Blaze: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by Delaney Foster

  I broke down and sent her a text last night about the basketball game I promised Liam. She agreed to bring him and the other four boys to the brewery for the afternoon. Hector and I might have thrown in an extra little surprise for Liam outside of having a concrete slab poured with a basketball goal installed at each end. I even had them paint the lines on the concrete to make it feel official.

  Hector has music playing over the sound system when the boys walk in. Liam’s face is the first I see. He grins when he sees that we’ve hung a “Thank You” banner from the ceiling and tied bouquets of balloons to each of the stools at the bar. That grin, it’s pure joy, honest, innocent, contagious joy. We pushed three tables together in the center of the room and filled them with pizza and sandwiches and chips along with buckets of ice and Sprite. On a separate table to the side, there’s a chocolate cake with strawberry whipped cream icing—which I learned not long ago is Liam’s favorite.

  Adrienne walks in last, after all the boys. She beams when she sees what we’ve done. Her eyes light up in this smile—this gorgeous fucking smile that I feel all the way to my balls. Can you miss someone’s smile? Because I’ve missed the shit out of that smile.

  Her hair is pulled back in a long braid. She’s wearing a white Just Do It T-shirt that’s tied in a knot at her hip and these dark blue yoga pants that cling to her thighs and draw my eyes to that place—that place where her thighs part, the glorious “Y.” Fuck. I want my mouth on that place. Then I smile because I know. I know. This woman is so much more than beautiful. She’s so much more than sexy. She’s kind and gentle and sassy as fuck—except when I’m inside her. When I’m inside her, she melts. God, I love making her melt.

  Her eyes meet mine, and I can almost hear the thoughts running through her mind. Yeah, babygirl. I missed the fuck out of you too.

  “You did all this for Liam?” she asks when she finally makes it across the room to where I am.

  Ten steps, maybe fifteen, and it felt like a goddamn mile.

  “He earned it. We figured he should know that.”

  She looks at me like I just found a cure for cancer. Hero-worship I know I don’t deserve. “What am I going to do with you, Blaze Abbott?”

  I hook my pinky with hers, making sure the movement is discreet. “Well, there is this thing I’ve been wanting to try.”

  She pulls her lips in as though it’s all she can do not to kiss me. It’s okay. I feel it too. “Yeah?” she asks.

  “Yeah. It’s called Whatever the Fuck you Want.”

  “That’s so weird. I’ve been wanting to try that too.” Her voice is breathy and happy and… Why am I not inside her yet?

  “Did you do this for me?” Liam asks. His voice is a bucket of ice water on a blazing fire.

  Right. Because we’re at the brewery with a room full of adolescents.

  I unhook our pinkies and turn to Liam. “You bet you’re a—” I stop myself. “You bet it is.”

  “It’s been a long time since anyone has thrown me a party.” He looks around at all the food and decorations, then wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes tight. “Thank you.” Then he looks at Hector. “You too.”

  Hector smiles at him. “You deserve it, kid.”

  “You mind if we go shoot before we eat?” Liam asks.

  “Heck no.” I nudge Hector with my elbow. “I’ve been waiting to kick this guy’s butt all day.”

  Hector teams up with Ryder, who is the second youngest. I team up with Zeke, who is the smallest. Adrienne teams up with Jacob. And Liam teams up with Nate, who is a year older than Ryder.

  The first game is my team against Liam’s team. Winners play Hector’s team. Those winners play Adrienne and Jacob since Jacob has played basketball all his life. He’s fourteen years old and six-feet-two. How fucking fair is that? Yeah, they’re going last.

  Zeke and I beat the piss out of Liam and Hector. Okay, it might have been close with Hector’s team, but I lifted Zeke so he could dunk at the end for our last two points. Now it’s us against Adrienne and Jacob. I’m bent over with my hands on my knees, panting like I just ran a marathon. Zeke is off to the side, finishing a bottle of water. There’s no doubt he’ll have to take a piss in about three minutes, so we’ll need to make this quick.

  She stands a few feet away from me. Her eyes stay locked on mine. Jacob dribbles. Thwump. Thwump. Her chest heaves, and her lips tighten in a line. Oh, it’s on.

  Thunder rumbles in the distance, and the sky starts to grow dark. “Better make this quick.” I flash her a smile. “Wouldn’t want you to get wet.”

  Then it begins. Jacob drives the ball to the basket and takes his shot. It bounces off the rim, and I take the rebound. The rest of the game is mostly me against Jacob. Every once in a while, when Jacob passes Adrienne the ball, she moves across the court like she’s the boss. And she is. She’s the motherfucking boss. She jabs me with her shoulder and goes for a three-pointer. Risky shit for someone who has no clue what they’re doing. But this woman, she plays like she’s played every day of her life. Fearless.

  Sweat beads on her neck and rolls over her collarbone into that hollow place just above her breastbone. Fuck.

  I’m distracted, so Jacob steals the ball and sinks the winning shot just as the rain begins to fall.

  Well, shit.

  Everyone rushes across the rear parking lot and through the door at the back of the brewery. Hector grabs a stack of bar towels for us to dry off. Adrienne sweeps the towel over her face then down her neck and over her chest. The white fabric of her T-shirt clings to her chest, showing me the perfect peak of her hard nipples.

  “I’m going to get you a T-shirt.”

  Thankfully, Hector has a stash of different colored Taproom T-shirts in his office for the staff to wear.

  Adrienne pulls the fabric from her chest, and as soon as she lets it go, it snaps right back like a magnet. “This one will dry. It’ll be okay.”

  “You’re in a room with teenage boys… and Hector. It’s not okay.”

  I try to shake the sudden feeling of possessiveness, but the stubborn bastard isn’t going anywhere. Those are my nipples. That’s my body. All. Fucking. Mine.

  She wrinkles up her nose. “Ew. I’m practically a mother to these boys.”

  “But you’re not their mother. And I was a teenage boy once.”

  “And?”

  “And I would’ve ruined ten pairs of perfectly good socks thinking about those nipples.” I leave out the part where I’ve already jacked off three times in the past four days thinking about her. I look over to the group of boys gathered around the tables, piling their plates with pizza and chips. “Anybody else need a shirt?” They all shake their heads, and Hector gives me a sideways glance. “It looks like it’s just me and you,” I say to Adrienne with a wink.

  The door to Hector’s office closes with a click behind me. Adrienne leans her ass against his desk, feet crossed at the ankle, smug grin on her gorgeous face. I walk over and slowly untie the knot at her side. The bottom of the oversized T-shirt falls loose in a wrinkled mess.

  “You’re soaked.”

  Her mouth twitches. “So I am.”

  My hands glide up the sides of her thighs to the curve of her hips where I bunch the fabric in my fists and slide it off her body. She’s gorgeous like this. Fucking perfection. Her lips parted, chest rising and falling with each anxious breath, and tight little nipples straining against the thin material of her plain white bra.

  I’m not a bra guy. I don’t need lace and frills. I’m a tit guy. A nipple guy. I don’t care about the package. Give me what’s underneath.

  I trail one finger down her stomach, loving the way my touch sends goosebumps scattering over her skin. When I slide my hand inside the waistband of her yoga pants, she gasps.

  “Turn around.”

  “The boys are right outside.” Her protest is weak because she still does exactly as I say.

  I reach around her and swipe my hand over Hector’s desk, sendin
g an iPad and a shit ton of papers flying to the floor. The iPad knocked over a lamp, sending it clattering with everything else. Thank God the music on the overhead speakers is too loud for anyone to hear what’s going on in here.

  She giggles and it’s like angels singing. “Has anyone ever told you you’re destructive?”

  Destructive? She hasn’t seen anything yet. I want to destroy her just so I can be the one to put her back together again. I want to drive her insane, to know that every time from this moment on whenever she sees any desk in any office, she only thinks of me. I want to invade all her space, conquer every thought just like she’s done with me.

  “My nanny might have mentioned it, but I’d rather not talk about her right now if that’s okay with you.”

  Another giggle. Fuck. That giggle.

  “Bend over and grab the edge of the desk.”

  She peers over her shoulder at me. “Are you sure about this?”

  I take a step closer and press my hard-as-stone dick against her ass. “Does it feel like I’m sure?”

  She whimpers then bends over, one cheek on the wood surface, both hands gripping an edge, ass in full view. I peel the yoga pants and panties off her then take a step back to admire the perfection that is Adrienne Maddox. This right here is heaven.

  I rub the round globes of her ass then slide my fingers between her thighs, dipping into her wetness. She grips the edge of the desk harder. Hold on tight, babygirl. I’m just getting started.

  “Let me taste you,” I say as I drop to my knees. “I’ll fucking beg if I have to.”

  She lifts her head off the desk and looks at me. “Do it. And if you don’t hurry, I’ll be the one begging.”

  Jesus.

  I spread her ass cheeks and lick my lips when I see her puckered hole. I bring my tongue to that forbidden spot and she clenches, trying to scoot away from me. Oh no. You’re not going anywhere. On instinct, I bring my palm down hard on her ass. She whimpers, but I see the way her pussy glistens. She likes it. My dirty siren, singing to me with her moans.

  Fuck. Me.

  I need to taste that, need it like an addict needs a fix. Holding her still with my hands at her hips, I slide the tip of my tongue along her slit. She is fucking drenched. God, I’m about to come in my pants from the simple taste of her. I dip my tongue inside her, and she pushes back with a whine. How long has it been since you’ve had a good tongue-fuck, sweet thing? I bring my hands to her center, using two fingers to spread her wide. Then I thrust my tongue in deeper. Faster. Until she’s shaking. Until I know she’s about to come unhinged. Then I pull back from her and blow a warm breath over her swollen clit.

  “Oh, God. Godddddddd.”

  She’s still trembling when I lay my body over hers and whisper in her ear. “I want you to break for me.” I brush a finger along the side of her face. “But not yet.”

  I unzip my pants and tug them down with my boxer briefs. Then I position the tip at her entrance. She rocks back against me. “Don’t fucking move.”

  One inch, one centimeter, and I’ll come all over her sweet ass right now. Then again, would that really be so bad? Covering her with me?

  I rub my palm over her firm behind. “One day, I’m going to come all over this.” My hand moves up to her back, trailing up her spine. “All over here.” My fingers lock in her hair. “One day, you’re gonna smell like me.” I lean forward and bite her shoulder. “All of you.”

  She’s breathing hard. Her knuckles are white from gripping the edge of the desk, like it’s taking everything in her not to guide herself onto my cock right now. I love seeing her like this, wanting me, needing me.

  I pull back long enough to roll a condom on because I’m this close to making the epic mistake of fucking her bare. Then slowly, I push inside her, stopping once she’s taken it all. Welcome home. She gives me this long, beautiful moan when I disappear inside her.

  “You feel like heaven.”

  “Then please, for the love of God, will you move.” Her words are a broken whisper. “I need you.” She wets her lips. “So much.”

  I kiss the pulse throbbing in her neck. Then I plunge into her. I reach for her hands, letting my fingers intertwine with hers. Then I plunge again. And again. She meets my every thrust like the fucking champ she is.

  I growl against her throat. “Now. Come apart for me now.”

  Her thighs tremble under mine as our hands clench. Then she does. This beautiful fucking woman comes undone beneath me.

  She grabs her leggings and panties from the floor. “As much as I would love to spend the day getting splinters in my ass courtesy of your dick and Hector’s desk, we should probably get back to the boys before someone starts asking questions.”

  Splinters. Fuck. That’s it. I’m ordering marble desks for every office because this will not be the last time I take her here.

  I grab a shirt from the shelf and slip it over her head. “Fine. You win this round.” I grab my pants. “But just so you know, I’m going to fuck you again. Here.” I slide my hand across the top of the desk. “There.” I point in the direction of the bar. “Every-fucking-where.” I wave my hand around, and she smiles. Jesus.

  After I get dressed, we walk out of the office and almost run into Hector. “Everything okay?” he asks with one eyebrow raised.

  “Everything’s great.” I look at Adrienne and catch her blushing. “But I owe you a new lamp… and an iPad.”

  “Come on, man. In my office? Seriously?”

  “The T-shirts are in your office,” I say as though that justifies everything.

  I watch as Adrienne joins the boys and begins cutting Liam’s cake. She lights up when she smiles. Every so often, she glances my way and bites her bottom lip. I lick mine because she’s still all over me, and I fucking love the way it tastes.

  “What’s all this?” She’s peering through the glass wall of the barroom into the actual brewery.

  “That is where the magic happens.”

  “You sure about that? ’Cause I could’ve sworn I just experienced some magic in Hector’s office.”

  “That wasn’t magic.”

  “No?”

  “Nope. It was an experience all right, but magic had nothing to do with it. That was me worshiping and you praying. That was two souls being saved. It was me making your body my new religion.”

  “If you keep talking like that, I’m going to need another T-shirt,” she says with a sly grin.

  Fucking hell.

  I take her hand in mine and lead her into the brewery before I rip her leggings off and scar these kids for the rest of their lives. “Okay, so see those?” I point to two large, silver kettles. “Those are mash tuns. That’s where the grains mix with water. And this…” I point to a different set of kettles beside the mash tun. “Those are brewing kettles. Some people call them boiling kettles because…” I let her finish for me.

  “They boil something?”

  I wink and smile. “Damn, you’re a natural.” She laughs and nudges me with her shoulder. We walk over to the set of tall, stainless-steel fermentation vessels. “Here is where the wort turns into beer.” I guide her to the next area where the serving tanks are. “Then it goes into here and from here, straight into the taps.”

  “Wort?”

  I keep it basic. “Sugary water.”

  “And those?” She points to the far wall.

  “Oh, wooden barrels are making a comeback, baby.”

  “How many people work for you?”

  “All together? About eight. I have Hector, two guys who help with brewing, two cooks, and three servers. I produce about eight-thousand barrels of beer per year. Figure thirty-one gallons in a barrel, and that’s about two-point-six million, twelve-ounce bottles a year.” I look at her and smile. “Not bad for a guy who started in the basement of a frat house.” It feels natural. It feels right, sharing my world with her.

  “You really love what you do,” she says with a hungry light in her eyes and a broad smile.
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  “I do. But you know what I love even more?” She shakes her head. “A couple of months ago, one of my cooks got engaged to one of my servers. They just bought a house together.”

  “Wow. And they met here?”

  “They did. And the best part of that is knowing that I did that. This thing I started in college is now paying for mortgages and providing for families. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

  She’s giving me that look again, the soft one, the one I have a feeling she reserves only for the boys in the other room. Now she’s giving it to me.

  “What are you thinking? Right now. What’s going on in there?” I brush my finger over her temple and down her face.

  “You really are one of the good guys.”

  That’s when I know I’m done. I’ve been cut wide open, exposed, and it’s freaking me the fuck out. She’s crawled inside me, and I’ll never be the same.

  There’s something about walking into Costco that makes you feel like you’ve officially begun to adult. It’s not the tempting display of electronics right at the front door or the fact that they actually sell freaking Rolexes. I think it’s more that feeling of hey, I’m about to feed myself and a tiny army of people for an entire month.

  I just loaded my cart with a box of Welch’s fruit snacks and an industrial size box of pepperoni Hot Pockets—and the toilet paper to go with it—and remembered I’m running low on hot chocolate. I haven’t seen Blaze since the day of Liam’s party, not that I expected to. Casual means casual, and I’m okay with that.

  Kind of.

  Not really.

  Brody was right. Nothing about sex is casual, especially not sex with Blaze Abbott.

  So, when I spot Hector on the next aisle, my heart skips a beat or two. Then I see Haley walk up behind him. She circles her arms around his waist and leans up on her tiptoes and nips at his earlobe.

  What the actual fuck?

  She whispers something, and he growls. It’s cute. They look good together. It takes them a solid minute to realize I’m standing five feet away.