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Stay the Night Waiting For You
BlakeResigned to the reality that this was happening despite anything I said, I did something I hardly ever did. I conceded the battle to win the war that was coming. “Fine, I’ll play ball but for the record, I don’t think this is going to help us.”“Duly noted,” he said, then made a concession of his own. “No cuts have been made yet, you can rest assured I will evaluate where they will be made very carefully. I’m not going into this blindly. I won’t fire anyone unnecessarily. Our people will be taken care of with good severance packages and references. I would never leave anyone high and dry.”Grudgingly, I had to admit that he sounded like himself again. It wasn’t only Danny’s influence, he really did believe this was necessary and for the best. The way he was talking, I had to respect him again. He hated having to do this, but he also thought he was acting in the best interest of the company.“Okay, we’ll talk when the time comes to start assessing who is staying and who is going.
Stay the Night Something Proper
ASTONSaturday dragged on and on after Blake left the hotel. I kept an eye out for him, but by the time my shift ended I hadn’t seen him again. I’d spent the afternoon struggling to concentrate on work. After only one evening with the guy, I was giddy with excitement to see him again tomorrow night.I’d never been so tempted to abuse my position and skip out on work as I had been when he asked me earlier what I was doing tomorrow, right after telling me had to get away tonight. He didn’t exactly invite me to go with him wherever it was he was going, but if he had I didn’t know that I would have said no.It was a good thing he didn’t though, work had to come first. My real work, not entertaining a guest. Only the one guest in particular, that was.I was in my office finishing up for the day when Tiffany knocked on my open door. “Knock-knock. Are you ready to get out of here yet? We finally get to go home.”Shutting down my computer, I picked up my purse. “Ready if you are.”After makin
Stay the Night The Perfect Dress
AstonWe wound our way past the trash cans, fake plants and other last minute shoppers until we got back to Tiffany’s car. She paused as she was getting in. “We’re not giving up yet, you know.”I nearly started crying in frustration. “Every place is closed Tiff, come on. Please, let’s just go.”“We’re going all right, but you’re not going home. We’ll find something for you to wear at my place. I have some killer dresses.”“Okay.” I groaned. Going to her house beat wandering around in malls. Besides, I wasn’t going to change her mind. I would be home and crawling into bed much earlier if I played along. And honestly, I really did want to look nice tomorrow, despite all my protests about finding something to wear. I thought I looked good in the clothes I wore to work and happened to think the dress I wore to our first dinner was a knock out, but now Tiffany had the idea of wowing him stuck in my head. Nothing I owned was exactly ‘wow’ material.Going through Tiffany’s closet would be a
Stay the Night Memories of Mom
BLAKEWaiting for Aston in the lobby, my palms were slightly sweaty and my heart was beating too fast. It surprised me that I was nervous. I didn’t get nervous. Not anymore. I certainly hadn’t been nervous before a date since high school.Still, I wasn’t even sure that this was a date. I kept telling myself that I was getting to know Aston because that’s what I’d promised Dad I would do. But deep inside, I knew asking her out again had nothing to do with my promise to my father.I asked her out again because I wanted to spend more time with her, but I didn’t know what that meant. I was determined not to worry about it tonight. I was leaving it at two people who enjoyed spending time together.Exactly at 7, Aston walked into the lobby. I’d thought my heart was beating fast before I saw her, but that was nothing compared to what happened when she finally appeared.She was wearing a dress that seemed like it must have been designed to test the strength of my heart and the control I had o
Stay the Night Tacos Forever
BlakeAston beamed up at me. “I adore this place. It’s so cute. I can’t believe I didn’t even know it was here. You were right, I haven’t been here before.”The waiter showed us to a small, round table near the only window in the place. “Please, have a seat. I’ll be right back to take your order for drinks.”He placed two square menus down on the table, then left to fetch the complimentary plate of nachos they put on the table. “You like it?”Aston nodded, her eyes darting around as she took it all in. “It’s adorable. I love it. How did you know it was here?”“I told you, I used to come here with my mom.”“So she told you about it?”I nodded. “She found it one night while she was taking a walk. We never ate tacos anywhere else if we were in California.”“Where is your mom now? Does she live around here?” It made sense that only someone who lived in the area would find a place like this, but my mom had been lucky enough to see people leaving when she walked past.I wondered if that kin
Stay the Night I'm An Idiot
ASTON“Tell me everything about last night.” Tiffany demanded at lunch time. She carried a paper bag with the logo of a Chinese place nearby on the front. “I brought food, so you don’t have excuses to get out of taking our entire hour to give me every detail.”I smiled coyly, winding a lock of hair around my finger. “Details about what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”Throwing me a mocking glare, she heaved into a chair. “You already forgot I loaned you that smoking hot red dress for your big date?”I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t a big date. It was just a date.”“You didn’t seal the deal with Blake?” She pouted, disappointment shining in her eyes.Remembering how much I wanted to ‘seal the deal’ with him was slightly embarrassing. “Seal the deal? Do you people still use that?”“I’m taking that as a no.” She cracked her chopsticks apart and picked up a carton of food from the bag. “You wouldn’t be so grouchy if you had done the deed.”Her eyes widened. “Unless—unless it was a
Stay the Night Saying Goodbye
AstonTiffany glanced at the clock on my wall and jumped up. “Look at you, overthinking it again, right? Next time, just take the opportunity when it presents itself. Okay?”“Okay,” I said, determined that on our next date I would find out once and for all if he did want to kiss me back. “Are you walking back to the lobby now?”She nodded, sighing deeply. “Sadly, I have to get back to work.”“I’ll walk with you. I need to check up on a few guests before I go to my meeting with the IT department.”“The IT department?” Tiffany asked, looking confused. “We have one of those?”I gave her a sidelong look. “Calling it a department may be a stretch. We do have two IT guys who work in the office behind the business lounge. You honestly didn’t know?”She shook her head. “That feels like something I should have known. Do you know how many times I’ve taken my cell phone to the shop for them to help me? If I’d known we had our own nerd herd, I never would have done that.”My reply died on my tong
Stay the Night Ruining Everything
BLAKEMotherfucker. I was going to ring my damn brother’s neck the second this plane touched down. Fuck being mature or professional. I was knocking him on his ass before the sun set on Florida today. He was crossing a line he shouldn’t have crossed at this time.When I woke up this morning, I was actually happy for the first time in a long fucking time. And then I checked my emails. The fucker knew I was in California, but I wasn’t letting him get away with what he was proposing now.My rage kept simmering until I reached my father’s office. I knew he and Danny were in a meeting, but I didn’t give a fuck what I was interrupting. I burst through the doors like a hell hound on fire.“What the fuck are you thinking?” I asked, as I stepped into my father’s office. My gaze zeroed in on Danny’s. While he looked surprised to see me, he didn’t look surprised by the hostility of my question.“I’m thinking about what’s best for this company. What are you even doing here?” Danny had the nerve t
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Stay the Night Epilogue Part 2
AstonEverything further away than what could be reached in two or three hours by plane, he let Danny handle. Blake had been my rock, my constant. With him as the dad, I could see myself having a lot more children. He certainly seemed to be on board.A nurse came in to check on us, as they did every so often. This was one who must have just started her shift, since I hadn’t seen her around earlier. She was an older woman with bright red hair and a kind smile. “Is everything okay in here? I need to take the baby for observation, it won’t be more than a few minutes before she’s back.”Blake’s eyes widened comically. “You’re taking her away?”“Just for a few minutes, sir.” The nurse smiled sympathetically. “I won’t take my eyes off of her for a second, you have my word. I know it’s hard for you to let go of her right now.”“She has to go?” Blake asked, not looking like he was inclined to hand her over at all.The nurse nodded. “A few minutes, sir. She’ll be back before you know it.”Relu
Stay the Night Epilogue Part 1
ASTONOn a rainy Saturday morning, Blake and I welcomed baby Emma Rose McAllen into the world. She was a pink, healthy little angel that had both of us wrapped around her little finger the very first second we laid eyes on her.The hospital was busy. I could hear people milling around outside, some running to take care of patients and others here to visit friends and family, and to meet the new arrivals. Emma was only three hours old, but I was sure Blake’s family and Tiffany would get here soon.Both Tiffany and Blake’s mom had wanted to be in the waiting room when she was born, but I went into labor in the early hours of Saturday morning and in our rush to get to the hospital, we hadn’t wanted to disturb them in the middle of the night.For now it was just us and our little cherub in our bubble of the most perfect, serene happiness I’d ever known. With Emma’s tummy full for the first time, she was dozing in her daddy’s arms and the scene in front of me was as precious as I’d known i
Stay the Night Catching Up
BlakeTiffany led us into the smaller of the conference rooms at ground level, one where Aston and I had shared dinner not so long ago, yet it seemed like a different lifetime now. Aston walked over to the window, releasing a happy sigh to be looking out over the ocean. “It feels like I haven’t been here in forever.”“For you and me both, girl.” Tiffany sighed. “Welcome back.”“Thanks,” Aston replied softly. “You should come visit us in Florida sometime. We’ll be happy to have you.”“Once the baby is born, try keeping me away,” she said, reaching out to pat Aston’s belly again.The two friends shared a moment. I hung back, getting settled at the table. When they sat down, Aston joked, “Oh, you’ll only visit once the baby is born? That’s still months away.”“Good point,” Tiffany said. “Maybe I’ll come out there sooner. Is your nursery set up yet? I can come help with that.”“We’ve been settling into the house,” Aston told her. “We haven’t gotten to the nursery quite yet. It would be gr
Stay the Night Not A Vacation
BLAKEThree months after the last time Aston and I walked out of the hotel in California, we were back for a visit. It had been a long three months. We had meant to pop in for a visit weeks ago, but we never got around to it.As it was, we’d almost had to cancel again. Aston managed to dodge the bullets flying her way, with Danny’s help, and we’d hopped on the jet as soon as our meetings let out. We were like kids fleeing from school on the last day, excited to be getting away from the head office that took so much of our time.Our visit to California wasn’t a vacation though. Soon, I would whisk Aston away for a break before the baby was born, but for now, we were working.It didn’t make Aston any less excited to be headed back to her hometown. She missed her friends and had been looking forward to spending time with them, even if we would have to get some work done at the same time.Dressed in a soft, flowing red dress that clung to her newly rounded stomach, she looked more beautif
Stay the Night Stroking Her
ASTONBefore I knew what was happening, Blake flipped us over and was rolling my pants down my legs. My panties followed quickly.He yanked both items over my bare feet and dropped them to the floor. Heat spread through me as his bright blue eyes drank in every inch of me.He sat between my legs, spread open so there would be space for him. Completely on display for him, I was surprised by how much it turned me on. The raw lust in his eyes told me he felt the same. “I was an ass. I’m sorry I didn’t see how much I was upsetting you, can I make it up to you?”“Please,” I breathed, reaching for his shirt.Catching my hands in one of his, he used the other to reach behind him in a fist and pulled it off in a smooth slide. As his body came into view, I wished he wasn’t sitting between them so I could clench my thighs together to ease the need building there. Seeing me squirm, his hands went for my bare legs, running up and down my thighs.“You’re gorgeous, Aston. And the best thing that ha
Stay the Night No Buts
Blake“No buts. If that’s what you want, I’ll go. I understand that you need someone there and that logistically, it can’t be Aston. I can be a team player again and if that’s what this team needs, I’ll take one for the team and go.”Taking a deep breath, his eyes darted up to the ceiling like he was slightly embarrassed by what he had to say. “But if you’d consider keeping me on in Florida though, I could work under Aston.”Shocked, my eyes widened. “You’d be her subordinate?”“Yeah.” His eyes drifted to Dad before he nodded and looked back at me. “It’s not easy for me to face, but I know I brought this on myself. If I stay, I’ll work as her second. Help her, learn from her, whatever.”“You would do that?” To say I was surprised was an understatement. My brother, or at least the brother he’d become, lacked the astonishing maturity it took to come up with a plan like this. “You realize it wouldn’t be temporary.”“I do.” He held onto my gaze, sincere in what he was saying. “I’ve been a
Stay the Night Sobered Up
BLAKEWalking out of Dad’s study, I bumped into my mom in the hall. For a guy who spent years seeing only one family member, two at most, once every couple of weeks, I was surrounded by them now. I didn’t know how much I liked it yet.“Have you seen Aston? I asked Mom, who smiled as she jerked her head in the direction of the front door.“She left in a cab a few minutes ago,” Mom told me. “I saw her out there from the kitchen window, but it looked like she could use a couple of minutes alone. Next thing I knew, there was a cab and she was getting into it.”My heart sank to my shoes. “What?”I knew Aston was upset by my offering her Danny’s job, but I never thought she would leave. Panic crept in and gripped my heart. She didn’t know anyone in Florida as far as I knew. I didn’t even know where to start looking for her.“Fuck,” I mumbled, ignoring my mom’s chastising look. It was a little fucking late for her to try have any say about my language. I was getting used to having her around
Stay the Night Space
Aston“I’m against it because I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I exclaimed, rolling my eyes. “Danny’s position isn’t some random spot. It’s a very important position in the company.”“Exactly,” Blake snapped. “It’s not good enough to put some random person into that position, don’t you think I get that? That’s one of the reasons why I need you, Aston. You’re all I’ve got. I don’t have any other options that are good enough.”“I’m a last resort?” My head reared back like he’d slapped me. I didn’t know what was going on with me, but my emotions were all over the place. Maybe it was the pregnancy after all, but knowing he only wanted me because there was no one else was somehow more hurtful than people thinking he’d only put me into that spot because he was sleeping with me.Staring at me like I’d grown a unicorn horn or turned green, Blake shook his head. “You’re not a last resort. It’s not like that at all. Think about it this way, my dad supports me in this decision. About Danny going
Stay the Night The Offer
ASTON“Excuse me.” I pushed my chair back from the kitchen counter and glanced at Blake’s family before letting my eyes come to rest on him. “Could I talk to you outside for a minute please?”“Sure.” Exchanging a look with his father who nodded encouragingly, Blake followed me outside. I didn’t stop walking when we hit the deck, heading over it and onto the expansive green lawn.The sparkling swimming pool was blue and inviting. I briefly considered stripping off my clothes and taking refuge in the silence of its depths, but I doubted very much that Blake’s father would appreciate a half-naked pregnant girl sitting at the bottom of his pool.When I hit a patch of trees at the back of the property, I paced in the shade beneath them. Without having to look, I knew Blake was standing there watching me. He let me blow off steam for a few more seconds before planting his hands on his hips. “Before you say anything, hear me out.”“I told you I didn’t want that spot, Blake.”Walking toward m
