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Just Trust Me

Author: Ali Parker
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Blake

“I’m ready when you are. Should we go to my office?” Without waiting for me to reply, she started turning and curled a finger for me to follow her into the back.

We rounded the front desk, drawing a curious glance from Tiffany. Aston waved her off and pushed through the doors that lead to the staff area.

We walked down a narrow passage with grey carpeted walls. There was nothing opulent about this part of the building. It had grey walls and rectangular lights that hummed with electricity overhead.

Aston stopped at the door about halfway down and produced a single key on a keyring with a small teddy bear on it. “This is it. Be prepared. It’s not exactly big.”

I already knew that. We tried to ensure that the staff was comfortable, but hotels were hotels and the majority of the space belonged to the guests.

“Don’t worry about me. At least you have an office. I have a laptop bag on the plane.”

She cocked head. “You have your own plane?”

“You know what I mean.” Well, the company had
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    ASTONBlake and I walked around the lobby. Every so often, he would point out something we needed to do or change. Being the dutiful manager I was, I noted down all of his suggestions in the spiral notebook I used to manage and document staff meetings.He was pointing at a flower arrangement, telling me we should look into cutting costs by ditching the fresh flowers we had delivered weekly. But I’d already made a note of it. I would bring it up at the meeting later.I couldn’t really concentrate on what he was saying anymore. Not because he didn’t have good ideas or because I didn’t appreciate his help, but because I was too wrapped up with second guessing myself and the choices I’d made.While I didn’t regret sleeping with him, I was really starting to question what exactly it was he did at this point. Whenever we talked about it, he was intentionally vague. A finance guy who did quality assurance when he had to, that was how he explained it to me on our first date.Back then, he exp

  • Stay the Night   Hiding Something

    Aston“He cares about me,” I said quietly. “That’s what he told me the other night.”For the first time since her tirade started, Tiffany paused. “Now that makes more sense. A lot more.”Her girly side reared its head when she leaned in closer to me. “Those are the kind of details I want more of. I can’t believe you won’t just tell me all about it.”“I told you this morning, we’re at work. For whatever reason, Blake chose to share those numbers with me and I think we’re in real trouble. The kind of trouble that could cost us our jobs if we don’t figure it out.”She sighed. “True. Fine, I’ll wait for the juicy details. For the record, you’re going to pay for making me wait—with very specific details. Nothing is off limits, got it?”“Got it.” I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I also needed her to drop the subject. Right now, since Blake had turned around and looked like he was getting ready to end his call. “For now, can we please focus on using the help he’s offering to try and save

  • Stay the Night   All Coming Together

    BLAKEThree straight days of working nonstop with Aston and her team was paying off. Breakfast on Saturday morning was packed and people were still streaming into the lobby. I sat on one of the new couches, waiting for Aston to finish up with a meeting.We still had a lot of work ahead of us, but I was satisfied so far. California had a lot of potential. I didn’t know why we hadn’t paid this kind of attention to it before. Three days of focused, driven promotion of the branch and there was already an increase in traffic.And the company hadn’t even really thrown its weight behind the branch. Not yet, anyway. In my next report to my father, I was definitely telling him that this could, and should, be one of our biggest branches. With Aston at the helm, this branch could make a turnaround for sure. Fuck making cuts here, we should be looking at increasing their capacity instead of decreasing it.The increased traffic made Aston a lot busier, but I enjoyed seeing her on top of her game.

  • Stay the Night   Tragic News

    BlakeOnly if she called my father an angel. He was a cool guy, sure, but he was far from being an angel. And my brother sure as shit wasn’t. As the other main reason I was here, he was the furthest thing from an angel I could think of.“Let’s just call it luck, shall we?”She pouted playfully. “Call it whatever you want, but it’s just flat amazing.”“It sure is.” I wished more than anything I could ask her to lunch and tell her she got the promotion. To finally come completely clean and tell her who I was.But none of those things could happen. I knew she was too busy for lunch, I had to discuss the promotion with Dad before I could say anything, and telling her who I was now would derail our speed on the work front.I considered throwing Dad’s rule about not making any promises about the promotion out the window. She had it in the bag as far as I was concerned and I was sure I could make Dad see things my way.The results from Dustin’s investigation would be coming in any day now. W

  • Stay the Night   Sleuthing

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  • Stay the Night   Nothing You Can Do About It

    BlakeA white haired man stood next to the bed. He looked up from a clipboard he was holding when I entered the room. “You must be Blake. I’m Dr. Richards. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”I wondered how many people he had said that to. And how many of those family members left the hospital with only memories of their loved one.On auto pilot, I shook his hand. “How is he?”The doctor gave me a grim smile. “He’s not good, son. I won’t sugar coat it, he’s in bad shape. We’re doing all we can for him, of course.” My heart stuttered. “Of course. Do you have any information about what happened yet? My brother said it was a stroke.” The doctor nodded. “It was definitely a stroke. We won’t know the full extent of the damage until he wakes up, but with the test results we have, things aren’t looking too positive.”I blinked. This wasn’t possible, but plenty of evidence that it was all too real was right there in front of me. It was absurd. Surreal.There was a clenching

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  • Stay the Night   Epilogue Part 2

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  • Stay the Night   Epilogue Part 1

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  • Stay the Night   Not A Vacation

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  • 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

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  • 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

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