23. Laurene
CHAPTER 23
Laurene
My fun ended when I spotted Harold talking to Mayor Castillo.
The music’s beat matched my fast heartbeat. I left Gigi and Serena dancing and made my way over to them.
Harold and Dante. Blair’s men, standing side by side.
My eyes locked on Harold, and something tight and uncomfortable coiled in my chest.
“Mr. Ashbourne.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “Mayor Castillo.”
Dante grinned. “Mrs. Ashbourne.”
I glared, focusing on Harold. “Laurene. Lovely reception, isn’t it?”
“Harold. We need to talk.”
“I’m in the middle of business here. Surely my son can entertain you, or you can fix that pretty makeup of yours.”
“It’s urgent,” I pressed.
He sighed and gestured to Dante. “Excuse us, would you?”
Dante glanced at us before leaving. I’d handle him at another time.
Harold eyed me irritably. “Ruining my night, Laurene?”
“It’s about Blair.” I met his gaze, keeping a poker face. “ Remember your hidden meeting at your house? Your mistress?”
Harold’s expression shifted in an instant. The color drained from his face, his eyes flickering with panic before they hardened. He glanced around quickly, his gaze landing on Pauline, laughing next to Jennie. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?”
He led me to a quiet room off the main hall.
“Blair’s been helping me with business. Nothing more.”
“Business?” I repeated. “I’m not buying it.”
“You should tread carefully. I’ve played this game longer than you’ve been alive.”
“What if I tell Pauline what I saw?”
His eyes snapped to mine, sharp and cold. “I’m not sleeping with Blair.”
“What are you hiding?”
He paused, but didn’t turn around. “I’m not answering any more of your questions.”
“Would you blackmail your own son?”
I had to ask. I’d watched Harold all night. He didn’t look like the happy parent with a new partnership. He looked agitated. Constantly checking his phone. A drink always in his hand.
He spun around. “What?”
“Reese has spent his entire life trying to live up to a standard you made impossibly high for him. I know you don’t like him.”
“He’s lazy. Undisciplined. Weak,” Harold snapped. “He had every opportunity handed to him, and he squandered them all. Do you know what that’s like? To give someone everything, and they spit in your face?”
“Everything?” I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “You gave him nothing . But that’s not the problem, is it?”
Harold’s nostrils flared, the muscles in his jaw tightening. He was visibly seething now. “It’s about what I’ve invested. In him. My company, your town . ”
“Invested?” I echoed. “What are you trying to protect, Harold? Paranoid too?”
He stiffened, the walls going up again. “I’m done talking about this.”
My hand shot out, grabbing his arm. Somebody better give me an answer. “What the hell are you hiding?”
Harold spun, his grip on my wrist tightening with surprising ferocity; I gasped. He sent me hard against the wall.
His face was inches from mine, his eyes wild with rage. “You don’t know who you’re messing with, Laurene.”
“Let go of me,” I said, though a small part of me was afraid. But I refused to give in. I would not let him scare me.
“Your mother she thinks she’s controlling everything. But she’s blind to what’s really happening.”
I stared at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Dante,” he said. “You don’t think I see them both plotting against me? I know your mother had a plan with this arranged sham.”
I blinked, feeling a shiver crawl down my spine. “What is Dante planning?”
“Worry about him instead of me.”
He released me, and I immediately pressed my wrist against my chest.
A sudden knock on the door shattered the silence, sharp and unexpected, and Reese stormed in. Immediately his eyes were on me and my arm, and I immediately forced it down by my side.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Reese demanded, his gaze darting between me and Harold. “Laurene? Is everything okay?”
I opened my mouth, ready to respond, but before I could get a word out, Harold said calmly, his voice cold, “Nothing to worry about. Just a discussion about family matters.”
“Really?” Reese’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing on his father .
“I was just leaving,” he muttered, brushing past Reese without even sparing him a second glance.
The door clicked shut behind him, and Reese turned to me, concern flooding his features. “Laurene. What did he say to you?”
I didn’t trust myself to speak about it yet without breaking. “Can we go?”
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
What do I say to him?
We pulled up to his house, and Reese killed the engine and got out first, circling to open my door. “Come on.”
I pulled up my dress; the rough stone steps were scratching at the delicate fabric. The image of the send-off at the resort kept haunting me—confetti in my hair, car packed with wedding gifts. But now, it all felt so far away and suffocating.
I grew more exhausted with each step.
“Want a drink?” he asked once we were inside, while loosening his tie.
I nodded.
Reese headed into the kitchen. I replayed my conversation with Harold.
What the hell was going on? One answer just led to another question. It felt like one of those never-ending handkerchief magic tricks.
The blackmailer hadn’t made a move in the past week.
So far, we’d looked into Miles. Tobias. Blair. Harold. Dante.
It all kept coming back to the mayor .
He had always been ambitious—too ambitious, maybe. But to play us all like this? He and Mama had a deal. A deal I didn’t know shit about. But to align himself with my family, to cozy up to my mother, and then turn on her? That didn’t add up either. What was his endgame?
Reese’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You okay?” he called from the kitchen.
“Yeah,” I muttered, strolling to the windows, fingers brushing the smooth leather couch. Dark cliffs met a black, endless ocean.
The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. So Dante was involved in the blackmail, right? Then why the delay?
A quiet click, then smooth music started playing.
Harold, Toby, Blair, Mama—round and round we went.
I found the latch to the patio and stepped outside.
All of this needed to be over. Done.
My hands clutched the wrought-iron railing as I looked out.
I felt this huge sense of dread; it was like we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. I turned to see Reese, clearing his throat, holding two glasses, sleeves rolled up, showing off his arms.
“You seem thoughtful.”
I paused, our fingers brushing as I took a drink. That whiskey was strong, but it felt good going down. “We’re married.”
“We are.”
My wedding ring was proof that we had made it through everything. We were married now. He was my husband.
“I’m all yours, Laurene.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I grinned.
“What happens next?” I finally managed.
“We handle whatever comes,” he said. “Together.”
There were so many layers to this. So many things still hidden.
“Reese—”
“Whatever it was with Harold,” he said, “let’s leave that for another day.”
He swallowed hard, gently putting his glass down.
Reese was on me before I could say anything. The warmth of his hands on my waist sent a pleasant shiver down my spine .
“You’re overthinking,” he murmured, his warm breath ghosting my temple as his fingers, long and slender, traced the curve of my back. “I can practically hear it.”
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling slightly before I finally rested them on his chest; I could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingertips.
“Reese—”
He leaned closer, his lips brushing the edge of my ear as he whispered, “Whatever’s going on in that head of yours, let it go for just one night.”
I tilted my head up, and the intensity in his eyes, a mixture of sadness and understanding, stopped me cold.
His mouth was on mine, a demanding, hot kiss that stole my breath. His hand, warm and strong, caressed my neck, sending jolts of electricity through me. His fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me into him until my legs gave way.
My mind went completely blank for the first time all night. No Harold, no blackmail, no secrets—just Reese and the way he touched me, tasted me, and whispered my name on my lips like it was the most important thing ever.
“I’m never letting you go again.” The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken promises.
“You’re mine,” I whispered.
“Damn right I am.”
Reese’s hands went down to my waist, tracing the delicate lace on my dress. Leaning in close, his warm breath a whisper against my neck, he pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to the sensitive skin below my ear.
“Take it off,” he rasped, igniting a fire within me.
He carefully loosened the bodice strap by strap. He stepped back, looking me up and down.
“I need you. Here. Now.”
The silk gown slid to the floor.
“Out here? ”
Reese’s lips curved into a slow, devilish grin. “Why not?”
He reached for his shirt, his fingers working one button at a time, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. The faint moonlight caught on the hard lines of his chest as he revealed it inch by inch. My breath hitched as the intricate tattoos decorating his skin came into view—sharp, bold, unapologetically him.
God, I wanted to trace every line with my lips.
I took a step toward him, my pulse hammering in my ears, but he held up a hand, halting me in my tracks. “Not yet.”
The words were a soft command, a low rumble vibrating in his chest. “Don’t touch me.”
Without a word, Reese sprawled on the chaise longue by the patio, legs out, one arm resting on the back.
Frustration and longing overwhelmed me. “Are you teasing me?”
“I like it,” he replied. “Or maybe I just want to watch you crawl to me.”
“You like me on my knees too much.” I moved forward, only in black lacy panties, no bra.
“I’m happy with you in whatever way I can have you.” He sat up a bit as I reached him, and his hand brushed my hip. I settled onto his lap, and his warm hand found my back, rubbing slow circles.
I slowly began to grind against his thigh, each movement pulling a low hum from deep in his throat, and Reese took my chin, tilting my face so I was forced to meet his gaze. Then he kissed me.
A sigh escaped my lips as our mouths met, soft at first, then a deeper, more passionate kiss. He brushed my hair behind my ear. His tongue coaxed me open. Our tongues met, slow and unhurried.
I was on the chaise longue, flat on my back, before I knew it. My whole body shook as heat pulsed between my thighs. I tilted my head back, letting him kiss me all the way down. When his fingers grazed under the swells of my breasts, I shuddered. He gently touched my nipples.
I gasped as his lips drew a hard nipple into his mouth. His tongue ran small circles over me, and he grunted softly against my skin.
“Damn, you so fucking wet.”
He moved my panties and slipped a finger in, making me moan. I almost screamed when his tongue wrapped around my clit.
“Reese!”
My hand landed on top of his head, I made eye contact as he ate my pussy. I couldn’t stop my body from twisting and turning as he released my clit with a loud smack.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said softly.
Reese paused, and it was the closest I could come to admitting the truth: that I was afraid of losing him more than I was afraid of loving him.
He added another finger, then tugged me closer, burying his face between my thighs.
“Oh God.” Making eye contact with him again, I succumbed to the pleasure. Letting out a strangled noise as he pushed my thighs to my chest, I struggled to breathe, and within seconds I felt my pussy clamp down on his fingers.
“Reese!” My heart was pounding in my ears, and I lay looking up at the night sky.
Before he could respond, I moved, flipping us with a burst of urgency that left him momentarily stunned. His hands were on my hips as I shifted forward and pushed his cock into me. I gritted my teeth; the first few inches were always a stretch, but after that the pleasure began to take over.
My toes curled as I sunk into his lap, every rise and fall measured, teasing.
Reese’s hands grasped my ass possessively, bringing us close. My thighs began to tremble as I tried to close them, but he shook his head, and I felt his breath, hot and ragged, pushing me over the edge.
“Nope, spread ’em.” He used his free hand to move my thighs apart, and I threw my head back.
“Oh God… Reese, I’m…” I could barely get the words out; I was so overwhelmed. The heat from him, that salty, woodsy, ocean smell—it filled my senses.
I wasn’t embarrassed by the way my body responded, the slick sound of us echoing between gasps and moans as I rode him harder, each thrust drawing me deeper into the moment. I was wet, the friction felt good, the wet noise gave me chills. My ass met his thighs with a force that jolted me forward.
“Fuck, you’re so fuckin’ tight.” I loved how he looked falling apart.
He was panting, sweat slicking his skin as his hands explored my body, tracing the map of my stretch marks, dips, and scars, making me feel breathtakingly beautiful. I felt my stomach clench and burn as an orgasm built.
“I can never seem to get enough of you.” He sat up, forcing me to make eye contact before he mercilessly drilled up into me. “Wanna come?”
“Yes, Reese, fuuuck yes,” I cried, my voice breaking as my nails dug into his shoulder, leaving crescent-shaped marks. He slowed, just slightly, and the drag of his cock sent a sharp jolt through my body. Each thrust was deep, purposeful, as if he were imprinting himself into every inch of me.
I didn’t care about tomorrow, or the chaos waiting for us. This moment was ours. Just ours. Perfect.
I quickly moved from my knees to my feet, bracing myself against his chest. Each movement made him press deeper inside me, and the new angle sent a cry tumbling from my lips.
Reese’s hands shot to my hips, guiding me with bruising force as I rode him, each thrust harder and faster than the last, until the world blurred, and all that mattered was the tightening coil threatening to snap inside me .
I watched, mesmerized, as his Adam’s apple bobbed, his ragged breaths catching in his throat, each gasp a desperate, uneven struggle against some unseen force. The rhythm of his movements shattered, replaced by frantic, instinctive reactions.
“Shit,” he said, taking my hands and intertwining our fingers. “Look at me, Laurene. I love you.”
I dropped and raised my hips even faster. He loves me.
No matter how far Reese’s cock pulled out of me, my hips chased his. I hugged him tight.
“You’re taking me so well, baby. Hold on, I’m almost there.”
He was going to make me cum. My legs were trembling, and I just couldn’t stop myself from clinging to him and eagerly accepting all that he gave me.
“You’re so deep.” I reached down to push at his thigh, and he smacked my hand away.
“So hardheaded,” he growled, his pace slowing but not losing any of its punishing precision. Every thrust still found my spot, sending shockwaves through me. “Quit pushing me away and take this fuckin’ dick.”
“That’s my spot,” I gasped, my voice breaking.
“Right here?” His smirk was downright devious, his hips angling to hit that spot over and over. Each slow stroke had moans spilling from my mouth like a broken record.
“Fuck!” we shouted in unison, our voices tangling in the heated air.
Pleasure hit me so hard, I nearly fell back. He held on to my hips tight while he went deeper and harder, making sure I remembered every moment.
I could feel myself getting him all wet, slippery and wild, dripping down from his cock. Reese’s cock pulsed inside me, his release driving me higher, my walls clenching around him in one final desperate grip before I collapsed against his chest, trembling, spent, and entirely his.
I took a few moments, letting my heartbeat come down and listening to the steady beat of his as he softly stroked my back. I faced him, and his smile was gentle, almost goofy.
“I’m scared,” I choked out.
“I know,” he murmured, the scent of his cologne filling my nostrils, pulling me closer until his arms wrapped around me completely. “Me too.”