Chapter 21
ASPEN
I’ve fantasized about Sage more times than I’d care to admit.
I’ve spent the last ten plus years comparing every woman I’ve met to my best friend. As much as I tried to ignore my feelings for her, to block out those thoughts, more often than not—whether I was with someone else or even using a toy on myself—it was Sage I pictured being with.
But for some reason, even in my daydreams, it was like I couldn’t get past thinking she could never feel that way about me. Fantasy Sage was always shy; I was always the one touching her.
“Now get naked and lie down on the bed so I can fuck you.”
Real life is so much better. Sage isn’t the pillow princess I’d imagined. She’s enthusiastic and bold. Her bright, positive confidence shines as she crawls between my legs without hesitation, pulling them wider apart to admire my naked body.
“This is so hot,” she murmurs, more to herself than me, before she leans down to lick right at my entrance. Tasting her for the first time left me completely dripping, and she immediately takes advantage of how wet I am by pushing a finger inside me, like she can’t wait to decide what to do first.
Sage is inside me.
A part of me still can’t believe that this is actually happening, so I repeat it to myself as I stare at Sage—the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, eating me out like it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to her and not at all like this is her very first time with another woman.
And she said she loves me. She wants to be with me.
I desperately want to be the only woman she’s ever with. The only person she’s ever with again.
“Fuck, baby, I’m already close,” I warn.
“You have no idea how amazing you are.” Everything she’s doing feels incredible.
I want to praise her, to make sure she knows how special this is for me, and how great she’s making me feel.
Pleasure is quickly building, bringing me closer and closer to release, but it’s not just that.
Sage is my dream girl, my person, the love of my life, and I never thought I would get to share any of this with her.
I’m getting surprisingly emotional as I run my fingers through the soft strands of her blonde hair.
My love for her is overwhelming. It’s the first time I can really let go, give myself permission to feel everything I do without any guilt, without feeling like I was lying and betraying my best friend's trust.
My girlfriend puts another finger inside me as she teases my clit with her mouth, and it's the thought of that label combined with her passionate exploration of my body that triggers one of the most intense orgasms I’ve ever experienced.
My vision blurs, going dark at the edges as I ride out the high she’s given me.
I’ve never felt an emotional connection like this with any of my partners before, and it makes everything indescribably better.
She’s beaming at me when I can focus again. “Holy shit, babe, that was so incredible! Feeling you squeezing my fingers as you came, all the moans and breathy sounds you were making—that was one of the best sexual experiences of my life,” Sage declares as I’m still trying to catch my breath.
She pulls my hands, helping me stand so we can go to the bathroom to get cleaned up. When we’re back in my bed, she snuggles against me, lying her head on my shoulder as I wrap an arm around her, hugging her even closer.
“I love you,” I say again.
She smiles up at me, her feelings so clearly shining in her bright green eyes as she repeats, “I love you.”
“How are you feeling?” I check. “This is all new—”
“Loving you isn’t new, Aspen,” she interrupts confidently. “Maybe I should be more conflicted about realizing that love wasn’t platonic, but I’m not. If anything, I’m relieved.” She chuckles.
“Relieved?” I repeat as a question.
“Yeah,” she says, running her finger over my skin absentmindedly.
“In the past, I’ve tried not to think too much about our futures, worried the day would come when we’d have to live apart,” she admits.
“I couldn’t picture it; I didn’t want to.
And now I know why. A part of me has always known that you were my future, I just needed the rest of me to catch up. ”
“Wow, girlfriends to living together forever in the same night, you’re pretty confident about us,” I tease.
“I am,” she responds seriously, glancing up to meet my gaze.
“Nothing would make me happier,” I agree, and her answering smile makes my breath catch. I hope I never get used to this, to how grateful I am to finally be together.
But I know things aren’t perfect yet. “Are you really okay with waiting to make things public?” I check again. I know she agreed to Parker and me pretending to date, but I have no idea how long it will take for me to figure out a solution with my father.
“Of course,” she answers without an ounce of hesitation. “I know I’m yours, and you’re mine. That’s enough for me.”
“It won’t be forever,” I promise. “You deserve to be proudly claimed, not hidden away in a closet.”
She shakes her head. “Babe, I appreciate that, but I promise I support your plan with Parker,” she assures me.
“We have the rest of our lives to be together. I want you to find a way to take back the control of your company and then we can figure out the rest.” She kisses my neck softly, and I melt into her.
“If that changes at any point though, if you want me to go public—”
“I promise I’ll tell you,” she confirms.
“I love you, Sage.” I’ll never get tired of saying that.
“Love you, too, Aspen,” she whispers back, eyes growing heavy. I pull the covers over us and hold the love of my life as she falls asleep, naked, in my arms for the first time.
And even though months go by without any progress where my company is concerned, and I continue to pose for pictures with Parker for my family to see, every night without fail, Sage and I end up tangled together in the same bed.
I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
December
The three personal investigators I hired to try to dig something up I can blackmail my dad with have all failed to find a single thing.
I know threatening him to get what I want isn’t ideal, or the most strictly legal route to take, but it's the only thing I can think of that would potentially convince my father to sell his shares to me. And if he doesn’t, I know he won’t be following any moral compass when it comes to sabotaging my career.
He’s been in politics for too long to be sloppy about what an absolute asshole he is.
It’s time to take matters into my own hands.
I’m “home” for Christmas.
Getting here was an absolute shit show. Parker overslept and we almost missed our flight, but we’re in Georgia.
My parents have been harassing me for months to bring Parker to meet them, and I finally agreed.
My father has no filter where his family is concerned, so I’m hoping I’ll figure something out during this trip to use against him.
They sent their driver to pick us up from the airport, and he informed us my parents are at a church event so the house will be empty when we arrive. Maybe I can poke around before they get back.
We enter the property down the long driveway surrounded by old trees and pass the elaborate fountain before pulling up at the grand entrance to the mansion.
I let us inside, and Parker takes in the curved staircase around the grand piano and all the in-your-face luxury decor my parent’s interior designer thought was a good idea.
“It’s obnoxious, I know,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“I’ve been around the Caldwells’ wealth enough that I’ll be able to feign a polite, unimpressed expression at your parent’s stuff if that’s what you’d prefer,” he offers, smirking.
Parker really is the best possible fake boyfriend. “Yes! That will be perfect. Act underwhelmed and indifferent, it’ll quietly piss them off, and they’ll respect you more for it.”
“Sounds good,” he agrees with a laugh.
I lead Parker upstairs as I get a text from my mother.
“Oh, good. Our room assignments, just in time,” I say sarcastically.
“Obviously, I’ve talked about how antiquated my parent’s beliefs are when it comes to relationships.
That’s basically the entire reason we’re supposedly dating in the first place.
But in case you were doubting just how strict they are, they have us staying in not only separate rooms, but in separate wings of the house. ”
“Oh, darn,” he teases, probably relieved we won’t be sharing a bed. Not when I caught him in bed with someone else this morning.
I show Parker his room and tell him to text me after he showers so I can formally introduce him to my parents, then I head down to my fathers office. It’s locked, of course, so no luck there yet. Maybe I can figure out where he keeps the key.
After I change into clothes my parents would deem more appropriate, Parker is ready, so I give him a quick tour hoping he won’t end up lost if I have to sneak away.
We spend some time chatting by the pool, and I warn him about all my awful extended family members he’ll have to meet at the Christmas brunch my parents are hosting tomorrow.
My mother sends another text saying dinner will be served at five p.m. so we head there a few minutes before.
At the last second, I decide to hit the record button on my phone before slipping it into the thin pocket of my skirt.
On the off chance my dad says something incriminating, I’d rather have the proof.
That’s my plan for the rest of this trip.
“Mother, Father, this is my boyfriend, Parker,” I introduce when we find they’re already waiting for us in the dining room. He shakes their hands and we all sit down for the meal our chef prepared.