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The Numbers
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Stay the Night I'm Responsible
Aston“I should have seen it earlier.” I could kick my own ass up and down this beach all day long for missing it. “If I’d had more experience, I would’ve figured it out before you had to show me.”“But remember, the branches don’t get sent the same numbers I do,” he reminded me. “Trust me, Aston. You’ve done everything right. There are people at fault here, but you’re not one of them.”“Even so. It’s my branch, my people, my responsibility. Promise me that if the cuts have to made, you’ll let me tell them and do it my way.” Most people probably would’ve begged to let Blake or someone else from corporate deliver the news or have asked for corporate protocol so they could try to absolve themselves from any blame.But that wasn’t me. If it came down to cuts being made, it was up to me to make them. The least I could do was to try and soften the blow. Whether it was policy or not to do it, I intended on promising anyone affected that I would hire them back as soon as I turned the branch
Stay the Night It's Your Job
BLAKEIt was cloudy when I woke up the next morning. Cloudy with a chance of kicking my brother’s ass if he hadn’t sent those numbers yet. Rolling out of bed, I headed straight for my laptop.I was done waiting for him. The email would either be there or it wouldn’t, but I wasn’t waiting for Danny to call the shots anymore.He and I were going to have a serious talk today. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes and stretched my arms above my head while I waited for my computer to fire up.Danny had another thing coming if he thought I was making any further cuts without a fight. While some cuts had been justified, I was becoming more convinced than ever that what Danny ordered had been excessive.It no longer felt like Danny wasn’t sending me the numbers because he forgot or was busy. It felt like he was keeping them from me on purpose. I thought it was just about New York, but I was starting to suspect it was more than that.It was taking too long for it to only be about New York. Danny thought h
Stay the Night One for the Road
Blake“Don’t play that card with me. I wouldn’t be doing Dad a favor, I would be doing one for you. Now, usually I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not yanking people’s livelihoods away on a whim you can’t even justify with actual numbers showing that it’s necessary.”Danny spat out a string of curses. “Could you just do this one fucking thing, or do I have to drop everything else and come over there to do it myself?”“No.” It took everything I had to keep calm, but I managed it. Only just. “That won’t be necessary. I’m coming back to Florida to settle this. Today. I’ll see you later.”“Don’t you dare come back here before you get it done, Blake. I’ll—” I didn’t listen to whatever threat he was about to make. I was done with him for now. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I punched down on the disconnect button and brought my phone to my forehead.I wanted to slam the phone down on the floor or hurl it off the balcony, but I tossed it on the table next to me instead.It was about time I stood
Stay the Night Addicted
ASTONMy cheeks were hot and my lips stung a little. My heart was beating so wildly it felt like it was about to blow a hole in my chest. I pressed my hand to my heart, feeling it beat madly as I tried to calm it down.Blake slipped out of the supply closet with a final, comparatively chaste kiss and was gone. I stared at the door, wishing he would decide to forget about his trip and come back to me instead. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. It was too important to go to Florida, for his family’s sake as well as that of the company. Meanwhile, my hair was probably a mess and my whole body felt hot. It would never fail to amaze me what Blake could do to me with just a kiss. If he wasn’t going to take care of the itch he caused, I wondered whether there was any way I could get away with doing it myself.But I pushed that thought out of my mind. I was at freaking work. There was no way I could do something like that right now. It was just going to have to wait until later. Before
Stay the Night Spreading The Word
Aston“Did Blake run out the door? I kind of wish he would’ve stayed, but that’s selfish of me. What’s going on between us is a really good question, actually.” It was one I’d asked myself a few times now. I couldn’t avoid the truth about it anymore. Sleeping with Blake the first time may have been about getting my cherry popped by a nice, hot guy who I got along with, but it wasn’t just like that anymore. “We’ve never really talked about it. It’s weird, we’ve talked about pretty much everything else, but we’ve never talked about what’s going on between us. I honestly don’t think either of us really knows at this point.”Tiffany’s expression sobered and she lowered her voice, her eyes darting from side to side before she spoke. “While you’ve been talking about pretty much everything else, did you happen to talk to him about the cuts?”I gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. A shiver of excitement ran down my spine at the good news I could share. “I did, and we don’t have anything to worr
Stay the Night Back in Florida
BLAKEThe wheels touched down on the tarmac late in the afternoon. The pilot made the usual announcements, thanking the passengers for choosing the airline, then there was the crush and rush of people trying to be the first to grab their carry-on baggage and get off the plane.I remained seated at first, knowing I would get off the plane when I got off of it. There was no point in joining the rush.While I waited, I decided on my itinerary for the rest of the day. I had to talk to Danny, but I was going to go see my father first. I couldn’t wait any longer. I hadn’t even smelled the Florida air yet, but I was already more anxious to get to him, knowing just how close I was.It was getting late and Danny probably wouldn’t still be at the office anyway. Despite his ranting about how busy he was, he’d never put in the kind of hours Dad and I did.There was also no chance in hell he was waiting for me to get to the office since I’d told him I was coming. He made it plenty clear he didn’t
Stay the Night Unexpected Visitor
BlakeAston giggled again. “Is that so? And how exactly would I have managed to make it more fun?”Her voice was huskier, flirty. The recognition of that tone, the same one I’d heard from her in bed, was like a fist around my cock, which took notice immediately.But as much as I would have enjoyed it, I couldn’t just pull over to have phone sex right now. I tabled the thought for later though. “I don’t know, maybe because I would have had someone to play backgammon and tennis with.”She laughed. I could almost see the way her eyes lit up and her eyebrow raised when she did. Damn, she was beautiful. “Backgammon and tennis, huh? I was hoping for something a little more interesting than that.”Jesus, Aston being light and flirty was really getting to me. For a brief second, I considered pulling over and risking arrest just so I could hear where the conversation would go if we kept it up. But Aston was at work, and the thought of having to call Danny to bail me out after getting arrested
Stay the Night I've Changed
ASTONBy the time my shift ended, I was bone tired and yet still strangely exhilarated at the same time. The hard work that came with being the manager now that the hotel was so much busier left me exhausted at the end of each day, yet more fulfilled than I've ever been before.My exhilaration wasn’t only work-related though. My earlier conversation with Blake left my head in the clouds and my heart beating double time. During that conversation, for the first time I felt like I really knew him and that there was something between us that was real.I logged out of my computer and locked up my office, still wishing I could have taken Blake up on his offer. Tiffany was walking down the hall just then, skipping up to me when she realized I had my bag slung over my shoulder."Well, would you look at that? Our fearless leader is packing up on time for once. Hey, what are you going to do now? I’m heading to the beach. Running into you like this makes me think fate wants you to come with me."
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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
