Swallow Me Whole: A Friends To Lovers Romance

by Gemma James

  “Who?” I ask, distracted by the curls escaping around my face. After a few seconds of trying to get them to behave, I decide to leave them be.

  “Brett’s brother?” she says, her tone implying I should know who she’s talking about.

  Right. The guy she’s trying to strong-arm me into dating.

  “I don’t know, Mandy.”

  “Why not? We’ll call it a double. We haven’t done that in forever.” She pauses, brows scrunching in thought. “And I don’t think we’ve ever gone out with two hot brothers. It’s just one date, Sadie. You’ve gotta come with next weekend. Unless you have plans?”

  Knowing Ashton, he’ll keep me plenty busy. A memory flashes through my mind of how his cock filled my mouth as he gazed down at me, biceps bulging as he propped himself up in the shower. God, thinking about the way he took control and came down my throat makes me wet between the legs. I can’t imagine going out with anyone right now—not while feeling this way about a guy I have no business having feelings for in the first place.

  And maybe that’s why I should do it.

  “It’ll be fun,” she adds, sliding one…two…three hangers to the right. “And Brett’s brother is hot and loaded.”

  “I don’t care about money. You should know me better than that. Last thing I need is some bossy rich guy telling me what to do.” I already have enough people dictating my life.

  “He’s not like that. Shane’s very down to earth.”

  “I don’t know. Let me think about it, but keep this between us, okay?”

  “Jeez, you’re a hard sell.”

  If she knew about Ashton, she’d get it, but confiding in her isn’t an option right now. I rise from the stool in front of my makeshift vanity—a white oak desk with a mirror hanging on the wall above it—and watch Mandy raid my closet. “What are you doing in there?”

  She casts an assessing look my way. “Finding a dress for you.”

  “I am wearing a dress.” I tilt my head down to inspect the dark green number I’d chosen, with its wide spaghetti straps and sweetheart neckline. My father insisted I use his credit card to buy something “appropriate.” So I spent a fortune on it to spite his demand that I attend this dinner. It’s stylish, simple with a hint of sexy, but most of all, it’s safe.

  “Just because my brother is taking you to this thing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look good. If you’re going to paint on a killer face, you should dress to kill too. Hit Jake where it’ll hurt the most.” She fingers a plum-colored dress that drapes open in the back. It’s slinky yet classy and barely reaches mid-thigh. “I think this will do the trick.”

  It’s most definitely not safe.

  Dad will have a fit if I show up in that. But more importantly, one glance at me in that dress, and Ash will lose his mind.

  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

  “I can’t wear that,” I finally say, my voice thick with indecision. It was a Christmas gift from Mandy last year, but I haven’t had the guts to wear it yet.

  “Oh, yes you can. You can’t let such a sexy dress go to waste.” Decision made, she slides it from the hanger and stalks toward me. “C’mon, let’s see it on you.”

  I gulp. My undergarments will be a dead giveaway that I’m out to impress. Mandy and I have never been shy about dressing around each other, so I pull the zipper down and let the material slide to a puddle around my feet.

  Mandy whistles. “Are you sure you’re not going on a hot date?”

  My cheeks must be as bright as my hair. “Too much?”

  I know it’s too much for a work gathering, but I can’t tell her I put on the black balconette bra and matching thong with her brother in mind. I feel my nipples harden in the see-through lace cups.

  “Too much? No way, but you’ll have to lose the bra if you’re gonna wear this.” She shoves the dress into my hands. Apparently, I don’t have a choice. With a sigh, I drape the garment over the stool before removing my bra. As I shimmy into the dress, Mandy searches my closet for a pair of shoes.

  “Wear these.” She tosses a pair of black stilettos onto my bed. My feet aren’t looking forward to those shoes for the next few hours, but it’s a quarter to six, so I put them on anyway. I reach for my black clutch when someone rings the doorbell.

  And that’s when my heart starts pounding with equal amounts of apprehension and excitement.

  Apprehension because I told Jake I wasn’t going with him and I’m worried he’ll show up anyway. And excitement…because it could be Ashton on our front step.

  My spirit takes a nosedive as I realize that if it were Ashton, he’d probably just walk in. Mandy beats me to the door, and when she pulls it open, my heart skips a thousand beats.

  Ashton is standing outside, wearing dark slacks and a gray button-up that makes his ice-blue eyes pop. He left the shirt untucked, and the cuffs rolled-up, displaying his rebellious side. His gaze warms my body from head to toe, but with Mandy as our audience, he wipes his appreciation from his face after a couple of seconds.

  “Why did you ring the doorbell?” Mandy asks. “It wasn’t locked.”

  His teasing eyes clash with mine. “A gentleman doesn’t walk into his date’s apartment without ringing the bell.”

  Mandy rolls her eyes, and I let out a relieved breath that she didn’t catch on to the truth. As far as Ashton is concerned, this is definitely a date.

  “We better get going,” he says, holding a hand out to me. “Unless you want to stick around and find out if the douchebag is gonna show?”

  “No,” I say, sliding my hand into his. “Let’s not and say we did.”

  “Works for me.”

  “You have her back by ten now,” Mandy teases.

  Ashton reaches out and ruffles her sleek dark hair. “Yes, Mom.”

  She waves us off, shouting after our retreating forms for us to drive safely.

  Ash leads me to his car, his warm hand leaving a tantalizing impression on the small of my back, and as soon as Mandy disappears into the apartment, he pushes me against the passenger side door.

  “You’re asking for trouble in that dress.” Cupping my chin in his hand, he steps closer until I’m trapped between his hard body and the car.

  “It was Mandy’s idea.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Sawyer. I like it.” His gaze lowers to the plunge of my neckline, and his eyes darken. “But you’ve been forewarned.”

  Desire clogs my throat, so I don’t even try to speak. Slowly, he lets go of me, and I step out of the way so he can open the door. Ashton might have a reputation as a manwhore, but he’s a gentleman when it comes to opening doors for women.

  Always has been.

  “Thank you,” I murmur as I lower into the seat.

  Seconds later, he slides in behind the wheel. “Really, Sadie. You’re gorgeous. I could eat you up tonight.”

  I’m tempted to let him, which is just stupid.

  “You look pretty good yourself.”

  What an understatement. As he pulls onto the road, I openly ogle him, from the sexy mussed-up state of his dark hair to the way his clothes hug his body. I can’t help but flirt with the idea of leaning over the console and tearing at his zipper. I’m getting addicted to the sounds he makes in the back of his throat as he’s shoving his cock down mine.

  I love the power of knowing I can make him come undone. It’s the most exhilarating feeling in the world.

  “In the mood for more practice, Sawyer?” He darts a glance my way, and I don’t miss the teasing curve of his mouth. The nighttime cloaks us in shadow, but it does nothing to dampen the sexual tension flowing between us.

  If anything, the darkness only heightens it.

  We’re ten minutes from my parents’ house when Ashton pulls onto the side of the highway. He cuts the engine, and the rain tapping out a melody on the windshield seems to match the pulse at my throat.

  The throb between my thighs.

  The internal alarms going off in my ea
rs.

  “What are we doing?” My voice is a breathless whisper, strangled by the urge to be close to him.

  Instead of answering, he leans over the console. My eyes adjust to the lack of light, and his blue gaze comes into focus. Time suspends as he pulls my hair free of the careful up-do I decided on for the night. Holding my stare, he settles a palm on my thigh.

  And I forget all about my wild, hard-to-tame hair, or the fact that we’re parked on the side of the highway.

  “Spread your legs. I need to touch you.”

  Jesus. He almost made me come from words alone. I part my thighs, allowing him to slip a hand underneath my dress. He dips his fingers beneath the scrap of panties providing the only barrier to his touch and slides his digits inside me. His mouth lingers inches away, lips slightly parted as he probes my pussy. Our breaths grow heavier with each second that passes.

  “You’re so goddamn beautiful.”

  A whimper cuts loose of my throat. Unashamed, I spread my thighs and arch into his touch, wanting…no needing to feel him deeper. Needing to be full of nothing but Ashton.

  “You’re making me hard, Sawyer.”

  I move my hips in a subtle motion and bite back a moan as he thrusts his fingers in and out of me. His gaze lowers to my mouth, and I lick my lips.

  “You want my cock in your mouth, don’t you?”

  “Uh-huh…” I can’t verbalize more than that, which is probably a good thing because I want so much more.

  I want things I shouldn’t want.

  God, I want his cock inside me.

  “I love watching you like this,” he says, burying his fingers clear to the knuckle. His touch is driving me higher, and I’m a few caresses away from coming.

  “So close,” he says, a note of awe in his voice. He slows his pace to a maddening crawl, and I feel his fingers slip in and out of me in measured, wet strokes. He’s making a mess of my panties.

  “My cock wants in here…” He cuts off with a hard swallow. “You’re so wet, Sadie. So tight. I want to fuck you more than I’ve ever wanted to fuck anyone.”

  “Ashton—”

  “Don’t bother arguing your reasons. Trust me, I’m well aware of them.” He withdraws his fingers, and my traitorous mouth lets my protest be known.

  “Take off your panties,” he orders as he settles into the driver’s seat again.

  I reach under my dress and pull at my thong. Refusing him doesn’t even cross my mind. In the darkness, I sense the weight of his stare as I work my panties down my thighs, past my trembling knees, and free of my stilettoed feet. I hand him the scrap of lace with jittery fingers.

  And I stare at him in stunned silence as he brings the undergarment to his nose and inhales. Without another word, he shoves my panties into his pocket then turns the key in the ignition.

  What the hell just happened?

  Is he seriously going to walk into my parents’ house carrying my panties in his pocket?

  Jesus. That’s exactly what he’s going to do.

  Fuck, I’m in trouble.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ashton

  Sadie’s scent has taken over my sanity. It infuses my nose with a subtle vanilla and a hint of citrus. She smells good enough to eat, and I’m so inebriated that I’m not sure I should be driving. The rest of the short trip to her parents’ place passes in a blur. I don’t recall getting from A to B—from that spot on the side of the road, where the sensation of her sex clenching around my fingers dragged me into a frenzy of lust—to her parents’ massive house on the outskirts of the city.

  I’m downright dizzy from the scent of her arousal, and I’ve never wanted her more. Continuing this charade with Sadie is going to be nothing but pure, bittersweet torture.

  Several luxury sedans are parked in the circular driveway of her parent’s place, and I can’t help but wonder if Jake swung by Sadie’s apartment, thinking he could weasel back into her good graces, or if he actually listened when she told him she wasn’t going to this dinner with him.

  I know my presence is going to be a surprise because I’m certain she didn’t tell her father she was bringing a date, let alone me.

  He’s going to shit bricks, and I’d be lying if the thought of watching him go red in the face as he tries to hold on to his precious control doesn’t tempt my mouth into a devious grin.

  There is no love lost between her father and me. Joseph Sawyer has always looked down his nose at Sadie’s friends, and that’s especially true of Mandy and me. I can handle his dislike, but his obvious disdain for my sister is another thing. Mandy is the sweetest, most kind-hearted person you’ll ever meet. Sure, she can be a royal pain sometimes, but her gentle spirit puts my womanizing reputation to shame.

  I can’t even claim innocence. Lord knows I’ve had my fair share of women over the years. I eye Sadie from the corner of my eye. But this fiery redhead is changing everything, and she doesn’t even know it.

  No…she doesn’t want to know it.

  Killing the engine, I let a few moments of solitude pass before I swing the driver’s side door open. Those stolen seconds of quiet will probably be the last for a while. This dinner has disaster written all over it.

  If I have my way, it’ll be far worse than I’m anticipating. I want to buy a front row seat to watch Sadie put an end to this bullshit, once and for all. She shouldn’t accept the way Jake treated her just to appease her father, and she shouldn’t give two fucks about Jake. But that’s Sadie for you—too kind-hearted for her own good sometimes.

  I pull her door open and offer her my hand. As she slides her palm into mine, her large, jade eyes look a little jaded. She’s skeptical of how tonight is going to end, and I can’t blame her. I meant every word when I said I’d punish her if she doesn’t have a good heart-to-heart with her old man. She’s not in high school anymore, and if she wants to continue to act like it, then I’m happy to punish her ass like the bratty, stubborn girl she is.

  The bratty, stubborn, infuriatingly sexy girl I’m falling hard for.

  Jesus, what am I getting myself into? If I thought I could go back to the way things used to be—to the time before she unzipped me and put her bewitching mouth on my cock—I would. I’d scroll through the hordes of women programmed into my phone and fuck this ridiculous fascination with Sadie Sawyer into oblivion.

  The fact that I have no desire to do so says everything. Sadie has ruined me for all other women, and I haven’t even fucked her yet.

  I say yet because I’m optimistic.

  And fucking determined.

  As we approach the double wooden doors to the place where she grew up, she squeezes my hand. Maybe the move is subconscious. Either way, it’s comforting to know that she needs me. After all, isn’t that why she came to me to begin with?

  She wants me here with her. Maybe part of her actually wants me to step up and defend her since she’s incapable of doing it herself.

  I’m expecting her to just open the door and walk in—like Mandy and I do when we visit our parents, or each other, for that matter.

  But Sadie rings the doorbell.

  That doesn’t just make me angry; it makes me sad. Suddenly, I want to whisk her away from here, want to save her from yet another episode of her father’s disapproval, and her mother’s acquiescence to Joseph Sawyer’s “my word is law” type of attitude. The only good things Sadie got from her old man is his strength and intelligence.

  Mrs. Sawyer answers the door with a gracious smile plastered on her face. She’s impeccably dressed, as always, in a modest green suit that compliments her auburn hair. She draws her daughter into a hug, and Sadie’s hand slips free of mine. But at least the embrace is one-hundred percent genuine. I like her mother a little more in that moment because I can tell she really cares about Sadie.

  “Thanks for coming, sweetie.” Mrs. Sawyer’s green gaze turn to me. “Hello, Ashton. I didn’t realize you were attending tonight.”

  Before Sadie can speak up and make excuses,
I jump in. “I’m her date.”

  Mrs. Sawyer’s brows wrinkle in confusion. “That’s…a bit surprising.” She returns her attention to her daughter. “Jake’s been waiting for you. Your father is beside himself over this announcement.” Her mother takes her hands in her own and squeezes. “We’re so proud of you, Sadie.”

  “Okay…Mom, is there something I need to know?”

  “Don’t worry about a thing. You just enjoy this night.”

  Before I can reclaim Sadie’s hand, if only to give her a lifeline of support, her mother whisks her into the hubbub of high-priced attorneys, overbearing parents, and one smug bastard ex-boyfriend who looks like he’s still got the feathers of a helpless canary in his disgusting mouth.

  This doesn’t bode well.

  No wonder Sadie pleaded with me to come with her.

  I catch up to Hurricane Sawyer—as I’m starting to secretly call her mother—and grab Sadie’s hand again. She came here with me, and she’ll sure as hell leave here with me. Every person within these walls will get that through their thick heads.

  Her mother introduces me as Sadie’s friend to several people, and Joseph Sawyer stops short when he sees me. His gaze lowers to our joined hands, and something dark flashes in his eyes.

  “Sweetheart, can I have a word with you in private?”

  “Of course.” Sadie lets go of my hand, and when our eyes connect, I issue her a challenge. She won’t find a better time than now to set her father straight.

  “I’ll be right here waiting,” I tell her.

  I watch her follow her father through the small crowd of people cluttering the immaculate living room. Her mother offers me another one of her gracious smiles before going off to see to her guests. As soon as Joseph and Sadie disappear into his office and shut the door behind them, Jake comes to a stop at my side.

  “Ashton, right?”

  I give him a side glance. “That would be me.”

  “It’s good to put a face to the name. I’ve heard plenty about you and your sister.”