Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Aspen
Work was busy over the last few days which meant the money was great. When my day off rolled around, I was more than excited to kick back at home and relax. My joints ached and my feet needed to be soaked and taken care of.
Sitting on the bed, I spread out the thousands of dollars in front of me, hope filling my chest at the mere sight of all this cash. Most of the guys I had to screw were respectful for the most part and tipped well, making it worth it. It was better when they finished early. Some of the guys were even hot, and that also made the job worth it at times, especially when they knew how to use their dicks.
My eyes roamed over the countless hundreds, twenties, tens, fives, and ones. This was going to be hell to count, but I wasn’t complaining. Grabbing the bigger bills first, I began counting and separating them into piles of a thousand. Next, I did the same with the twenties and so on until they were all organized in front of me.
A surprised laugh got lodged in my throat as I took in all the money, I’d made in only a matter of days. Twelve thousand dollars and some change. I had more than enough to move out now.
Gathering up all the bills, I put them in a few empty shoe boxes and stored them in the top of my closet, making sure to keep them hidden in the very back. I could also pay Rocky back for all the money he’d spent on me. My life was already changing drastically, and it would only get better from here.
Grabbing a change of clothes, I headed into the bathroom, locking the door behind me in the process. I stripped down, the tranquility of the water calling to me. Once the water was prepared, I lowered myself into the tub and rested my head against the back wall. The hot water surrounded me, seeping into my pale skin and turning it pink. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d taken a bath. Normally showers were my go-to, but there was no denying how good and relaxing this felt right now.
A sigh fluttered past my dry lips as I lay motionless in the bath, my muscles already loosening. This was about to become a weekly luxury for me, especially with how strenuous this job was.
My mind wandered to a better life; a life where money wasn’t an issue and a life where my sister was in reach. Maybe we could get a place together and we could go to the same college or something. A snort escaped me at that. Me ? In college? That would be something.
A light knock sounded at the bathroom door, making me startle. My head whipped over in that general direction, heart thumping wildly. I’d been so lost in the silence and lost in my thoughts that the sudden, obnoxious sound of the knock sliced through my reprieve.
“What?” I called out, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my tone.
“Can we talk?” Rocky’s voice bled into the room, catching me by surprise. I’d expected it to be Monroe, considering Rocky and I haven’t spoken in over a week.
Sighing, I rose, stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel firmly around my body. Once it was secured, I drifted across the room, unlocked the door, and opened it, not caring that water was dripping all over the floor.
Rocky’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing me in only a towel, but at this point, I was used to people seeing my body. Grabbing my clothes, I passed him, the warmth of his body radiating onto me as I entered the hallway and started toward my bedroom.
Drifting inside, I left the door open, inviting him to follow. My jaw was tight with tension, and I had no idea what to say to him. Things have been awkward between us since the club incident nearly two weeks ago.
“Close the door,” I instructed once he’d joined me.
Reluctantly, he did and stood in front of it, watching me closely as I laid my clothes out on my bed. “Are we okay?” he asked, upon realizing that I wasn’t going to speak.
“Yes.” Was my only response. I knew I wasn’t being fair to him to begin with. He never told me he liked me or wanted to be with me; I’d just been stupid, and my feelings were a little hurt. Rocky was an amazing friend, and he didn’t deserve my complications.
“Aspen,” he said, doubt filling his tone as he inched away from the door and moved toward me. “Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
Guilt ate away at me for the way I’d been acting, and a sigh fluttered past my lips. “There’s nothing to fix,” I admitted, dropping my towel. His eyes blew wide from shock, and he took a step back. I snorted in amusement and turned my back to him, reaching for my shirt. “I mistook your kindness and flirty innuendos for something else,” I continued, glancing over my shoulder, his eyes pinned on me. “I thought you liked me.”
“I do like you.”
I scoffed. “Don’t do that. I don’t believe you.”
Right as I was preparing my shirt to tug it over my head, he grabbed my arm, causing me to drop the piece of clothing and spun me around to face him. His gaze peered into my own, a desperation in them I’d never seen him possess before. In this moment, he looked sincere. Then again, he always looked sincere. I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t when it came to him.
Taking another step toward me, his hand moved to grip my neck. My breath stuttered out from the intimacy, and my heart rate increased. “I do like you. I’m just in a complicated situation,” he whispered right before lowering his mouth to mine.
It took me a second to register what was happening, but I quickly returned it, our breaths mingling together as one and the softness of his lips against mine sent chills down my spine. Rocky’s other hand moved to grip my waist, tugging me flush against his body. If he cared that I was still soaking wet, he didn’t show it. Instead, his kisses grew more frantic, and his grip on me tightened. My arms wound around his neck, and I tugged him against me even tighter, leaving no space between our bodies.
He started moving, walking me backward toward the bed until my calves stopped further movement and then he broke the kiss, our chests heaving as we worked to catch our breath.
“I want you so fucking bad,” he whispered against my lips.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
That was the only confirmation he needed as he helped lower me onto the bed and then ripped his shirt from his body, displaying his beautiful olive skin and blocky abs before his hands drifted down to his jeans and he popped the button followed by the zipper. Shoving his jeans down his legs, he stepped out of them and then his boxers were next.
My eyes practically bulged out of my head as I took in his lengthy cock that housed a variety of different piercings. I’d never been with anyone who was pierced down there before, that the thought of a condom covering them up, dulling the feel of them, didn’t sound appealing in the slightest. I’d just have to make an exception. Just this once.
“Hurry up,” I ordered, my body coming to life in ways it hasn’t in a very long time.
His lips tilted into a boyish smirk, causing his dimple to become more prominent. “What about a condom?” he questioned. At least he believed in protection.
“Just pull out.” I needed to feel everything with zero restrictions.
To my surprise, he nodded and positioned himself between my legs, his mouth finding my inner thigh, causing me to jump in surprise from the feel of it. My lip parted as his tongue snaked out and he started licking a trail from my thigh to between my legs.
When he was exactly where he wanted to be, he planted his mouth against my mound, his hot breath already making me wet. He groaned and flicked my clit with his tongue, his fingertips digging into my hips as he rocked me toward his awaiting mouth. A series of sighs escaped me, my hands clutching the sheets on either side of me as he feasted.
“I’ve been wanting to taste you since I first laid eyes on you,” he admitted right before plunging his tongue inside me, a moan slipping free as my back arched from pleasure.
“Fuck,” I hissed out between pants.
Heat spread through my body like wildfire, the feeling almost too much. The way he worked his mouth was enough to tell me he was experience. His bruising grip on my hips caused enough pain to keep me satiated. I wanted more . I wanted him to slap me, to choke me, to make me bleed . It was what I’ve been missing, what I’ve been needing .
“Tighter on the hips,” I forced out breathlessly, my body shaking with every stroke of his tongue.
Rocky didn’t disappoint, gripping me so hard around the waist, pain sparked beneath his touch, making me that much hotter, that much wetter. He kept working his magic, every lap of my center bringing me closer and closer to the edge until I was unraveling and muttering out a series of incoherent curses.
Loosening his grip around me, he sucked me clean, leaving my legs a trembling mess. When he pulled back, hunger took over his gaze, dilating his pupils. My release was smeared all over his mouth, but that didn’t seem to deter him as he climbed on top of me, centering himself at my entrance.
“Ready?” he questioned, though it seemed to take him a lot of restraint to wait for my response if his arms shaking on either side of my head were anything to go by.
I nodded, reaching forward, and trailing my nails along either side of his ribs, causing him to shudder. He blew out a breath before sinking himself inside me, his thick member stretching me along the way.
“Fucking shit,” he growled once he was seated all the way inside me. The cold metal of his piercings felt foreign, but not in a bad way.
Not bothering to be gentle, he started moving his hips at an abrupt speed, his piercings brushing along the center of me and rubbing against my clit. My mouth parted in shock from the new feeling and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. This was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
“You’re so goddamn tight, Aspen.” The words spilled through clenched teeth, the compliment only inflating my ego.
“Harder,” I demanded, wrapping my arms around his torso. My fingernails bit into the skin of his back, his body reacting to my touch in the best ways, letting me know that I was equally in control.
Reaching forward, he grabbed me by the throat like he could see into my soul and knew about all my darkest fantasies. In one quick motion, he slammed into me, forcing an unexpected scream from my throat. Our heavy breathing filled the room as he continued his pace, my back arching off the bed with every thrust. He was hitting a spot inside me that no one had ever managed to reach before, the feeling different, but so fucking euphoric.
“You feel so good,” I blurted out, caught up in the heat of the moment, my eyes watering from pleasure alone.
His eyes peered into my own, his grip tightening around my throat as he drove into me over and over again. My air flow was easily cut off, causing any further sounds to get lodged in my throat as I fought for oxygen, but that only turned me on more. My hands wound in his hair, right before I tugged, ripping his head backwards, a hiss of pain leaving him.
In retaliation, his hand tightened further around my throat, and I knew bruises would probably already be forming there. That knowledge alone made me want to bait him more. I trusted Rocky, and knew he’d never do anything to actually hurt me. With one hand I pulled his hair as hard as I could manage, while digging my nails into his back with my other, using the same brutality.
His grip immediately loosened around my throat, a growl leaving him in the process. “You really want to play this game?” he challenged, malice swimming through his green irises.
“Try me,” I rasped, my throat already sore.
A wide grin split his face and he pulled away from me instantly. Before I knew what was happening, he was flipping me onto my hands and knees, slamming back into me again. A surprised gasp fluttered past my lips, my hands fisting the sheets. He grabbed my hair, being careful to pull up top away from the extensions while he pounded into me with so much strength and so much speed. With his free hand, he gripped my wait tightly, making sure to tighten his grip.
“That’s not fair,” I forced out, having no way of getting to him to do the same.
“Who said anything about being fair, darlin?”
Ragged breaths left me, the sound of our skin slapping filled the room along with my strangled moans and his grunts. My body started shaking around him, heat spreading through my core, right before electricity seemingly pulsed through my body, my release following behind moments later.
“Holy fucking shit,” he groaned, tearing out of me as quickly as possible. The hot liquid from his seed coated my ass and lower back.
I collapsed onto the mattress; my muscles far too weak to hold me up a second longer. My breaths came out in deep pants as my system worked to regulate the oxygen flooding through me. Exhaustion trickled in, threatening to take me under, but sleeping the day away didn’t sound appealing.
The sound of shuffling filled my ears, indicating Rocky was already getting dressed, but I couldn’t find it in me to move, my eyes fluttering closed.
“I’ll be right back,” he said before my bedroom door opening and closing captured my attention.
I snorted at that. It wouldn’t surprise me if he fled. I’ve had my fair share of one-night stands and Rocky Barlow was unpredictable. My heart thrashed wildly in my chest, the thumping of it filling my ears. Something told me he wouldn’t do that though. While he might have been difficult to read at times, he was a good person. If this was just a meaningless hook up to him, he would have told me; I knew it.
When he reappeared, something wet and warm touched my lower back, startling me. Snapping my eyes open, I glanced over my shoulder to see him cleaning me with a washcloth, the sight making weird feelings stir in the depths of my stomach. Once he was finished, he disposed of the cloth, placing it in my hamper near my closet.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” I said, rolling off the bed and grabbing my shirt from the floor. I tugged it on, followed by a pair of leggings and crossed the room. Stepping into my closet, I retrieved one of the boxes I’d stored there. His eyes followed my every movement, curiosity swirling in the depths of them. Placing the box on the bed, I counted out four thousand dollars, not sure if this was the right amount, but knew it would cover everything he’d bought for me. Turning to face him, I offered him the wad of bills.
He stared at it like it was foreign. “I don’t want your money. What I did was a favor to you.”
“Which I’m grateful for, but I don’t want it to feel like I owe you.”
His lips parted in disbelief, and he took a step back. “You think I’d make you do something in exchange for helping you?”
“No,” I quickly blurted. “That’s not what I meant. Just please take it. It’ll make me feel better.”
Hesitantly, he reached forward and took the money. I could tell he didn’t want to, but I was still grateful. Rocky’s attitude had drastically shifted since we had sex, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the money thing, or if it was something else entirely. His jaw was tight with tension, his eyes distant and cold. Part of me feared that he regretted this. My stomach sank at the prospect, but I didn’t want to make things worse by commenting on it. So instead, I put the box back in my closet and moved to take a seat on the edge of my bed.
Rocky ran a hand through his tousled hair, something obviously bothering him. “I hate to do this,” he finally said. “But I have to go. I’m sorry.” My breath stuttered in my chest as I watched him turn on his heels and exit the room.
What the fuck?
Did I really just get played? Heat spread through my veins, exploding through me like a tsunami of wildfire. What an asshole. If he actually liked me as he claimed, he wouldn’t have been so quick to run off without an explanation.
Taking in a few deep breaths, I worked to calm myself. Maybe it was nothing. There was no sense jumping to conclusions. I’d let his actions speak for themselves in the following days to come.
My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten yet. Standing, I drifted to my door and pulled it open, venturing out into the hallway. Running my fingers through my hair, I tugged it up into a ponytail and made my way into the kitchen, halting when my gaze landed on Monroe who was nursing a glass of whiskey.
“Hungry?” he asked, his gaze roaming over me in an assessing manner.
“Yes, actually. Thank you.”
He nodded, setting his glass down on the island. “I imagine you would be,” he continued. “Especially after…all that exercise.”
My eyes widened and embarrassment burrowed through me. “You heard all that?” I asked sheepishly.
He didn’t respond right away, turning his back to me and collecting the ingredients needed for the meal he was about to prepare. He placed the eggs on the counter, followed by some cheese, bacon, and tater tots.
“I heard everything,” he finally said, keeping his back turned toward me as he worked on preparing the food. “Every moan, every curse, every creak the bed made, everything.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, sinking my teeth into my inner lip.
Monroe was silent as he finished up and then placed a glass of juice on the table followed by a breakfast burrito. Striding across the room, I dropped into the seat, thanking him as I did. The tension was so thick in the room that it made me wonder if he was jealous. Or maybe he just felt awkward.
He joined me at the table, occupying the seat adjacent to mine. His eyes remained fixated on his food, almost like he didn’t want to look at me.
“How was work?” he questioned, taking his first bite.
Another sensitive subject. Great. Monroe has made it clear that he didn’t support this one bit. Despite him driving me there, the distaste was always written all over his face. I knew the job wasn’t ideal, but it was my best bet. For now, at least.
I shrugged, my stomach grumbling from the lack of food. “It’s okay.” Wrapping my hands around my own burrito, my teeth sank into the breakfast item. A variety of flavors danced along my tongue, making me groan. This tasted fucking amazing.
“I know this isn’t my place.” He sighed, wiping his hands on a nearby napkin. His eyebrows were pinched as he worked to find the right words. “But I’m curious. Are you and Barlow a thing now?”
The question caught me off guard. He had just asked me about my job and the randomness of the subject change was comical. My life was complicated and considering he heard what he heard didn’t make it weird for him to ask. I’m sure anyone would have.
Sighing, my shoulders dropped defeatedly. “I don’t even know. One minute, he was telling me he liked me and then…you know. After, he just left without an explanation.” It definitely sounded like a fuck and dump to me.
“Well, that’s a risk when you just casually open your legs for someone.”
My eyes snapped to his, shock radiating through me. “What the fuck are you insinuating?” I growled. Out of all the people I’ve met at the academy, Monroe was the last person I thought would ever inadvertently slut shame me. Then again, I didn’t think Rocky would just bounce after fucking me either. It was true what they say; looks could be deceiving.
“I’m not insinuating anything. That’s always a risk. You know that; if you don’t, then you should.” Of course, I knew that. I wasn’t an idiot. His delivery needed some work.
“Yes, Aiden. I’m quite aware. Thank you for being an asshole though; it really helped.”
It was obvious he wasn’t too pleased with me. I just didn’t know why. Maybe it was my classless job, maybe it was fucking Rocky, hell, maybe he was just tired of my presence altogether. It wasn’t like he was going to open up and tell me how he felt; he was a closed book. Then again, I’ve never tried asking him about anything remotely personal.
“I’m not being an asshole,” he retorted, his expression blank and unreadable.
I rolled my eyes and leaned forward, snatching the glass of whiskey sitting before him. Before he could hurl anymore insults my way, I was downing the contents, the brown liquid slithering down my throat, lighting a fire in its wake.
He narrowed his eyes at me as I set the glass back down on the table and smirked, feeling extraordinarily feisty today.
“Don’t worry,” I began. “I’ll be out of your hair within the next two weeks and you won’t have to worry about me ever again.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What? You didn’t think I’d be staying here forever, did you?” I snorted at the prospect. “I’ve been saving since I started working at Club Euphoria. I’ll be able to leave as soon as I gather up some more cash.”
This time it was his turn to roll his eyes. “You aren’t going anywhere.” He took another bite, and then reached forward, grabbing my juice where he proceeded to wash it down.
“Yes, I am,” I argued. “That has always been my plan. To make enough money so that I could go and find my sister and?—”
“Sister?” he questioned, cutting my sentence short.
I’d been so weary of who I could trust that it hadn’t crossed my mind to tell this man anything about me. He has done nothing but protect me and keep me safe, making sure that I was always fed, and he even kicked his bitch of a wife out over how she talked to me.
I nodded. “My twin. We were separated at the orphanage. But getting back to her is my only goal in life right now.”
“Do you know where she is? Is she identical to you?”
“Well, no…and no.”
“Do you even know what she looks like?”
I always assumed I’d know upon seeing her, but that was also wishful thinking. When I shook my head, he snorted like I was insane.
“So…in other words, you’re being impulsive and reckless and have no idea what you’re doing,” he continued, raising his eyebrows. The way he was speaking to me pissed me off. This wasn’t some teaching moment where he could make me think differently with a few dickish words.
Annoyance skittered through me, and my hands balled into fists within my lap. Monroe has always been an asshole in one way or another, but today, he was completely unreasonable.
“What the hell is your problem today?” I demanded.
He scoffed, like the question was absurd, revealing his true colors underneath. “What makes you think I have a problem, Palmer?” The use of my last name only fueled the irritation simmering through my veins. Our last names were used during fights, sports, and coaching in general. It was a way to distance yourself from someone. I thought we were past that.
“Don’t play dumb with me. I’m not as stupid as you think.”
He stood abruptly, taking his food with him. “I have some work to do. I’ll see you tonight.” Without another word, he spun on his heels and made his way out of the room, leaving me to my warring thoughts.
A growl of frustration slipped from my mouth. But that was fine. I had the perfect person I wanted to take my frustration out on.
It was time to pay Foster a visit.