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Stay the Night He's My Hero
ASTONBlake stuck his head out the door and motioned for me to come back into the room. I nodded but took a deep breath before I stood up. I’d been drinking my coffee in the waiting area while Blake had a conversation with his parents.It had been awhile, and my nerves were frayed. I had no idea what was going on inside that room, I only hoped it was good.Blake deserved an explanation from his parents, I just hoped he’d gotten one he could live with. He looked okay, though. He was smiling as he waited for me to make my way to him. “My parents want to meet you.”Blood started pounding in my ears, my nerves sparking at their frayed edges. Not only was I about to meet one of my heroes, but I was also going to meet the parents. Meeting the parents was a big step in any relationship, but in ours it was even bigger since his dad was also my boss.“Okay,” I swallowed past a lump in my throat. People said never to meet your heroes. If mine disappointed me, it would be a double whammy. It wo
Stay the Night No Time to Waste
Aston“It’s not boring to me at all.” His mother’s eyes shone with humor. The corners of her mouth were pressed in as if she was fighting a smile. For a woman who hadn’t been around for so long, she looked positively motherly at the moment.“I’m not bored either,” I piped up, but Blake started moving toward the door anyway.He cocked his head, holding his hand out for me. “I’m sure, but we should get going.”“Okay.” I smiled at both of his parents. “It was lovely to meet you both. I hope to see you again soon.”Both of them nodded. His mom said goodbye and his dad grinned like he knew something I didn’t. “I’m sure you will, dear. Keep up the good work.”“I will,” I said, then followed Blake out the door. He took my hand when we were out in the hall, guiding me back to the front exit. “What did you two talk about that I’m not allowed to know?” “It was nothing, just him rambling about all my traveling and stuff.” There was probably more to it, but he would tell me when he was ready. A
Stay the Night Not a Fling
BLAKE Dad was awake. Mom was apparently back in our lives. It remained to be seen how long she would stay around this time. Aston was here, then she was gone. I would be seeing her again soon, though.Everything was different than it had been when I opened my eyes just a couple of hours ago, but nothing more so than I was now walking into our corporate headquarters as the acting CEO of the company.I didn’t know how long Dad would be out for, but he hadn’t mentioned coming back at all. I got the distinct feeling that he was retiring for good, not just taking some time off to recover. I was sure he would still be around, and that he would never step out completely, but it felt like he’d placed the reins firmly in my hands.They were heavy, but they felt good. It was like I could see everything more clearly now, like the world had shifted on its axis and everything had finally come into focus. I’d never even considered that I might head up the company one day.In my mind, it had always
Stay the Night Telling Danny Where to Go
BlakeStepping off the elevator onto the floor where Dad, Danny and I had our offices, I pushed Aston and my thoughts from my mind. I had to get my head in the game and give everything I had to the conversation ahead of me now.“Is he in?” I asked Norma. Her face split into a wide smile as she nodded. It made me wonder how much she knew about what was about to happen. One day, I would ask her, but that day wasn’t today.“Thanks, Norma.” I strode past her desk and into Dad’s office where I knew Danny had set up shop. Choosing to work in Dad’s office instead of his own was yet another sign to me that he didn’t respect the chain of command and simply took what he wanted.Danny was sitting behind Dad's desk barking orders into the phone. He had spun the chair to be facing the ocean instead of the door and didn’t notice me walking in right away.I didn’t hesitate or wait for him to see me. Instead, I walked right over to the desk and hung up the phone for him. Danny stopped midsentence and
Stay the Night Not Feeling It
ASTONIt had been a month since I had gotten back from Florida and today was the first day that I wasn’t quite feeling the sparkle from getting to meet and speak to Wayne McAllen in person. I had powered through this last month and the branch was doing better than ever.But maybe it was time that I started listening to the staff when they told me to slow down, because I was pretty sure I was coming down with something. The long hours had really worn me down.Exhausted, I trudged into my office two hours before my shift was supposed to start. I fired up my computer but nearly fell asleep before I had done so much as log into my emails.Enough, I told myself. A strong cup of coffee and a little bit of blood flowing through my veins was what I needed to get going.Ignoring the kettle in my office, I headed to the staff break room where there was a state-of-the-art coffee machine we had just received last week. It was a gift from Wayne McAllen himself. The card had been addressed to all o
Stay the Night I'm Not Sick
AstonChuckling, I imagined Blake’s reaction if Tiffany called to tell him she thought I was overworked and burning out. Once I imagined his reaction though, I realized he would probably agree with her that I needed to go home and take some time for myself.I stopped laughing immediately. “You wouldn’t. Please don’t. He’s got enough on his mind as is. The last thing he needs is to be worried about me for no reason.”She sighed but agreed. “If you’re not feeling better by tomorrow, stay home or I might actually just call him for real. If you won’t stay home for yourself, stay home for us. If you’re coming down with something, you don’t want to infect the rest of the staff.”“Fair point,” I told her. It would be catastrophic if I ended up being contagious and inadvertently passed it on to the staff. We had tons of events coming up. There was the anniversary party tonight, a birthday and a bar mitzvah this week and a special tasting menu at the restaurant up on the deck on Friday night.
Stay the Night Back in Cali
BLAKEMy plane touched down in California late on Friday afternoon. I couldn’t deny that I’d never been happier to be there. It had been a damn long month without Aston and if I had to wait one more day to see her, my dick and my heart were both going to explode or go on strike.Both organs were desperate to see her, and my brain had become obsessed as well. I planned on spending every waking minute with her this weekend, and to sleep next to her when we couldn’t be awake anymore.There were only a few more things I had to take care of before I could shut down for the next few days and just spend time with my girl. One of them was to finish the conversation I was having with my father on my way to the hotel.“We need to clean up in New York, Blake,” he was saying. “The situation there has been going on long enough and it’s high time to end it.”I sighed and resisted the urge to squeeze my eyes shut. Since I was driving, letting them close was probably a bad idea. “I know, Dad. I’ll ge
Stay the Night What Did She Say?
BlakeI buried myself in work, but there was always a constant ache in my chest. Until I had her in my arms, and only then did everything feel okay again.Our tongues twisted and tangled together. Aston’s hands twined into my hair and gripped it hard, like she was trying to keep me against her.We were like two fires raging, coming closer and closer together to meet and combust in a giant ball of pent-up passion. Our kiss was fierce, hungry, filled with longing that broke me apart before it started putting me back together again.When we finally came up for air, she smiled against my lips. “You sure seem happy to see me.”“Ditto.” I kissed the tip of her nose and then ran mine down its length. “I missed you, too. How are you?”Something in her expression faltered, but it was gone in a flash. “I’m surviving. Doing much better now that you’re here.” “Yeah? That makes two of us,” I told her. When she stepped out of the circle of my arms, I realized that she looked a little tired. Stunni
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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
