeared to be the final snowstorm of the season. Luckily, I'd brought a coat. As I snuggled into my seat, tipsy from the Bloody Mary, I heard someone sit down next to me.
"Hey!" The familiar voice jarred me out of my mini-nap. "Barely made it!"
It was Debra, looking as fresh and professional as she could possibly be.
"Oh my God, I didn't know you were on my flight!"
"I wasn't supposed to be," she said, rolling her eyes. "Everyone else is taking the corporate jet this afternoon, but I have to get there early to take care of some stuff before the shoot."
"Ah. Hey, thanks again for hiring me, Debra." The words poured out from my heart.
I could already see that this job w
as going to change my entire life. And it meant more than I could fully express in words, but I wanted to at least try.
"Of course," she grinned, grabbing a couple flutes of champagne from the passing flight attendant and handing one to me. "But you should be thanking Dash. He's the one who came up with the idea."
"Right," I grimaced. "I'm afraid I might have accidentally been a little...uh...rude to him the other night. You know, all the stress from the event took a toll on me. Do you think he's okay? He's done so much for me, and I don't want to seem ungrateful."
"Oh, if he seemed testy, it's probably because of the whole Ronna situation," Debra groaned.
"Uh...the Ronna situation?"
"Ronna Jensen! That model."
The plane was amping up for take-off. I strained to hear Debra as we started to lumber down the runway.
"Oh yes, Ronna! I thought I'd seen in the news that they were dating?" I tried to play it off as casually as possible.
"Well," Debra said, looking around for a quick second. "Don't tell anyone I said this. He doesn't like to talk about it. They were dating last year, but then he broke up with her and ever since...she's been kind of stalking him. It's been a source of stress for everyone."
"Uh...really?" God, did I feel like the biggest idiot in the world.
"Yeah, she found out from Patrick Duvall that he'd be in the city this week and everything. He's pretty freaked out. I mean, personally, I don't think she'll do anything crazy, but you never know..."
"Right."
"So...now that I've had a few sips of champagne, can I ask you a personal question, Ella?"
"Sure." I immediately tensed up.
What could Debra possibly want to know about me? And then she hit me with this zinger:
"Is something going on between you and Dash?"
My palms immediately went clammy. How did she know?
"Uh..."
"It's okay if it is," she smiled. "He's one of the best guys I know. If I didn't have an amazing husband, I'd be all over that shit myself."
And then she grabbed her pillow and burrowed her head in it.
"Huh." It seemed like a bad time to ask for Dash's phone number, what with the stalking and all.
