Chapter 31
Amelia
Afew days later, I arrive in the office early, walking gingerly out of the elevator, trying to keep my expression blank.
Crawford had told me the night before to wear one of his toys to the office this morning. I could hardly believe the course my life had taken as I sat on my bed, legs splayed, pushing it inside me before I was even dressed.
I hike my bag up my shoulder as I walk, hoping for some alone time at my desk to get used to the sensations running through me.
I’ve nearly made it through the office when Kaitlin materializes beside me, a conspiratorial smile on her face, and drags me into the kitchen.
“Is everything okay?” I ask as we enter the empty space. The fridge hums loudly beside us.
“You know it’s the gala tonight, right?” Kaitlin asks.
“Yes, did you need me to do something?”
“No, no. Everything’s dealt with. Beatrice is in a super black mood, though, so I would avoid her if I were you. I was wondering if you’d heard the rumor.”
The plug inside me shifts as I clench around it, terrified she’s somehow found out what my job really is.
“Uh… what rumor?”
“Crawford and his ex got back together.”
For a second, the sounds in the kitchen fade away. The hum of the fridge, the gentle murmur of conversation outside, it all dissipates into a screaming void as I bite my tongue to stop myself from barking out a harsh reply.
“R…really?” I ask, my voice coming out as a whisper.
“I’m not one for gossip, but this is pretty huge. Megan Trebeck was such a bitch. I actually lost a bit of respect for Crawford when Beatrice told me they’d gotten back together. Apparently, they were seen having dinner a few nights ago. There’s a bunch of articles online about it.”
My fingers clutch my bag strap so hard I wince. “Wow. Uh, so I guess she’ll be there tonight, then?”
“Oh yeah. Well, actually, she would have been anyway. Crawford’s cousin, Sinclair Kellerman, is one of the guests, and Megan is Sinclair’s girlfriend. It’s gonna be a pretty fucking awkward evening.”
For someone who’s ‘not a gossip’, Kaitlin is positively salivating over the details. I force a laugh out of my suddenly-dry throat.
“Maybe it’s just a rumor,” I say weakly.
“Totally. But if you get a call from some woman demanding to speak to Crawford today, that’s who it’ll be. Be nice to her. She got two of his assistants fired last year.”
She squeezes my arm and heads back to her desk, leaving me reeling. Thoughts spiral manically through my head as I consider one terrible possibility after another.
I’ve been such an idiot.
Up until now, I’ve existed on a na?ve little cloud, denying how I feel about Crawford and pretending he means nothing to me. I told myself all the emotions that flood my mind when I see him were just temporary and fleeting.
But the news that he might be with someone else makes me feel like I’ve been kicked in the chest by a horse. Then a jolt of panic shudders through me.
Shit, is he sleeping with her?
The idea that we are fucking without condoms, while all the time he’s screwing his ex, makes my jaw clench so tightly I feel as if I might crack a tooth.
I head to my desk, holding my head high, the warm, pleasant sensation of the plug now a constant reminder of the lies Crawford has told me. I plan to head to the bathroom and take it out as soon as possible.
As I reach my desk, I’m already calculating how many more weeks I need to spend here before I can afford Annabelle’s first round of treatment. The sooner the better, then I can get out of here and leave this lying son of a—
“Amelia.”
I jump back, my bag slipping from my shoulder as I look up to find Crawford leaning against the door of his office. His eyes run over me appreciatively, and I curse inwardly at the ripple of pleasure I feel just being in his presence.
“Did you complete that task I asked you to do?” he asks, and I can see his hard cock outlined in his pants. I glance behind me, worried that someone else might notice, but all the staff are on the other side of the office.
“Y—yes,” I say, but my voice is harder than it should be. He frowns, pushing himself off the door jam.
“Come in here, please,” he says, and I have no choice but to obey, the wetness between my legs intensifying as I look him over. Why does he have to be so incredibly hot?
Keep it together, Amelia. You’re mad at him, remember?
I walk into his office to find him standing behind the door. He shuts it gently, his eyes narrowing.
“What’s the matter?”
I shift my weight, hands smoothing over my dress. “N—nothing.”
“Is it the number of people outside? I know there are a lot of people here today because of the gala. Do you want to take it out?”
Does he really care, or is he good at pretending he gives a shit?
“No,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. His look of concern morphs into amusement, and I raise my eyebrows as a slow grin passes over his face.
“Are you mad at me?” he asks. “I do love it when you’re riled up. This reminds me of when I had a fever and you kept demanding I drink water every five minutes.”
“That’s because you drank half a glass in the space of eight hours and were sweating through your bed sheets,” I huff irritably.
He gives a soft chuckle. “This wasn’t quite how I imagined this morning going. What’s wrong? Are you mad about the plug? We don’t have to—”
“Who are you going to the gala with?”
I snap my mouth shut, my stomach dropping to the floor. Jesus Christ, play it cool, Amelia. He can go with whomever he wants.
Crawford’s eyebrows rise to his hairline. “Uh, a woman named Amber Collins. Why?”
Something releases in my chest, and I step back from him, tugging at my sleeve and dropping my arms to my side. My throat clenches.
“Oh, okay.”
He moves closer, his hands going around my waist, an infuriating smirk spreading over his handsome face.
“What’s gotten into you this morning? You look pissed off. I don’t know why, but it’s really pushing my buttons.”
He begins to walk me backward toward his desk, and I gasp as his cock bumps against me. As I hit the table, he stops, leaning back, and his smirk disappears as he frowns at me.
“What’s wrong?”
I shake my head. “No. It’s nothing.”
“Amelia,” he says as I shiver at the sound of my name. “Tell me.”
I purse my lips, not sure how to play this. I can’t let him know how jealous I am; he would think I was crazy. Maybe I can frame it in terms of my job; that feels safer.
I glance up at him, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
“There are rumors about you being back with your ex. I was surprised, that’s all. If we need to start using protection again, I’d rather know about it.”
He steps away from me, and I go cold all over as he spears me with a hard stare. For a horrible moment, I think he’s going to fire me on the spot for being a needy, pathetic idiot.
“Look at me, Amelia.” I do, chewing on my lip.
“There is no way in hell I would do that to you. One, Sterling House would have my ass, but more importantly, there’s inherent trust in you letting me get rid of the condoms. I will never jeopardize that.
I take it extremely seriously. Other men might not. But I do.”
My shoulders relax, and I feel my body melt against the desk. “Okay, I’m sorry. If you change your mind, it’s completely—”
“I haven’t changed my mind,” he says, coming back toward me and putting his hands gently on my hips. “Abso-fucking-lutely not.” His cock nudges against me. “Mm, what guy on earth would pass you up. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I meet his gaze, and there’s something in the depths of it that I can’t decipher, almost a glimmer of surprise before it’s gone.
I groan as he pushes his hand down my stomach and beneath my skirt.
“Now, where were we?” he murmurs in my ear. “Now that we’ve got that little hiccup out of the way, I’d really like to feel how wet this plug has made you before I use all that lubrication to slide my cock so far into you I have to gag you so no one hears you scream.”
I shudder as he finds the end of the plug through my panties and moves it from side to side.
“Do you like how it feels?” he asks. I nod, widening my legs. “Because I don’t think I’ve been this hard in a long time. I like seeing you jealous.”
I open my eyes, leaning further back on the desk, wondering if he’s being serious.
“I wasn’t jealous,” I say as he pulls my panties down. “I was—fuck.”
He pulls the plug out without any warning. Then, dropping it on his desk, he unzips his fly, shoves my legs apart, and pushes his cock into me in one long thrust as his palm clamps over my mouth.
I scream into it, I can’t help it, the shocking, intense pleasure after the plug sends me into the stratosphere.
“You were saying?” he asks as he lies me down over the desk.
I can’t speak, and all I hear is a deep rumbling chuckle as he begins to fuck me so thoroughly, I can barely breathe from the pleasure.