by Sindee Lynn
“Better?” she asked a sexy grin on her face.
Wade pushed himself away from the door and stepped out of his boxers and jeans. He tugged his t-shirt over his head and threw it to the floor before pulling her into his arms.
“Not quite,” he said leaning down, his mouth close to hers.
She raised an eyebrow.
“I’m suddenly very hungry for the taste of your pussy.”
His body crowded against hers, moving her backwards until her heels met the bottom of the first step. He motioned for her to move up a few before pushing her down. He nudged her knees apart as he kneeled down between them.
“By God this has got to be the best meal in town,” he said before losing himself between her legs.
Chapter Fifteen
Ashley lay with her head resting on Wade's hairless chest. They’d just finished another round of love making and she was drained. She didn’t want to think about what time it was. Tomorrow morning would come too soon, bringing with it another full day of ... Slowly the smile she had been wearing faded. Would it bring another day without contact from him? Until later in the evening? Those were booty call hours. Was that all this was? Never before had the thought of being a mere booty call bothered her as it did then.
In the past, late night sex calls had been more of the norm for her than real relationships and to be honest it was what she preferred. Not being tied down to one man especially if the sex wasn’t any good. Her four month relationship with David had been the exception to how she normally handled her dealings with men. Did she want what she and Wade had to be limited to the bedroom? What exactly did they have?
“A dollar for your thoughts,” Wade asked kissing the top of her head.
“A dollar?”
She felt him hunch his shoulders before his deep laughter caressed her skin.
“I figure with inflation and all that.”
“Hmmm.” Ashley felt the heat of his gaze upon her but refused to look up. She was certain the turmoil she was feeling would be reflected on her face.
“Ashley I can hear you thinking. What’s up?”
She paused only for a moment before revealing what was bothering her.
“Why didn’t you call me today?” He stopped caressing her arm before continuing. “I wanted to call you. I thought about it all day.”
“Then why didn’t you?” It didn’t matter to Ashley that she was whining about a man not calling her. This was Wade. He should have called and when he hadn’t her feelings had been hurt.
“Because I didn’t want you to know how much I was thinking about you.”
Of all the things she’d expected him to say that hadn't been one of them. Not even close. Ashley lifted her head off his chest to gaze up at him. A frown puckered her brow.
“What? I don’t understand.”
“There’s a lot of that going on.” He sat up on the bed and looked at her before continuing. “After I left yesterday I didn’t know what to think. I mean everything I’d ever fantasized about had just happened and all I wanted to do was to stay here with you.”
Her frown deepened along with her confusion. “Then why did you leave?”
“Why didn’t you ask me to stay?”
Touché.
“Because for the first time in a very long time I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel as if at any minute things could crumble around me.”
Wade let out a chuckle. “That makes two of us. You’ve been driving me crazy for years and now that I have you I don’t want to do anything stupid to mess it up. That’s why I left yesterday. I wanted to give you your space.”
“And who says I wanted space?”
“You did.”
Ashley sat up in bed, her mouth opened in shock.
“When did I tell you that?”
“Every time you complained about the guy you were dating always being around. You said they never knew when it was time for them to leave. They didn’t understanding your need to be with your girls or just a need for time to yourself. I didn’t want to be that guy Ashley,” Wade said avoiding eye contact.
She reached over and turned his face until she could look into his eyes. “Wade you could never be that guy. I want you to stay.”
Pulling her down beside him once more, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “But for how long?”
The real question hung in the air between them for what seemed like an eternity. Did she dare be honest with him and with herself?
“Nicki,” she began slowly still unsure of what she was going to say.
“It’s back to Nicki is it?”
Intense eyes bore a hole into her. In their depths she saw confusion, remnants of desire and something else. Disappointment. Maybe even a little hurt. But definitely anger.
“I don’t want you to see me as that little kid anymore Ashley. I’m a man. Why is it so hard for you to see me that way?” He pushed himself up from the bed his back to her. He pulled on his jeans and walked over to the window and stood staring outside.
What seemed like an eternity passed as silence prevailed between them. Wade was right. He was a fully grown man. Despite having made the decision to sleep with him she was still trying to keep him in a little boy status. It was truly pathetic when she thought about it because it hadn’t been a little boy who had touched her. No little boy could make her heart stop with just a look. It had been the man she’d been craving for the past several years. It was the man who stood with his back to her now, anger and tension radiating off of him. She rose from the bed, pulling on her robe before walking over to him.
Ashley reached for his arm and turned him to face her. She allowed herself to see him not as Heather’s younger brother or Joey and Maura’s son. The image she’d been carrying of the little boy staring back at her from the top of the stairs all those years ago began to fade and in its place stood an image of the man who had the power to bring light to all her dark areas. The man who had laid claim to her heart ages ago. It scared the hell out of her.
“You’re right and I’m sorry. By calling you Nicki it puts you in an unobtainable status.”
“See I knew it,” he said throwing his arms up in the air in frustration.
“How can you still think of me as a child after everything we’ve just done in that bed?” He pointed towards the rumpled sheets.
There was something terribly sexy about this side of him. It called to something deep within her and she moved closer. Ashley couldn't help it. She had to touch him. She ran her hand lightly across his bare chest caressing the cool metal of his piercings. Her hand moved down across his stomach and came to rest on the bulge of his jeans.
“I know the difference between the child you were and the man I just spent the evening with in bed,” she said.
She applied a little more pressure in her caress of his hardening flesh. He picked her up and carried her back to the bed. Her robe spread wide. She glanced over to see him standing beside her nightstand removing his jeans before reaching into the drawer to pull out some condoms. After sheathing himself he joined her on the bed.
“Tell me again Ashley,” he whispered.
When his lower body pressed close to her heat, she wrapped her legs around him in hopes of pulling him into her moisture. She rocked her hips forward and felt the tip of his dick enter her. A groan of pleasure escaped her parted lips.
“Tell you what?”
“That you don’t think of me as a kid any longer,” he said nipping her shoulder.
He moved an inch of his hardened length into her. She wanted to scream for him to just do it already.
“When I look into those beautiful blue eyes of yours I see a man who makes me want him like no other man has ever done.”
In another inch.
“I want you to scream my name when you cum.” He pulled back before thrusting deep within her.
Ashley gasped for air as his first thrust was quickly followed by another and another. Each one filled with determination to make her fo
rget the little boy image she had of him.
“I’m so close,” she said.
Wade lifted her legs onto his shoulders and repositioned himself. At this angle she felt every thick inch of him filling her. Her juices ran down between the crease of her ass.
“Oh I’m gonna cum,” she said as she felt the tension building in her stomach.
“Me too,” he panted.
Her body tensed around him as her orgasm came over her.
“Oh Nicki,” she gasped as she felt him moving faster and harder into her.
“Argh.” His body made short thrusts into hers as he joined her.
Ashley closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his sweaty body and held him close. The scent of his cologne still lingered as it mixed with the smells of sex.
“Are you falling asleep on me?” he asked kissing her shoulder.
“I think I deserve some rest don’t you?”
He chuckled softly against her neck before rolling to his side taking her with him. He tucked her against him like some precious gift. Her heart filled to overflowing as emotions she wasn’t ready to admit aloud rushed over her. She blinked her eyes as they misted over.
“Nicki.”
She felt rather than saw his smile
“Hmm?”
“Don’t leave,” she whispered.
He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Leaving is the last thing on my mind.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Hello earth to Ashley. Are you still with me?” Torrie asked.
They were heading into the third hour of their meeting and it had been a struggle for Ashley to pay attention. Her head snapped up. The laughter in Torrie’s green gaze made her smile. “I’m sorry Tor. I didn’t get much sleep last night but I promise going forward you have my undivided attention. What were you saying about the band being finalized?”
Ashley listened on as Torrie began telling her about the band she’d finally decided upon after hours of listening to recordings and then moved into the ever changing menu. She did her best to make good on her promise to pay attention but somewhere between the color of the linens and the lighted dance floor she was lost again.
Torrie cleared her throat and Ashley sat up in her chair. “Okay that’s it. This meeting is officially on pause.”
Ashley gave up and laid her head down on her desk. Almost a year of planning had gone into this damn thing already and they had more to do before the actual day. Now was not the time for her to start losing focus.
“Okay so you want to tell me his name? How’d you manage to find him so soon after dumping Mr. Star Quarterback’s sorry ass?”
To tell or not to tell? The buzzing of her intercom saved her from any further internal searching over the question.
“Yes Bobbie.”
“You have a special delivery out here.”
She wracked her brain trying to recall if anything was scheduled to come in for her meeting with Torrie this morning.
“Can’t you just sign for it?”
“I really think you should take care of this one. You may want to inspect the goods,” Bobbie replied.
Was he laughing or choking? She couldn't really tell. All she knew for sure was she didn’t have time for this. She got up from her desk and marched over to her closed door and flung it open.
“Surprise,” Wade said from where he sat on the corner of Bobbie’s desk.
Several large flower filled vases surrounded him. Bobbie was sitting at the desk with a wide smile on his face.
“Ashley is it something for the party?” Torrie asked coming up behind her.
“Definitely not,” she muttered.
She vaguely heard Torrie greeting Wade and his response while her brain continued an attempt to process what was going on. Even when she felt the heat of several pairs of eyes upon her she ignored them, her forehead knotted in irritation. She was certain she had told him about the meeting with Torrie today and how important it was. If that weren’t enough, hadn’t they decided to keep things quiet? At least until they could figure out where this was going if anywhere.
The decision on who she told and when she told them had been taken out of her hands. She ignored the rational side of her brain as it argued on Wade’s behalf.
“Ashley I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting. I thought maybe you guys were taking a break for lunch or something. You do normally go to lunch about this time,” Wade said worry now clearly written on his face where moments before excitement had been. He got up from the edge of the desk. “I’ll just get going and let you two get back to it.”
The two warring parties inside of her were screaming to be heard. She took in the regret on his face. It silenced both sides. There was no way he’d done this in an attempt to force their relationship into the public. He wasn’t down playing her position or the importance of her job. He was just being Wade. Nothing more. The tension eased from her shoulders and she looked around at what her favorite flowers.
“Did you bring all these up by yourself?”
Wade gave a sheepish expression. “Well I paid for them but I can’t take the credit for bringing them all in.”
She shook her head and walked to where he stood by the desk. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.” She gave him a kiss and hug.
“No more beautiful than the woman I brought them for,” he replied softly.
Torrie cleared her throat from behind them. Ashley glanced over her shoulder to see her leaning casually against the door jam of her office. She stepped back putting a little distance between she and Wade.
“I think we’ve covered as much as we can for now. Why don’t we schedule something for the end of the week to work on the next phase?” Torrie asked straightening from her position with a smile on her face.
“Tor are you sure? We still have quite a few loose ends,” Ashley said.
Torrie retreated into the office before coming back out moments later with her pocket book and brief case in hand.
“Let’s set up something for Friday morning. Just call my office and tell them what time and I’ll be here.”
She gave Ashley a quick hug before moving to give Wade a hug and kiss on his cheek.
“Okay if you’re sure then. I guess I will see you on Friday,” Ashley said to her retreating back.
“Friday it is.” Torrie waved on her way out the office.
Silence followed for moments after her departure.
“Are you mad at me for interrupting your meeting?” he asked.
Ashley knew she probably should be a little upset but she couldn't muster even the slightest bit of anger. Not anymore. So what if Torrie suspected something was happening between them. She knew she could trust her not to say anything until she’d confirmed one way or the other.
“I’m pretty sure I told you I was going to be in a meeting this morning with Torrie.” She moved closer to where he leaned against the edge of Bobbie’s desk. Bobbie had made his escape when it had been uncertain if she would be okay with the interruption. Smart move on his part.
Wade’s arms wrapped around her waist, closing the remaining distance between them. She nestled into the opening he’d created for her. Heat spread through her body as the intoxicating smell of the flowers mixed with his scent filled her head.
“Yes I do recall your saying something about that. But I figured I’d take a chance and stop by anyway to surprise you. Surprise.”
She trembled as he nibbled at her neck. A smile touched her lips just as Bobbie’s desk phone rang. Giving a heavy sigh, she reached around Wade to answer.
“Ashley Morgan.”
“Hello Ashley.”
It couldn’t be. She glanced at Wade but he was more focused on her neck than her phone conversation. She moved the receiver to the opposite ear. What the hell did David want? She’d thought for sure after his exit she’d never hear from him again.
“How’ve you been?”
“Fine.” She said with annoyance.
“A little bothered by the way we left things if you want the truth. I miss you.”
She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. He’d caught her by surprise. Wade lifted his head from her neck and raised a questioning eyebrow. She held up her finger to let him know she needed a minute. With one more soft kiss to the side of her neck he headed into her office. She smiled when he closed the door behind him to allow her some privacy.
“Did you hear me Ashley? I said I missed you.”
What was she supposed to say? It had only been what three or four days since he’d stormed out of her house.
“Yes I heard you. I haven’t had much time to think about anything other than work.”
“I guess I can understand that. Things are crazy on our end too. But then I guess you already know that seeing as how you’re friends with Torrie.”
Uncertainty over how she should respond kept her quiet. Whatever he needed to say she hoped he would hurry up.
“I’ll be here in Austin for a few extra days. I have a meeting with my agent and I want to see you before I head back out on the road.”
“Huh?”
“We had something good for months until … well you know. But I want to see if we can move pass that.”
Ashley glanced at the phone again and had to wonder if she was being punked. She had counted on his arrogance to pretty much ensure she wouldn't have to deal with him again until the Blaze event and then only in limited doses.
“I’m not sure of my exact schedule over the next few days. As I said things are hectic.”
She turned her head towards her closed office door. Behind that door was what she wanted. What she was banking her friendship with Heather and her relationship with Joey and Maura on.
“I’ll call you before I leave town to see if things have changed,” David said.
“Look David what we had was good for a while but the reason we broke up hasn’t changed. My friends are still in my life and I’m not giving them up.”
Silence filled the air and for a minute she thought he’d hung up. Fine by her but then she heard the heavy sigh come across the phone line.
