19
EVERLY
I’M FLUSTERED AS I FLEE from the bathroom, heading straight to the walk-in closet. I grip hold of the doorframe, breathing heavily as visions of Cash standing under the water with his hand wrapped around his cock flash through my mind.
When I woke up and he wasn’t in bed, I assumed he went for a run—until I heard the shower running. Curiosity got the better of me when I saw the door was ajar. I expected to find him naked, not jerking off as he called out my name.
Feeling flushed, I strip out of my tank top, shorts, and underwear and grab my white robe from its hanger, tying it around my waist.
I freeze when I hear the shower turn off. Coming into the closet was a bad idea. Cash is going to have to get dressed, and I’ll be forced to confront him. If I go now, I should have enough time to leave the room before he’s finished drying off. I wonder if he’ll come in wrapped in a towel or stark naked.
God, what is wrong with me?
I rub my hand across my face. Cash is my fake husband, not a piece of meat. And yet I’m lusting after him like he’s forbidden fruit that I’m desperate to sink my teeth into.
I’ve just made up my mind to make a break for it when I hear him enter the closet.
“Do you need something, Stafford?” I ask, pretending to look through my skirts. We both know it’s an excuse to avoid looking at him.
“Did you like what you saw in there?” he asks point blank as he approaches me.
Yes, it was the most erotic moment I’ve ever witnessed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply, feigning indifference.
“Oh, really?” Cash’s tone is skeptical. “Because from where I was standing, you couldn’t pull your eyes away as you watched me jerk off. Curious as to what I was thinking about?” He pauses briefly. “I’ll tell you.” He leans in, his breath warm against my neck. “I was thinking about what you might taste like with my face buried inside your pussy.”
My legs instinctively clamp together as the image flashes in my mind.
I glance over my shoulder at him. “And suppose I did like what I saw. What would you do about it?”
I lose my train of thought as he winds his arm around my waist, my back pressed to his front.
“Do you have any idea how much power you have over me, Ev?” he murmurs in my ear. “All I can think about is our moment in the elevator, with your hand pressed against my cock, the impulse to kiss those perfect lips consuming me.”
“This isn’t real.” My breathing quickens as I track his every move. “Our marriage is fake, remember,” I whisper, a last-ditch effort to convince myself.
Cash shakes his head in mock disappointment. “That’s a damn shame.”
He brushes my hair over my shoulder, holding me captive with his touch. I’m rooted in place, my skin tingling with heat as his soft lips brush against the shell of my ear, leaving me gasping for air.
“Why do you say that?” My question comes out breathless.
He spins me around to face him, his intense hazel gaze holding me captive. My eyes trace the jagged scar spanning from his ear to his mouth. Despite the imperfection, he’s every bit an Adonis, a living work of art whose flaws make him even more appealing.
“Rumor has it that newlyweds have some of the best sex of their lives.” His eyes dip to where my robe opens, and my nipples ache under the intensity of his gaze. “Aren’t you even a little curious about how my fantasy could play out in real life?”
Oh god, yes.
I bite back a groan, finding it more difficult by the minute to tamp down my instinctive response to him.
“Why don’t you show me.” The words escape my mouth before I can stop them.
I’m stunned speechless when he scoops me into his arms and carries me over to the large upholstered bench in the corner. It’s identical to the one in the entryway. Now that I think about it, both showed up the day after we returned from Aspen Grove. One of Cash’s sweet gestures, giving me a place to sit when I take my shoes on and off.
Why does he have to be so damn thoughtful? It makes it so much harder to resist him.
Once he’s eased me down onto the bench, he kneels before me. He’s wearing only a pair of black boxers, his bare chest glistening with water droplets. He must have rushed to dry off before coming to find me.
“What are you doing?” I squeak.
“Showing you what it feels like to have a man worship at your feet.”
I can feel a blush spread across my cheeks as he brushes his hands along my legs, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. When he pushes the silky material of my robe to the side, the belt comes undone, and Cash lets out a guttural groan when he glimpses what’s underneath—nothing.
I wait with bated breath as he leans into the apex of my thighs, nipping at my sensitive skin. When I try to shift in my seat, he holds my legs apart, pressing his nose against my core, inhaling my scent.
God, why is that so hot?
He coaxes me to lie back on the bench, lifting my legs over his shoulder. I should be mortified that I’m laid out bare for him, but a rush of heat courses through me, and my thoughts are consumed with what he might do next.
I weave my fingers into his hair, wrestling with the desire to draw him closer and the impulse to push him away. The former wins when he licks along the seam of my pussy in teasing strokes, and I instinctively push his head into my thighs.
I moan. “Fuck, Stafford. Your mouth feels so good.”
“I’m just getting started.” He says it like a promise. As if this is a small taste of all the wicked things he could do to me if only I’d let him.
I’m dripping with arousal as he alternates between licking and sucking. I moan louder as he grazes my clit, focusing his attention on the sensitive bud.
“Oh my god,” I gasp out as I dig my nails deeper into his scalp.
“Fuck, Ev, you’re so damn sweet,” he murmurs before burying his face back between my legs.
I pant heavily as my climax draws near, and Cash locks his mouth around my clit. As I cry out begging for more, he bites down firmly, and the room fills with my screams as I erupt, tumbling into orgasmic bliss.
When I finally come down from my high, Cash helps me sit up, the evidence of my pleasure on his lips.
When his gaze meets mine, I reach out to touch his cheek, softly running my thumb over the raised skin of his scar. He briefly closes his eyes as if savoring my touch.
“Are you okay?” he asks, holding my hand against his cheek.
Being with Cash feels like finding refuge from a storm. More than anything, I want to tell him that he has a wicked mouth and there’s nothing I’d like more than to spend the day locked away with him. But I hold back, my doubts outweighing the longing to surrender to my feelings.
For so long I’d been convinced that men were all untrustworthy and after Landon, I avoided them at all costs. Now that I’ve met someone who wants to cherish me and shower me with affection, I’m unsure how to reconcile my newfound hope with my lingering fears.
I nod. “It’s getting late. I should get ready for work,” I say, flinching when the words come out of my mouth.
“Yeah, okay,” Cash reluctantly agrees. I don’t miss the hurt in his voice as he stands, extending his hand to help me up. He gives my fingers one last squeeze before he steps away.
He’s halfway across the room when I stop him.
“Cash?” I whisper.
He turns around to face me. “Yeah?”
“You should know, that was the best orgasm I’ve ever had.”
He gives me a sly smile. “Don’t worry, it won’t be your last. Mark my words, Ev. When you’re ready to accept what’s happening between us, I’ll make sure you’re screaming my name while I’m deep inside you,” he promises, his eyes ablaze with determination.
The mental picture of him hovering above me on our bed, fucking me without restraint, enters my mind. My mouth falls open when he leaves me alone with my runaway thoughts, wishing I had the courage to ask him to stay.
Squinting down at the screen, I struggle to make sense of the email I’m reading. I should have left an hour ago, but after my encounter with Cash this morning, I’m stalling.
My face turns bright red just thinking about his head pressed between my quivering thighs, with my fingers tangled in his hair as I screamed out in ecstasy.
I’m not ashamed of what we did—in fact, I want to do it again—but that means our relationship would become even more complex, if that’s even possible at this point.
I’m startled when my phone rings on my desk, but I smile when I see who it is.
“Hey, Theo,” I answer cheerfully.
“Hey, little sis,” he teases.
“Are you forgetting we’re the same age?”
“I’m two minutes older,” he retorts smugly, a detail he never fails to remind me of.
I hear someone shout “Order up,” in the background, followed by another voice yelling “Cut.” A chorus of arguing voices follows.
“Where are you?”
“At the studio in LA. Hold on just a second.” The voices fade and a door slams shut. “Are you still there, sis?”
“Yeah, I’m here.” I wedge my phone between my shoulder and ear as I finish typing an email.
“Sorry about the noise. We’re filming a pilot for The Great Cook-Off Challenge , and not all the cast members are on the same page with the show’s direction.”
“It’s no problem,” I assure him. “I miss you. When are you coming back to London?”
“Within a few weeks,” he answers. “After we’re done filming here, I’m flying to Paris to visit La Maison de la Lune before its grand opening. I’m collaborating with another chef in Barcelona after that.”
Theo has been a culinary genius since he was a kid. He had a gift for turning a simple box of macaroni and cheese into a decadent dish with household staples like bacon, parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs.
He was always bound for greatness. After he graduated culinary school, a celebrity chef dropped by the restaurant he worked at and was so impressed she requested to meet the chef. They had a long conversation, and she gave Theo her card before she left. Within two years, he’d opened his first restaurant.
“Okay, hotshot,” I say. “Well, I miss you.” The main reason I asked my dad to work in the London office was to be close to Theo, but lately, he’s been traveling more than he’s home.
“I miss you too,” he says with a hint of sadness. “We have a lot to talk about when I get back to London, don’t we?”
I sigh. “Yeah, we do.” I send off the email I was working on, and lean back in my office chair.
“Like the fact that you married my best friend because of a silly high school marriage pact,” Theo mutters, his dissatisfaction evident.
Since his confrontation with Cash, we’ve had several brief phone calls and text each other daily, but we haven’t had a chance to properly discuss things because he flew to the States that night. Honestly, it might be for the best because I’m not sure how long I could withhold the truth about the acquisition if he were here in person.
“Is this a conversation you really want to have over the phone?” I ask him.
Theo falls silent for a minute. “No, but I don’t like that you two are playing house when I still don’t have all the details.” I hear someone calling Theo’s name in the background, followed by him cursing under his breath.
“Listen, I know you have to go, but I don’t want you to worry about me.”
He scoffs. “You’re my sister—I’ll always worry about you.”
His simple declaration is like a warm blanket of assurance that, no matter what, I will always have his unwavering love and protection. It’s difficult being so far away from him. We were inseparable as kids, and the distance between us never gets easier.
“Theo, I appreciate it, but I promise I’m okay… more than okay.”
“Is Cash treating you well?” he asks, the discomfort in his voice obvious.
“Yes, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better,” I state with conviction.
“I guess I’ll have to live with that answer for the time being.” There’s more commotion in the background. “I wish we could talk longer, but I have to get back to filming. I love you, sis. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Love you too, Theo.”
As I glance around my office, I realize how absurd it is that I’m hiding out. I’m lucky enough to have someone waiting at home for me, and I shouldn’t take that for granted. I pack up my bag, curious how things will play out when I get back to the apartment. A part of me is hoping that Cash meant it when he said what happened between us was just the beginning.
The apartment is quiet when I step inside. When I texted Cash to tell him I was on my way home, he said he was working out in the gym on the floor below and would be back in a couple of hours. Which surprised me, considering he’s always here when I get home from work.
What if my cutting things short this morning pushed him over the edge. He could have decided I’m more trouble than I’m worth.
The thought enters my mind like a whisper of smoke, clouding my judgment, but I’m quick to push it to the side. I consider going down to the gym to see him, but I decide against it, not wanting him to think I miss him… even though I do.
After confirming he isn’t in the apartment, I go to our bedroom, heading straight for the closet. I strip out of my blouse and skirt, tossing them into the laundry basket in the corner. I leave on my matching set of black lace lingerie and retrieve the floral shoebox stashed on the bottom shelf of the far wall of built-in shelves.
Whoever boxed up my belongings in my apartment packed my sex toys for me. I was mortified when I found them in Cash’s room while organizing my things. At least the movers had the good sense to keep my collection together.
I open the lid and dig through the vibrators and dildos until I find my favorite blue rabbit vibrator. It’s been ages since I’ve used it. Aside from the mornings when he goes for a run or works out in the gym, Cash is always home, and I haven’t wanted to chance him walking in on me pleasuring myself.
Tonight is the exception. I’ve been wound up like a spring all day and can’t wait any longer for my next release.
When I go back to the bedroom, my gaze drifts to the bathroom, thinking of Cash stroking his thick cock, precum leaking from the tip. My breathing picks up as I recall when he came, ropes of cum spurting to the shower floor.
My gaze shifts to the door, deciding to keep it open so I can hear if Cash comes home. I already know this is going to be quick.
Vibrator in hand, I crawl to the middle of the bed and lie on my back. I shimmy out of my underwear, tossing them to the floor.
Anticipation crackles in the air as I push the vibrator inside myself, groaning at the welcome intrusion. There’s no need for lubricant since I’m already wet from fantasizing about Cash’s thick cock. The sensation feels incredible, given my heightened state, and a jolt of pleasure shoots through my core when I turn the device on.
A soft hum buzzes through the air, and my hands tremble as I ease the vibrator in and out in uneven strokes. I think of the mind-blowing orgasm Cash gave me with his skilled mouth. The way his tongue licked and sucked, coaxing pleasure from my body as his fingers pressed into the supple flesh of my thighs.
“Oh, Cash,” I moan, remembering how he latched onto my clit as I tumbled into a blissful orgasm.
I push the device deeper, frantically searching for a similar result. The added pressure has me groaning, my muscles taut with the prospect of a climax. I’m startled from my elevated state when I hear movement.
My pulse quickens as I raise my head, my gaze darting to the open doorway where Cash is standing with his hands at his side. His eyes are blazing with lust as he shamelessly peruses my nearly naked body.
How did I not hear him come home?
Despite being comfortable in my own skin, it’s difficult not to feel self-conscious when I’m lying spread eagle on the bed with a vibrator shoved in my pussy while my husband stands a few feet away, looking at me like he’s starving.
I ease the vibrator out of me, pausing when Cash speaks.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he says in a husky voice.
The idea of him watching me climax sends another ripple of ecstasy through my body as the tip of the vibrator continues to pulsate at my entrance.
I surprise even myself when I say, “You can watch from there.”
“Whatever you want, wifey,” Cash says.
God, why do I like that nickname so much.
With one shoulder against the doorway, he folds his arms as though preparing to watch a performance.
I prop myself up on my elbow so I have a better view of him. He’s shirtless and wearing sweats that hang low on his hips. His well-defined muscles and confident stance make him positively mouthwatering.
Before I can overthink my invitation, I take in a deep breath, pushing the humming vibrator back inside my pussy.
Cash doesn’t move as he watches me plunge the device in and out. The bulge in his sweats grows larger when I let out a guttural moan.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath as he palms his shaft through his sweats.
My eyes flutter closed as the pleasure intensifies.
“Keep those beautiful eyes open, Ev,” he instructs.
I obey, snapping them open. Part of me longs for him to share this moment with me, and I don’t want to miss a single second of it.
“God, it feels so good,” I murmur.
“It’s nothing compared to what it would feel if it were my cock instead. I’d grip your thighs, my fingers making imprints on your skin.” My breath hitches when I turn up the speed of the vibrator. “I’d thrust inside your tight pussy while playing with those delicious nipples.”
I pump the vibrator faster in frantic strokes.
“Fuck, Cash, what are you doing to me?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” He groans. “Put more pressure on your clit, Ev. Get yourself there.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. My eyes remain locked on him as I push the fluttering ears of the device onto my clit like he ordered, crying out as I fall off the edge.
As I come down from my release, I’m disappointed to find that it left me unsatisfied and longing for more. One glance at Cash’s abs, glistening with sweat, and the pressure inside builds again.
“Want to test a theory with me?” he asks, remaining rooted to his spot by the doorway.
“Which is?” I whisper.
“That the real deal is much better than those toys of yours.”
It’s like he read my mind.
“Yes, let’s test your theory,” I say, frowning when he doesn’t come closer. “Stafford, I want you.”
“Fuck, Ev.” He stalks into the room, his eyes never leaving mine. He’s still palming his cock through his sweats, and his hair has fallen over his scar, making him look deliciously irresistible. “If I get on that bed, there’s no going back. You’d be my wife in both word and deed, and that’s not something I take lightly. Do you understand?”
I pause for a moment. He’s not asking me to be his forever… just his right now. We’ve already crossed so many other boundaries. What's one more? Especially when it means mind-blowing sex from a man who I can’t stop obsessing about.
Determined to make the most of the situation, I toss the vibrator on the nightstand and crook my finger in Cash’s direction, inviting him to join me on the bed.
“Let me hear you say the words, wifey,” he murmurs, his eyes burning with longing.
“I understand… hubby.”
Tonight holds the promise of being unforgettable, and I’m eagerly anticipating what’s to come.