by Rye Hart
“I'll see myself out,” Ember said, slipping from the seat.
Before she left the room though, she gave my shoulder a tight squeeze, causing me to glance back at her. When she was safely behind her mother's back, she smiled and mouthed, “I'm happy for you,” before leaving the room.
Even though I was leaving her mother, she was happy for me. Truth be told, I was happy for me too. Well, for the most part. There was some sadness at the two of them moving out, but, if I were being honest with myself, most of that was centered around not seeing Ember walking around in her bikinis and short-shorts anymore.
Which was definitely not a good enough reason to stay married to someone who was simply using me for my wealth.
Chapter Five
Ember
Jude's offer to my mother was more than generous. Instead of making us move back to the penthouse, which already had an offer to buy it by the time the annulment was finalized, he gave my mother and I his condo downtown, which was honestly much nicer than the one we had before. It was also paid off, unlike the other penthouse.
“You ruined my life, Ember,” she muttered. “Just like you ruined my life the day you were born.”
I rolled my eyes. Here we go again. I plopped down on an Italian leather sofa that used to belong to Jude, but came with the new condo downtown, arms crossed in front of me.
“Jude was a good man, mom,” I said.
“You ruined my one chance at a good life,” she said, pacing the living room and blocking a view of Lake Michigan that was to die for.
“Interesting how you didn't say your one shot at love,” I groaned, resting my head against the back of the couch. “Because let's face it, you didn't love him. And you know it.”
Mom had never been a good liar. It was one reason she never moved into acting. Her jaw dropped and she so badly wanted to be offended, but she wisely shut her trap before uttering a lie neither of us would believe anyway.
She sat down on an overstuffed chair across from me, staring holes through me.
“Who knows?” she said. “I could have fallen in love with him – if you'd given us enough time.”
I cackled. “That's not how it works, Mom. You should love each other before tying the knot, not the other way around,” I said.
I sat up straight and picked at my fingernail. My manicure was peeling, and it was far more interesting than this conversation.
“Did you really have to tell him about Marlon?” mom asked.
I shrugged. “I thought he deserved to know the truth. I'm sorry if me being a good person ruined your plans of living off some billionaire for the rest of your life, but Jude seems like a good guy and you lied to him. I'm not cool with that.”
“You just want him for yourself,” mom said, and she didn't even sound that surprised.
I stared up at her, mouth wide. “You're kidding me, right?” I asked. “I don't plan on following in your footsteps, Mom. It's why I'm going to college.”
“Which we, sadly, can't afford to pay for anymore, because of your rigid morality,” she said.
My heart raced. “What? What do you mean?”
Mom gave me a nonchalant look. “Your tuition is too expensive, Ember,” she said. “Until I find a way to bring in more money, you're just going to have to wait to finish your degree.”
“I have one more year, Mom,” I exclaimed. “Jude gave you a settlement, enough to live off –”
“Enough to live off for the next year, if I'm frugal,” she said, standing up and walking over to the mini bar.
“If you were actually frugal, I'd say even longer,” I said. “Because most people can live off far less and still get by. And still pay for their daughter's education.”
Mom poured herself a glass of wine and turned back to me, leaning against the bar, a smirk on her face as she sipped her wine.
“Maybe you should get a job, dear,” she said.
“A minimum wage job isn't going to pay for my tuition. Not with only a few weeks left to pay it,” I said. “You have the money. You're just trying to punish me, aren't you?”
“It's a harsh lesson, Ember, but one you need to learn.”
I stood up, facing off with my mother. Our eyes were locked on each other's, but she didn't waver. Not in the slightest. She continued smirking and sipping her expensive wine. She'd rather have money for shopping sprees and wine than pay for her daughter's education. It shouldn't surprise me, but it did. My heart crumbled in that moment, and it hit me how manipulative and cruel my mother really was.
I grabbed my bag and started for my room, mom's voice trailing behind me. “Oh, and Ember? You might want to stay at Talia's for a bit,” she said. “To help make ends meet, I've sold off the bedroom furniture in the second bedroom. Figured you wouldn't need to it since you have life all figured out and such.”
I stopped in the hallway, panic truly setting in. I turned and gaped at her. Talia was away for the summer, visiting family in Europe. Mom knew this. Her eyes sparkled as she finished her wine, a vicious little smirk tugging at her lips.
“You're kicking me out?”
Mom shrugged. “Don't think of it as kicking you out, dear,” she said. “Think of it as me being motherly and teaching you a valuable lesson.”
“What lesson is that exactly? That I should be a lying, manipulating c-u-next-Tuesday like you?”
Mom slapped me across the cheek. “Get out,” she demanded.
“Let me just get my stuff –”
“No, now,” she said. Her voice was shaking. “Everything you have, I sold already,” she screamed. “I paid for it all anyway. Now leave.”
Everything? I hesitated, feeling the weight of her words. She sold everything? My clothes? My laptop? I turned on my heel and rushed toward the room was that was supposed to be mine, opening the door, expecting to call her bluff, and find my things there.
Except, that when I opened the door, I saw that she wasn't lying.
The room was completely empty. I ran to the closet, pulling it opened and found nothing more than empty hangars on the rod. All my clothes, gone. The bathroom had been cleared out too. I didn't even have shampoo or a tooth brush to my name.
Mom was standing in the doorway, a smug smile on her face, looking absolutely pleased with herself.
“Didn't believe I had it in me, did you?” she said. “Well, I didn't think my own daughter would undermine me the way you did. It hurts, doesn't it?”
It wasn't pain that I was feeling. It was rage.
“That laptop, I bought myself,” I said through clenched teeth. “It had everything from the last three years at school. Things I need!”
“You paid for it yourself? How cute. The money from your dad's trust account ran out ages ago,” she said. “Everything you own was bought by me. And now, I've showed you what happens when you mess up my life, Ember. I can take it all back in a heartbeat.”
“You bitch,” I stammered.
I still couldn't believe it. My entire life, everything I owned, was gone. All because my mom was throwing a hissy fit. Because she didn't like being outed as the horrible, money-grubbing, gold-digging bitch whore she really was.
“It wasn't even your money anyway,” I growled. “It all belonged to your ex-husbands – well, it did before you swindled them out of it all.”
She sighed. “And there, for a second, I thought you wanted Jude for yourself, and I was even a little bit proud,” she said. “I thought, look at her, following in her mother's footsteps. Then I realized you're just a spoiled little brat who's had everything in life handed to you on a silver platter. Well, it's time to learn to stand on your own two feet, sweetie.”
Mom turned and walked back down the hallway. As I stood there reeling, tears rolling down my cheeks, and my heart thundering in my chest, her voice echoed down the hallway to me.
“I really hope this teaches you a lesson, dear.”
***
All my credit cards had been cancelled, I didn't have a dime to my name
except for the loose change at the bottom of my purse – which I'd had to use for bus fare. Talia and her family were in Europe. My friends from college might be able to help me, but there was one problem – I had no way to reach any of them. My phone had been shut off too. I had no way of contacting anyone, and I didn't know where they lived. That's how I found myself in Forest Glen, staring at what could only be described as a mansion.
Jude's mansion.
With a sigh, I walked up the driveway and stood on the front porch, my heart racing and my body trembling. I hesitated, trying to think of what I might say
“Hey! Remember me? I'm the daughter of the woman who tried to use you for your billions. Mind if I stay awhile?”
Yeah, I was sure that would go over well. But really, I had no other choice.
I rang the doorbell, and stepped back, waiting with bated breath.
It took a moment for Jude to answer the door. For some reason it surprised me that he opened the door himself. I honestly expected his housekeeper or someone who worked for him to answer instead. Jude Calloway himself stood in the doorway, looking at me as if he'd seen a ghost.
“Ember?” he said. “What are you doing here?”
Tears welled up in my eyes, so I looked away. I didn't want him to see me crying – it felt too much like manipulation. I stared at my feet and concentrated on maintaining my composure and keeping my voice steady as I told him what happened between my mom and I.
“She what?” he said, his voice rose a few notches. “She kicked you out because you were honest with me?”
“Pretty much,” I said. “I'm not asking for any money or anything. I – I just need a place to crash for a few days? Either until I can find a job or mom gets her head on straight?”
I peeked up at him, almost afraid to look. Most men would tell me to go to hell. I was the spawn of the devil, the daughter of his ex-wife. Thankfully, Jude wasn't like that.
He nodded stiffly and opened the door wider. “Sure, Ember. It's the least I can do,” he said. “Since this is my fault.”
“It's not your fault,” I said.
“Well it's certainly not your fault either,” he said.
I smiled, wiping the remnants of tears from my eyes.
“Hell, I know it's not my fault either. I don't regret what I did,” I said. “I just regret being born to an evil succubus of a mother.”
“Can't control that,” he laughed. “Good thing I still have a spare room. You're welcome to stay as long as you need to.”
Our eyes locked on each other. “You mean that?”
“I do,” he said. In his eyes, I saw something I couldn't place. “Besides, it might be nice to have some company and conversation around this place for a change.”
“You really were too good for my mom,” I said. “I hope you know that.”
His eyes sparkled, and a true smile touched his lips. His face softened, and for a moment, we just stood there, smiling like fools.
“Thank you, Ember,” he said. “I mean that.”
“Thank you for giving me a place to stay. If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask,” I said. “I want to repay your kindness.”
Chapter Five
Jude
Anything? Her words reverberated through my brain and slid down my body, causing a tightness in my groin. She was technically no longer my stepdaughter – which meant that she wasn't off-limits. I could have her, and from the way she'd called out my name in the shower that time, I knew she wanted it. Wanted me. So, what was stopping me?
She batted her eyelashes at me, her green eyes sparkling. The smile on her face seemed innocent enough until you really studied it. I could tell she was hoping I'd suggest an arrangement – a sexual arrangement.
I ran a hand through my hair and cleared my throat, trying to force my mind back onto a more reasonable, less perverted footing. Me setting up a sex-for-lodging arrangement was the last thing this poor girl needed right now.
But, God, it's exactly what I needed. If she slept with me though, her mother might never forgive her. She already blamed her for the split. My hooking up with Ember would only add fuel to the fire.
Then again, would Lydia ever have to know?
I cleared my throat. “No need to repay me, Ember,” I said, trying to maintain my composure. “I owe you a favor anyway, for telling me the truth and helping me come to my senses about your mother.”
“Whatever you say, Jude,” she said, her grin growing wider. “Just know that I'm here, if you need me.”
So many ways to take her words, and of course, my brain went right to the gutter. I had a feeling though, that's exactly what she'd intended when she spoke. Or maybe, that was just my cock doing the thinking for me.
My body ached with a need, and her moans still echoed in my ears. That moment, when I heard her in the shower, getting off to thoughts about me, would forever be etched into my mind. It provided fodder for jacking off almost nightly, and the idea that she was standing there, offering herself to me, was almost too much for me to bear.
Her eyes drifted down to my groin, and she bit her lip. Her cheeks flushed with color and I feared that maybe I'd been reading her all wrong. Maybe that masturbation session had a one-time deal. She could be having doubts, just like I was, in order to repair the relationship with her mother.
Then, her eyes met mine again and they were full of heat. Her mouth opened, and she said one word, “Jude?” and it was all over.
I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to hers. My tongue raked along the roof of her mouth, dancing with hers. She clasped her hands around the back of my neck and pulled me in closer to her. This time, she said my name, whispering the words against my lips.
“Jude...” and that word sounded more like a plead than anything else.
“Yes, Ember?” I asked, holding her face in my hands.
Her lips were smeared with red lipstick and it somehow made her all the sexier to me. Her words came out breathy, barely more than a whisper, but they sent a shudder throughout my entire body.
“I want you,” she said.
“I want you too,” I said. “God, I've never wanted someone more in my entire life.”
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her face to mine. My hands slid to the back of her head, cradling it gently in my hands, but holding her against me. I didn't even want to come up for air, I just wanted to keep kissing those deliciously pouty lips of hers, even if it was the end of me.
My body had other plans though. Ember's breasts rubbed against my chest, and through her dress, I felt her nipples – hard and begging to be touched. Cupping her tender breast in my hand, I teased her nipple until she whimpered, her body shaking against me.
“Yes,” she groaned, pressing herself into me. Her lips quivered and I kissed them again, nibbling her lower lip. “That feels so good.”
I lifted her up off the ground, her lips still against mine, and carried her over to the couch. Gently, I sat back on the couch, and she folded into me. Her legs straddled my lap, her entire body pressed against mine. She rubbed herself against my erection, her body grinding into mine as I dotted kisses along her face and down her neck. The way her auburn hair splayed out against the whiteness of her skin was a work of art. Then again, everything about her was absolutely perfect, right down to the generous curves of her body. She was a modern-day Goddess, carved from stone.
She was my Goddess now.
I lifted her dress up over her head, exposing her for the first time. While she was still wearing a bra and panties – not much different than a bikini, really – it was far more intimate. Her lacy black bra stood in stark contrast to the cool paleness of her skin, freckles like ink spots covered her chest and shoulders, leaving her breasts perfectly white. The sun had never reached her tits before, leaving them pure and clear.
Reaching behind her back and unhooking her bra, her breasts fell forward, falling against my chest. Ember's hand yanked at my shirt, and I raised my arm
s as she lifted it up and over my head. Her pink nipples rubbed against my chest, making my cock strain against my pants even harder. Ember's head fell forward, hiding us behind a veil of fiery red hair.
Her lips latched onto my neck, sucking as she ground her tight little body into mine. My pants and her panties were the only thing keeping us apart now, and Ember was already working at my zipper with her hands as she kissed me.
I gasped as her hand slid down, grasping my cock. Her tiny fingers barely wrapped around my thick, hard member. She looked at me and bit her bottom lip, her eyes sparkling. Clearly impressed. Together, we pushed my pants lower on my hips as she moved against me, rocking her body until her pussy was massaging my dick through her silk panties.
Not being able to take it any longer, I pushed her panties aside and guided myself against her opening. Ember rocked against me, taking me inside of her all at once. Her wetness was more than enough lubrication, and I slipped right between her folds, filling her up with a grunt. Her pussy felt every bit as good as I imagined it would. As good as I'd fantasized about when I'd jerked off to memories of her. Even better, if that were possible. Tight and warm, her juices more than enough to let her move up and down on my cock.
“Damn,” I muttered, clenching my teeth as the walls of her pussy closed around me. “How is it possible for you to feel this good?”
She giggled breathlessly, rocking against me. “I was just thinking the same thing,” she said.
Holding onto her hips, I helped her find the perfect rhythm, as our bodies moved in unison. I covered every inch of her face in kisses before moving down to her neck, then her chest. Ember whimpered as I took her perfectly pink nipple between my lips and sucked.
“Oh God, Jude,” she groaned, her pussy twitching around my cock. “Yes, yes, oh God, yes.”
Hearing her moans sent a wave of pleasure coursing through my body. I wanted to hear her scream out my name. Reaching around, I grabbed her hair and pulled her head back to stare deep into those emerald eyes as she fucked me. The things I wanted to do with her – the list was endless. I wanted to fuck her on every piece of furniture in this place, have her every which way I could. I'd never felt this strongly about a woman before, and I feared Ember just might be the death of me.
