I went to my room, changed into the last clean thing I had, and took my laundry down to the washer. The house was completely empty, so I turned on the stereo in the living room and danced my way back to the laundry room. I was completely oblivious to life at that point, just trying to get through the day without embarrassing myself in one way or another. I got the laundry loaded in and grabbed the detergent, singing into the cap before filling it and dumping it into the machine. Whenever I was home alone at my parent’s house, I would do the same thing, only with my iPod. It made the task not so monotonous and boring, and I liked the time to myself. It was stress-free, no worries, and my mind usually worked through my subconscious, clearing out the cobwebs and issues I had packed away for another day.
With everything going on there at the house, it was very much needed. I didn’t have any friends to talk to or places to go, so my little laundry dance party was the best I had. It was also exercise, which I’d been slacking on since I didn’t know the area and hadn’t been going for my normal morning run like I did back in Cali. The fact that it was getting colder outside didn’t make it any more motivating.
I closed the lid of the washer and swished my butt back and forth, bobbing around to the music. The only clean thing I had to put on was a tiny pair of spandex shorts and the same tank top Blake had caught me in that night in the kitchen. I turned around, singing to myself, and I stopped dead in my tracks, staring at Blake who was staring back at me, a small smirk on his face. I knew it had to be fate laughing at me. There was no other way around it.
Immediately, I pulled on the bottom of my tank top, trying to make it longer than it actually was. He tilted his head to the side and stared at me, looking up as a slow R & B song played out over the speakers. My cheeks started to glow red, and every excuse in the book started to run through my mind.
“I’m sorry,” I chuckled, laughing at my dumb luck. “I thought I had the house to myself, and since you forgot to re-up the maid service, I was trying to get some of the laundry and cleaning done. I figured it was better to do it now than to do it when everyone was here, and there were other things that needed to be taken care of. Cooper was almost out of clean clothes.”
I looked back over at Blake, but he didn’t say a word. He stared at me with his eyes darkening. Immediately, I felt self-conscious, shuffling my feet beneath me. His face gave nothing away, and I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking right then. Suddenly he moved, walking forward slowly and stopping inches away from me. I looked up at him in confusion and nerves, wondering what he was about to say or do. Either it was going to be really good or really bad, but either way, I was in for it. I swallowed hard, smelling the musky scent of his cologne, feeling the heat radiating from his body. It was sensual, and I was starting to feel the heat.
He lifted his hand and ran his finger down the same spot on my shoulder as the other night. I looked up at him, slightly startled. I breathed in deeply, trying figure out if he’d been drinking again, but I didn’t smell anything other than his cologne.
“How come you lied to me about the other night?” he asked softly.
“Oh, I, uh, I just thought …” I stumbled terribly over my words.
Before I could open my mouth again to explain, his lips came crashing down onto mine. I could feel the force of his passion behind the kiss, and my knees almost buckled beneath me. My eyes were wide open in surprise, but as he began to move his tongue around in my mouth, I closed them, leaning into him with my body. His breathing escalated with every swirl of his tongue, and all I could think about was him taking me right then and there on the washing machine. It probably was a terrible idea, but I wanted it as badly as he did. I stood there completely unable to move my limbs, caught in his spell.
As he tilted his head to the side, I moaned into his mouth, the lust and want surging through both of us. With that whimper, he groaned, pulling one of his arms around me and running his other hand up my thigh and underneath the edge of my shorts. I arched into him, listening to his groans while he kissed me deeper and deeper with every passing moment. His fingers brushed across my swollen mound, and I ached to feel him inside of me. I wanted him to fuck me so hard, I would scream his name. Everything I’d been feeling for him since I had gotten there all came rushing out as I moved my feet apart to allow him to push deeper under my shorts.
His big strong hand rubbed over my lips and began to separate them, pushing through my wetness, making me whimper and moan even more. He pushed up to my clit and rubbed around it for a moment, making me beg for more. I wanted him to finger me, to make me scream standing barefoot in the laundry room. I wanted everything I’d told myself I wasn’t allowed to have, and I wanted it right then. My patience got the best of me, and I reached up, grabbing his shirt and began to untuck it. However, the shift in movement woke him from his trance, and he pulled back, breathing heavily and looking me in the face. We were both heaving, trying to catch our breath, trying to consider the consequences, but it was hard to see through the lust floating around us.
The fact that he wanted me as much as I wanted him turned me on that much more. I never thought Blake would be interested in me like that, but his fingers told a completely different story. He looked at me for a moment, the darkness beginning to dissipate from his eyes.
“God, all the things I want to do to you,” he whispered, shaking his head. “But it’s wrong.”
He let go of me and rushed from the room. I took a step forward in protest, but nothing came out of my mouth. I wanted to change his mind, make him come back, but the moment was lost. He had spooked, looking at me as the nanny and not as the woman who he was about to bend over the dryer five seconds earlier. I put my hand down and backed up toward the chair in the corner of the laundry room. I plopped down, my hands falling haphazardly into my lap. My shoulders slumped forward, and I pouted, feeling like a child who’d lost out on the prize during a game.
My mind was running a million miles a second, and I couldn’t focus to save my life. That had been the most passionate and sexual kiss I had ever had in my life. Not to mention the placement of his fingers, which were already heating me at my core. All he did by walking away was make the desire that much more palpable. I wanted him so badly, worse than I’d wanted him before. I could go after him, push him down, and change his mind, but I was not the girl with the confidence for something like that. I was confused as to why, if he was going to go that far, why he wouldn’t go all the way. The difference between facing the repercussions of that and the repercussions of him pleasuring my body for hours was very finite in my opinion. Maybe, though, I was being a little irrational, taken in by the moment, wanting more and more. Instead of hot steamy sex, I was left sitting alone in the laundry room, listening to the spin cycle.
17
Blake
I walked from the room, clenching my fists to keep myself from turning back and changing my mind. Her kiss. It was so hot. The taste of her lips made my cock even harder just thinking about it. I could feel her perfect, tight pussy right there in my hands, but I’d choked, and for good reason. I marched right up the steps and to my bedroom, locking the door behind me so she didn’t follow. If she followed, there was no way I would be able to stop myself again. I didn’t think I’d ever wanted a woman so much in my entire life, and it was driving me absolutely crazy.
“Goddamn it,” I said out loud, unbuttoning my shirt. “Good job, Blake. Can’t keep your fucking hands to yourself.”
I cursed and spat angrily as I took off my suit and hung it back on the hanger. I grabbed my cock and shifted it around, wishing the damn thing would get the hint that it wasn’t getting any at that moment. I opened the drawer and pulled out some gym clothes, figuring I had to do something to get rid of the tension, emotion, and irritation running through my body. I felt like I was literally about to explode, and I didn’t want to do that in front of Aly, especially not after what had happened. She deserved to be treated so much better than that, and I’d acted like s
he was nothing more than a toy at my disposal. It was horrible of me on multiple levels, and I wasn’t sure what to do about that. I may be a hard-ass, but I always made sure to treat a woman with respect. I’d lost control, wanted her so badly, I let my other brain take over.
I shook my head as I sat down on the bed, pulling on my socks. I couldn’t believe what I had just fucking done. I couldn’t believe how close I had come to pounding into her until we both came hard and loudly. Control had always been one of the things I was best at, but with her, it was like a fight between desire and conscience. It was a foreign feeling to me, something I didn’t want to feel anymore. I didn’t want to be out of control. I didn’t want to be standing there unable to move, unable to force myself to not feel what I was feeling.
I wanted Aly more than anyone I’d ever wanted in my entire life. Her body was calling me all the time. There wasn’t a moment when she wasn’t around that I wasn’t trying to force the thought of putting my hands on her out of my head. Even when I was angry with her, I wanted to fuck her. It was insane on so many levels, like I was a teenager with hormones rushing through me.
Aly had been sexy as hell standing there in that tank top and those little shorts. I couldn’t even begin to explain what was going through my head when I saw her dancing. She was both adorable and luscious at the same time. I wanted to kiss her sweetly, but at the same time, I wanted to fuck the hell out of her with force. Everything in me wanted to go downstairs, throw caution to the wind, and take her to bed. But she was so young, so inexperienced in life. If I were to do anything more, there was a definite certainty she would get hurt in some way emotionally. She wasn’t used to the world I lived in, and I wasn’t sure I could offer her anything more than sex. It wouldn’t be fair of me to fuck her and then walk around the house with her, acting like nothing ever happened. That was a dick move, something I’d told myself when I was a kid that I’d never do to a woman, treat her like nothing more than a sexual object for my pleasure.
On top of that, she was Hollis’s little sister. If I fucked his sister, and it all turned out terrible, he would literally come to Boston to kick my ass. His family was very close, and he protected her in every way that he could, all the time. We’d been friends our entire lives, and the last thing I wanted was to lose that. He’d been my confidant and strength through most of my life. I didn’t have a lot of close friends, but he was one of them, and I didn’t want to lose that because I couldn’t control my dick. So, now I had to keep my hands off Aly, and the task at hand was going to be even harder than before. I had a taste of her lips, the smell of her body, and I knew what her wet pussy felt like against my fingers. Putting that out of my mind was going to be impossible.
I finished lacing up my shoes and headed down the stairs, turning toward the front door. I took the Mercedes keys off the wall and held them in my hands. I wanted to talk to her about this, I wanted to not leave her feeling rejected and alone in the laundry room, but I was too pent-up. I didn’t know if I could control myself if I were to be face-to-face with her again.
“I’m going to the gym,” I called out loudly before slamming the door behind me.
I jumped in the car and sped out of the garage and down the driveway to the gate. I sat impatiently waiting for it to open. I needed to put some space between the two of us before I lost control again. I’d already fucked up, and if I didn’t get away, I was certain to screw up even worse, and that wasn’t my intention. I never intended on hurting her in any way, but that was a real possibility if I didn’t get a hold of my hormones. As it was, I might have ruined having a nanny for Cooper.
I hoped she was still going to work for me, that she didn’t throw her hands up, pack her bags, and get the hell out of Boston. It wouldn’t surprise me if she did. I’d basically assaulted her in the laundry room of my house. Sure, she didn’t say no. She’d pushed back into our kiss, and she didn’t move my hands, but I was the one who should have been responsible . I was supposed to be the person who looked out for myself, my son, and the people who worked for me, I wasn’t supposed to be the person who put any of those people in a questionable situation. If I were her, after watching me run out like a coward, I’d be packing my bags already. But I wasn’t her, and she was so different, so much better than I could ever be.
I drove fast down the road, trying to feel the adrenaline taking over, pushing out the need and want in the pit of my stomach. When I reached the gym, I parked quickly in a spot and got out, leaving my bag and everything in the car. I marched right into the workout area and over to the punching bag where I immediately started to attack. I threw punches over and over again, left, right, cross, uppercut. Sweat poured from my forehead as I beat up the bag like it was my own guilty conscience. In my head, I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss, the way her pouty lips felt against mine. Her skin tasted so good, and I wanted so badly to taste the rest of her. Lying her down and licking that soft, wet pussy sounded almost better than the sex itself.
I punched harder, picturing her sprawled across the dining room table, completely naked, her body writhing and pulsating as my tongue slipped through her lips and lapped at her juices. I wanted her so damn badly. I wanted to climb on top of her and lift her legs around me. I wanted to grab that tiny waist and plow my big cock right into her over and over again. I wanted to feel her body as she came all over me, screaming my name, begging me for more. I wanted all those things, but at that moment, all I had was that punching bag and the desire to kick the ever-loving shit out of it.
Aly hadn’t pulled away, and she hadn’t jumped or paused. She had been totally and completely into it. As soon as the shock of my actions had left her, she folded into me, arching her body against me, opening up and begging me to take her. Maybe, just maybe, because of her desires in return, I hadn’t completely scared her away. Maybe she was as intrigued as I was, feeling the magnetism between us. Maybe she was sitting at the house right then thinking about the same things I was, not wanting to leave, not wanting to abandon us even after what happened between us.
All I could do was sit and wait, and during that time, try to get the sounds of her moans out of my head. When she’d moaned into my mouth, I could have come right there. Just the sound of her voice in ecstasy turned me on. It was nuts, and though I liked the feeling, it also made me completely irate at myself. I shouldn’t know what her moans sounded like. I should have kept my distance, locked away those desires, but that was easier said than done. I just wanted her so damn badly, I could barely contain it. I growled, throwing another punch into the bag, catching it as it swung wildly back through the air toward my face.
Most people would tell me that with my wealth and status, that I could have anything or anyone I wanted. This, though, was different. Aly was perfect in every way, from her looks, to the way she took care of us, to the huge heart she had on the inside. She was damn perfect, and I couldn’t have her. I felt like a child in a toy store being told no by his mother. It made me angry, and I started punching the bag even harder. I took in a deep breath and zeroed in, punching until my hands were hurting. Even then, I didn’t stop.
I stayed at the gym for over an hour, punching the bag repeatedly, unable to stop the frustration building inside of me. I worked out until I was so exhausted, my muscles burned from my shoulders to my chest. My hands began to bleed slightly from cracked skin on my knuckles.
I had to center my thoughts, get to a point where I couldn’t argue with even myself anymore. I needed to be stern and resolute in my understanding that no matter how much I wanted Aly, I couldn’t have her. She was off-limits, and that was the end of it. There were plenty of other women out there for me to get my dick wet with, and she was not one of them.
18
Aly
It was Saturday morning, and I was still lying in bed, trying to come to terms with what had happened between Blake and I in the laundry room. It had been sensual, perfect, and I wanted more. But he had run off, telling me it wasn’t right, that w
hat he wanted couldn’t happen. How could that be? How could two people desire each other so much and have it not meant to be? I was so damn frustrated about the whole thing. I grabbed my phone and dialed my sister Jackie. She would give me good advice or at least listen to what I had to say about everything. I couldn’t hold any of it inside me any longer. It was about to drive me crazy.
Jackie and I were close in age, unlike the others. We had basically grown up as a pair until she went off to college, and I was left still in high school as the last lonely child of the household. I loved my other sisters, but they were extremely protective of me. They would never listen to what I had to say and not immediately jump into ‘protect little sister’ mode. Jackie was the only one of them I trusted with the information. She was the only one who would listen without judgment, not go back to Hollis with it, and would give me solid advice on what to do in the end.
“Hey, sissy,” Jackie said, answering the phone. “How’s Boston? Meet Matt Damon yet?”
“Ha,” I said. “Hardly.”
“Why do you sound like something’s wrong?” she asked. “Do I need to get the crew?”
“No. God, please, this has to stay between you and me,” I pleaded.
“Okay.” She chuckled. “What’s up then?”
I didn’t even realize how much I needed to talk to someone until she asked me what was up. Immediately, I spilled my guts, telling her everything from the sexual chemistry at the airport, to me in my underwear, me walking in on him changing, and then finally to what had happened the day before in the laundry room. She listened carefully, giggling where appropriate. When I was finally done, I felt so much better by getting it off my chest, but I still didn’t know what I should do.
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 9
