The girl who’s currently writhing against me, her naked tits glued to my chest as she kisses me back and lets me drink myself from her.She lets me drink what I did to her.And I kiss her harder, faster, long after my taste is gone, and it’s all her now. Fucking vanilla and ice cream and cupcakes.I pull away when she’s wheezing, her neck red and her pulse thundering. Fuck. I was so engrossed in the act that I forgot to let us breathe.She stares at me, her lips swollen and parted and so damn tempting. “You kissed me back.”“Huh?”“I thought you never would. Kiss me, I mean.”“That wasn’t kissing. That was snowballing.”“I love that. Snowballing. Let’s do it more.”“You’re not vanilla, after all.”“Not with sex, I guess.”“How do you know that?”“I want all the things.”“All the things?”“Yeah, everything.”I’m going to fuck her again. I can feel it. And I will.But I need to feed her first.I begrudgingly get up and tuck myself in. “Take a shower and meet me downstairs.”“Can’t we st
GwynethI never thought much about the meeting the parents part, because Nate and I aren’t like that.This whole thing is for convenience. There shouldn’t be feelings he has to be aware of and I’m only using him for sex.The asshole.The fucking asshole.I hate him so much sometimes, and okay, calling him Uncle Nate was probably not the best way to get revenge, but he hurt me. He cut me in half after giving me the best night and morning of my life. He turned me into a woman, took care of me, and slept beside me. And he didn’t leave like he usually does.He stayed.Not to mention, he was nice and playful and took me to heights I didn’t realize were possible. Then he crashed it all to the ground.And I had to hurt him back. That’s what Dad told me; if someone punches, you don’t stand there and take it. You punch back, the hardest you can, with all your might and with twice the aggression.So I did that and said I used him, and then I called him Uncle Nate because I know he hates it. He
And they’ll definitely go for the latter because he’s Nathaniel Weaver. The prince of the Weaver empire and a senator’s son. So they’ll want to bring him down and will try every trick under the sun to do it.Every ugly trick.The press loves his family. They stalk them. They write articles about them all the time.Sebastian brought his girlfriend of Japanese descent to an event one time and they went nuts about the couple. They even wrote disgusting articles alleging that he’s with her for publicity because having an Asian girlfriend makes him look good.But anyone who’s seen them in private knows how much Sebastian worships that woman. He loves her with a passion that could be sensed in the air and tasted with the subtle yet possessive ways he touches her.They’re one of the most badass couples on earth and no one would convince me otherwise. Definitely not the rotten media who spew lies for their own benefits.Anyway, the Weavers are in the limelight all the time. And the press woul
After a while of soaking in the music, I’m ready to get engrossed in something different than the clusterfuck of this entire morning. But I don’t go to the firm straight away, I head to the car company, where I have to sign some paperwork and show ID to prove I’m Dad’s next of kin so that I can get the dashcam’s files.Then I drive to the firm and snuggle up beside Jane in IT to enjoy the peace away from Nate’s watchful eyes. He has a meeting with the other partners anyway, so I’m safe for a little while.Jane offers to help me sort through the files’ different dates.We both sit with headphones on, listening to the recordings and watching the feeds. I choke on my own tears the whole time. Seeing Dad talking, driving, and alive forms a ball in my chest. It expands with each second and I don’t think it’ll ever deflate. Or maybe I’ll have some sort of a heart attack. Panic attack. Or any attack.I pause when I see the last person I expect get into Dad’s car. Aspen. She yanks the door op
Nathaniel“I thought you wouldn’t survive Mrs. Weaver.”I glare at my nephew as he slides on top of the conference table, facing me. The other partners left, but he stayed behind to play the bastard role.“You knew she was coming and didn’t tell me?”He raises his hands in the air. “Hey. I only got the call after she left. A furious one at that in all of Mrs. Weaver’s snobbish glory. She kept asking if I knew and then said of course I did and that I should bear the consequences if this becomes public and all that fun stuff. But most of all, she was royally pissed that “the little girl” kicked her out. Gwen really did that?”“Gwyneth. The name is Gwyneth.” And she did. She kicked out my mother even though she’s not the type who shows rudeness without a reason. Despite her smart tongue and sass, she’s not an antagonist. But she has a strong sense of justice and that’s what pushed her to talk to Mrs. Weaver that way.I’ve been in a gloomy mood ever since she left this morning. I’m surpri
“That was when I thought she was caught in one of your webs and would be another stepping stone, but turns out that’s not the case. Maybe it hasn’t been all along.” He hops off the table and taps my shoulder. “Best of luck, Nate.”“With what?”“Being caught in someone’s web for once.”And with that, he strolls out, humming a happy tune.His words keep playing at the back of my head all day long, refusing to shut up or disappear.When it’s time to go home, I’m ready to stop trying to ignore Gwyneth’s presence. She’s spent the whole day with the IT girl, according to Grace, and I know that’s one of her peaceful places, so I didn’t call for her. She gave my assistant all the work I asked of her anyway, so I didn’t have a reason to.Now, I do.Now, I need to sit her the fuck down and tell her about all her options. The ones I talk to my clients about so they have no rosy thoughts about what’s waiting for them in the real world.I never wanted Gwyneth to be on the receiving end of that, bu
GwynethI’m not drunk.Yes, I’m swaying and my body feels light and hot, but it’s only because of the music.And the dancing.I don’t usually like electro, but the buzzing of energy keeps me on a high. I dragged Christoph and Jane with me and even called Jen and Alex to join us. Jen couldn’t, but Alex is a party guy so he showed up soon after.They’re all party people, actually. I’m usually the fun-ruiner. The one with a words phobia and a general phobia of the outside world.But maybe I’m drunk, after all, so it doesn’t really matter.Alex is a few steps behind me, jumping to the upbeat music. He’s a bit taller than me, but he’s lean and fit because of all the cycling he does. Chris is dancing with me, letting me use his hand to twirl, even though he said we should go home an hour ago.He repeats it again, shouting over the music, “You’ve had too much to drink, Gwen. I’ll give you a ride.”“No! I’m not druuunk,” I slur. Okay, maybe I am. But only a little.“Gwen, come on.” Chris trie
I felt a surge of electricity run through my body as Nate's hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me out of the darkness and into the bright lights of the party. My breath caught in my throat as I was pressed up against his hard, masculine body. I couldn't help but gasp at the sight of him - towering over me, his broad shoulders and chiseled features making him look like a giant among men.My mind raced as I tried to process what was happening. One minute I was lost in my thoughts, the next I was being pulled into the arms of the one person I couldn't resist. Nate's eyes blazed with intensity as he glared at me, his grip on my wrist tightening as if he was afraid I would slip away."Let her go," Alex slurred, his voice barely audible over the music. I didn't bother to look at him, my focus solely on Nate and the way my body was responding to his touch.Nate didn't move, his eyes never leaving mine as he seemed to be searching for something. I felt a flutter in my chest as his gaze roa
We danced out the rest of the song in a strange, mute communication. I was wondering what the hell was going on in his head as he continued to smile down at me, gray eyes revealing nothing of his intentions. If I were even the slightest bit less sure of myself, I’d think I’d made it all up. He was a consummate flirt. He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it.But Iwassure. There was just a shadow of amusement that told me he was playing a game. Maybe he always had been. Maybe this was who he really was, and the vain, cocksure character from before was just that… a character.As the music ended, Blake stepped back immediately. I breathed my first full breath. I had been sure he’d let his hands linger and press me into another dance. Maybe he hadn’t been so indifferent to my news about having a serious boyfriend after all. I turned automatically to look for Aiden, but to my surprise, I didn’t see him.“It looks like they started without us,” Blake said.I looked back at him, bewil
LAYLAIf I hadn’t felt Blake’s eyes on me like leeches, I would have been impressed by the event. The ballroom was beautifully appointed with gilt and crystal chandeliers, plush velvet settees, and a dance floor that gleamed under the biggest chandelier of all, the one suspended just in front of the stage by swooping, glittering ligatures. A string quartet was playing a mix of classical and pop.I wanted to just dance with Aiden and forget why we were here, but that wasn’t an option. It seemed that just standing beside him, taking on the brunt of the shop talk together, wasn’t even an option. Somehow, he always ended up embedded in conversation with someone else. And increasingly, I ended up in conversation with Blake.And only Blake.“Let’s dance,” he urged.I laughed awkwardly, stalling for time. The first time he asked, I’d made the excuse that no one else was dancing. That had changed though. Seven or eight couples were moving across the floor in time to Sia’s “Chandelier.” “I don
AIDENIwatched Layla get ready, even though she kept making faces at me in the mirror and telling me to go watch TV or something. I couldn’t help it. She was always beautiful, but as she did her hair and makeup and slid into the dress that fit her like a second skin, she transformed into something ethereally sexy.“Ethereally sexy,” she repeated with a laugh when I told her so. “I don’t think those two words were meant to go together.”“Lots of things aren’tsupposedto go together.” I wrapped my arms around her. “But sometimes they work anyway, right?”Her smile softened. “Right.”I wanted to tell her then that I’d heard everything she said earlier–about coming back at Christmas, about telling her family. I hadn’t said anything because the prospect of telling Jack twisted my guts out of shape, but we were on the same page. More and more, being unable to tell the world that I was in love with Layla Davis felt worse than what I imagined Jack’s reaction would be.“I love you,” I murmured
LAYLAI woke up in the night, the nausea working its way up from my toes to my throat. Not wanting to wake Aiden, I transferred my weight from the mattress to the floor in painfully slow increments, then tiptoed to the bathroom. The cool marble tiles felt delicious as I sank down onto them, like they were pulling whatever this was out of my body through my pores. And then the nausea regrouped and surged its way up from my abdomen to my throat.Half an hour later, when it had finally subsided, I splashed water on my face and made my way back to bed. I could tell by Aiden’s deep, even breathing that he hadn’t been disturbed by my exit from our bed. I was glad, but I was also disappointed. My heart was beating triple time, and I wanted to slide up against him and feel his strong arm curl around me.Are you sure he’s as serious as you are?I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and willed Liv to get out of my head. In just a few hours, it would be morning, and I had the perfect day planned for u
AIDENThe hotel room was probably nice. I’m not sure. I barely glanced at it as the porter who had carried our bags up tried to give us the ten-cent tour.“The coffee machine is over here,” he said, and seemed to be about to demonstrate how it worked.“Got it.” I pressed a twenty-dollar bill in his hand. Not so much a tip as a firm suggestion to leave. He took me up on it.“What if I wanted to know how the coffee machine worked?” Layla teased, tilting her head and putting a finger to her mouth.“If you want coffee, I’ll figure it out.” I walked toward her.Her smile widened behind her finger. “I don’t want coffee.”Normally, I liked to take my time with Layla, but over four hours in the car, so close but unable to really touch her, made me impatient. I walked her backward until she came up against the dressing table, then lowered my mouth to hers. As always, our connection ignited like wildfire, a fusion of emotions and desire that had been building for weeks. Our lips met, and time s
* * *On Wednesday evening, I left the office before Aiden and drove straight to his place. I was relieved that I’d gotten my daily run in with nausea done around lunchtime. In his apartment, I made sure I’d thrown in the last few things I needed for the trip and then made myself a cup of coffee. I didn’t usually drink it past two or three in the afternoon, but lately, I could sleep at the drop of a hat. I’d been miserably tired in our last brand development meeting, and I was worried that Blake had taken my half-closed eyes as some sort of come on.He wasn’t happy about Aiden coming to the charity ball, either. He tried to play it off, but we could tell that his joke about how surely Aiden had more important things to do wasn’t a joke at all. I’d never tell Aiden, but more and more, Blake was starting to give me the creeps. Even though I’d made it perfectly clear my only interest in him was professional, he still let his gaze linger too long on mine. I’d taken to wearing oversized c
LAYLAI didn’t know what was up with me, but I was determined not to let it ruin my first trip with Aiden. Maybe it was just an extended work trip where we would be up to our old tricks in a new city, but it was still ourfirst vacation. Besides, whatever was going on with me wasn’t like any cold or flu or food poisoning or allergic reaction I’d ever had. It was waves of nausea that struck at strange times, peaked violently after about half an hour, and left me tired but functional for the rest of the day. For the most part, I could hide it from Aiden. He was busy doing a week’s worth of work in two and a half so we could leave for New York after work on Wednesday.Because he was so busy, I was home more, and it was Liv who caught me dry heaving in the bathroom one afternoon.“Whoa,” she said, gingerly placing her hand on my back as if she were considering rubbing it. She changed her mind at a particularly violent retching sound that, as usual, produced nothing. Backing into the doorwa
AIDENI had to tell Jack. I could tell the secrecy was beginning to gnaw at Layla. She was right–there was a point when it had been fun. Clandestine. Now I just wanted to be able to take her out to dinner on our side of town without fear of who we might run into. I wanted to think about our future together without the threat of Jack’s reaction overshadowing it.The problem was, I didn’t know how. The other problem was, the person I normally would have asked for advice was Jack himself. Maureen was my back up, but I couldn’t go to her either. So that was why I found myself telling Carl, my mentee, about it.I don’t know how it came up. It sure as hell wasn’t like he asked,hey man, how’s your love life?Strangely, Carl listened. When I was done, he said, “That’s a real fucking pickle, rich man. What are you going to do about it?” His voice was its usual mixture of disdain and sarcasm, but I sensed that he was genuinely interested.“Hell if I know,” I muttered. I was already regretting t
“I bet she would have planned great vacations for you,” I said quietly. I set down my glass of wine and reached over to squeeze his hand. He didn’t let mine go though, when I went to pull back. Instead, he rose in his seat and tugged me up, too. We kissed across the small bistro table. A warm, heady kiss that was sweeter than the dessert.After we sat back down, I rearranged my napkin in my lap and said in my own carefully casual way, “Maybe one day I can plan a vacation for all three of us.”Aiden shot me a grin. He looked almost normal again, though the fire was still simmering in his eyes. “Maybe,” he agreed. “I guess you two should meet before we fly off to the Bahamas together.”“It’s only fair,” I agreed. “I mean, you do knowmyparents.” I held my breath until Aiden laughed. We were getting better, but the subject of my parentage was still loaded. “I do want you to meet my mom,” he said, sliding his credit card into the bill holder and pushing the last of the dessert closer to me