Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
BLAKLEY
Dear Diary,
I really hope I wore the right panties for this evening.
As I walked out of my latest meeting, feeling oddly high on success, I tried my best not to skip down the hallway to my office. Working here was completely different than working at my previous place. I hadn’t realized how suffocating my last job had been. I hadn’t been able to do what I was good at. I had somehow been shuffled into doing paperwork for others, and focusing on what they wanted, rather than what I’d been hired for. It had been constant walking on eggshells, making sure I didn’t rock the boat. Everything that I had done had been so I could keep my job, a job I hadn’t even liked.
Now I had a team that wanted to do good things, and I was learning along the way.
There was a knock at my door, and I looked up to see James standing there, tablet in hand as he continued to work.
“Yes?” I asked, not feeling nervous at all about the fact that my boss was standing in front of me. What a novelty.
“I’m looking over that proposal you sent, and it’s great. I have a couple of suggestions for it, that you don’t need to take into an account, but I think could help.”
I smiled and stood up, going toward him so I could look at his tablet. It was just easier when I knew he had that manic energy and sometimes he just couldn’t sit down.
“No problem. It’s just a proposal. There’s what, twenty more steps before we can put anything into action.”
“Exactly. Flynn always rolls his eyes at me when I say that we need those twenty steps. He likes ten.”
My lips twitched. “I don’t have any siblings, just my folks. I love my parents, but I don’t know if I could actually work with them.”
“Oh, this is why I’d never work with my parents. I can work with my brothers, because we call each other out for things, and we listen to each other. But if all seven…” He paused and then cleared his throat. “If all twelve of us had worked in this building, it would be too much. ”
“Well there’s going to be four of you now,” I said, smiling at that new information.
Isabella had sounded worried and yet excited at the same time when she had put in her two weeks’ notice. Her first day was on Monday, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened. I was nervous for her, and the rest of the Cages, but it was going to be nice to have my best friend working nearby.
“It was Aston’s idea, but honestly, Flynn and I should have come up with it too,” James said with a shrug. “Hell, I realized I just said that working with everybody would be too much, but if people have the skills to make this work? Why not. Anything to make the company even better than what Dad thought it could be.”
I heard the bitterness in there, but he smiled so brightly, so much like Flynn in that moment, I couldn’t say anything.
“Do you know if she’s going to work in this office, or another.”
“She has the option of working at either one of our buildings. I don’t actually know where she lives, and Aston is handling all of that. We have more than one accountant on our team, and since she’s going into forensic accounting, she’ll be working more with Aston than me.”
“It’s going to be nice though, right? You’ll be able to know her.”
“Yeah. More than just at dinners where things are awkward and we’re doing speed dating for siblings.” He paused and cringed. “In a not really weird incest way that I just said.”
“I sort of understood,” I said with a laugh.
“Anyway, I like the proposal, and I’ll send over these notes.”
“No problem.”
“And you don’t have to stay for the whole day you know. You already did the work that we wanted. You can just head home and do more work there, but we’re not going to force you to work late tonight.”
My teeth bit into my lip slightly, and I let out a breath. “That would be nice. Because I sort of have to get ready for a date tonight.”
James tilted his head, before he sighed. “I really hope it’s with my brother because I do not want to deal with his grumpy ass if it’s not.”
“And that’s not awkward at all,” I teased.
“What? He was a complete grump for more than one reason when the thing with you guys didn’t work out the first time.”
“For obvious reasons that had nothing to do with me,” I said, a little shocked about his words, considering his father had died as well.
“We Cages are doing our best about not actually leaning into our grief and pretending it’s not real. So you don’t have to worry about that. I’m pretty sure he was grumpy about the other thing.”
I shook my head, not knowing if he was telling the truth or not .
“But anyway, yes. It’s with him. And I don’t really want to talk about it at work.”
“No problem. I don’t want to have to deal with HR.”
“Anyway, I will go home and finish work. Thanks for the option.”
“It’s what we do. We want you to stay here, and not find a new job after we help you train up all of your skills.”
“Is that a problem often?” I asked, honestly curious.
“More than you would think,” he said, as Flynn called him over. “See you in the morning.”
And then he left me standing at my office door, wondering what the hell had just happened.
I probably shouldn’t be dating the boss’s brother, but here we were.
We had been on two more dates since that first one, and we had kissed, laughed, but hadn’t done anything else. It was like he was taking his time with me and stressing me out all at the same time. I just wanted to know what he wanted. Of course that meant I had to figure out what I wanted.
With a sigh, I pushed that from my mind for now, and packed up my things to go. I hadn’t seen Aston that day since he was working with a team on another floor. And for the past week to be honest, he had been in different buildings, meeting with potential investors, and doing things on his side of the business. Which meant that we had the space that we needed, and it didn’t feel overwhelming.
At least in that sense .
I made it home quickly, and while I put on a face mask to hydrate, I looked over the rest of my files and continued to work for a couple of more hours. All the while getting ready for this date.
I didn’t know why I was so nervous, but I really couldn’t help it.
At half past six, the doorbell rang, and I looked down at my wrap dress and heels and hoped that it was good enough. Or that I wasn’t overdressed. All he had said was that he was taking me to dinner.
And the fact that I had put on my laciest panties and bra set, notwithstanding. Because I had to decide tonight if I wanted Aston Cage to see my underwear or not. And frankly, with the way that I had to press my thighs together when I thought about him, I really wanted him to see my underwear.
And with that thought in mind, I opened the door, and nearly swallowed my tongue. He stood there, his hair brushed back from his face, and that chiseled jawline relaxing as soon as he saw me. He was always so tense, but it was nice to see him slightly softened. He had on a dark blue buttoned-up shirt, but he had rolled the sleeves up, and dark pants.
He looked edible.
And that was going to be a problem.
“You look amazing.” Then he shook his head, and I frowned. “Amazing isn’t a good word. Delectable? Edible? Fucking sexy as hell? How about that.”
I grinned and shook my head. “You can keep adding words, I don’t mind. Let me grab my bag. ”
“Seriously though, I love that dress on you.”
I blushed, and grabbed my bag before walking out and locking the door behind me.
“Thank you. I’m not going to lie and say that it was the first thing that I picked out. Please don’t look at my closet because it might appear as though a tornado went through there.”
His lips twitched, but he reached around to press his hand to the small of my back, leading me to his car. He was so warm, so big. And I needed to rein in on whatever the hell was going on with me.
“I didn’t ask where we were going. Which in retrospect I probably should have considering you know, clothing.”
“You look beautiful. And appropriately attired for Le Petit Pearl.”
My eyes widened. “Fancy French food? Look at you go.”
“Not too fancy. I didn’t have to wear a suit jacket, and gasp, I’m showing forearms.”
I wiggled my brows as we got in the car. “I mean, forearm porn is a thing.”
He paused in the act of starting his car. “What?”
“I didn’t say anything,” I blurted, my voice slightly high-pitched.
“No, you’re going to have to explain what that means.” He’d started the car, and pulled out of the driveway, and we made our way toward the restaurant.
I gave in, knowing he’d persist. “It’s just that when a man pulls up his sleeves to show off his forearms and we can see the muscles there, and sometimes the veins, it just does things. I can’t explain it.”
He looked at his arms, and then at me, before looking back to the road. “Forearms. I guess you learn a new thing every day.”
Our conversation moved on to easier topics, and thankfully not just his forearms, by the time we made it to the restaurant. There was an actual valet in front, and I just shook my head, a smile playing on my face.
“What?” Aston asked as he helped me out of the car.
“You said it wasn’t fancy, and now there’s a valet.”
“Because this parking lot is terrible, so they need sixteen to eighteen-year-old kids to park our cars for us.”
“I don’t know if that actually helps my nerves or not.”
“Tell me about it.”
We walked up to the ma?tre d’, and as he leaned forward to speak, I looked around the gorgeous room, and was grateful I had picked this dress.
“Cage, party of two.”
“Yes Mr. Cage, we have you down.”
As we followed her toward a table against the windows so we could see the mountains before sunset, I looked up at Aston.
“What happens if there’s more than one of you at dinner? I mean, what if you guys picked the same place?”
“That’s never happened to me, although I think Dorian and Flynn have had that issue before.”
“It probably doesn’t help that there’s so many of you.”
I shook my head. “No, or that Hudson and Flynn are twins. ”
“And identical.”
“Yes. We all look alike, including Kyler for that matter, but they’re the identical ones. Hudson has his hair different now, so at least it’s easier for Mother to tell them apart.”
We sat down, as I took the menu, my attention only on Aston. “What does that mean?”
“My mother’s not the most observant when it comes to her children. She refused to get a nanny when we were kids, even though there were seven of us, so we pretty much raised ourselves like the terrors we were. I could always tell the difference between the twins, so could all of my brothers. But Mom never could.”
“That’s…” I let my voice trail off, shaking my head. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
“There’s nothing to say. That’s just my mother.”
Thankfully we changed the subject, as I had never been to this restaurant, and wanted to know what I should have.
I ended up with a chicken dish that was so decadent I knew I wanted leftovers.
Of course, the portions were tiny, and there probably wouldn’t be any.
“I need to go wash my hands, I will be right back,” I said after dinner.
Aston just smiled at me. “No problem. Did you want dessert?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if I could really do a flourless chocolate cake again.”
“You’re right, I think they need a better pastry chef,” he whispered, his voice low, and I just smiled, before making my way to the restroom.
I washed my hands, and then checked my makeup, my heart fluttering a bit. Tonight was good. I felt like I was getting to know him more, and things just felt easy. And it always scared me when things were easy.
I turned to go back to the table, when a hand gripped my upper arm, and stopped me. I froze, confused, and looked over to see a blonde woman with bright red lips, and gorgeous eyes smiling down at me. But there was nothing nice in that smile.
“Excuse me?” I asked, looking down at her hand on my skin. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“You know this is just temporary right?” she whispered, and I paused.
“I think you have the wrong person. Please let me go.”
“He was mine. Aston Cage was mine and we’re just taking a break. So don’t get comfortable in that seat.”
I blinked at this other woman, and had to wonder if this was his ex-fiancée? Or one of the countless women that I had seen on his arm before. It shouldn’t matter to me, even though it did a little, but I just stared at her, and then at her hand on my skin.
“Don’t be like this. You aren’t that person.”
“What do you mean by that?” the other woman asked, her hand falling.
“Are you his ex-fiancée?” I asked, knowing that I just needed to get the facts right before I left. My heart raced, but she just stared at me, eyes widening.
“So he told you about me. ”
I swallowed hard, realizing that yes, this beautiful woman was the ex-fiancée. And even though he had said she had broken it off, she didn’t seem over it. But I wasn’t that person. I wasn’t going to just stand here and take that. “I don’t know why you’re here, or why you’re talking to me, but Aston loved you.” Her eyes widened at my words, but I was going to tell the truth. “Meaning there has to be good in you. Don’t pit yourself against me. Don’t lower yourself to fighting me in a bathroom. We’re both above that.”
The other woman’s eyes widened again, before they narrowed into slits. “Then just don’t get in my way.”
I sighed, knowing I wasn’t going to get through to her in that moment. What I had said was true. And Aston had loved her, so there was some good about her. Because those were Aston’s choices. And I didn’t know what this woman wanted now.
“Just go. You’re not going to scare me out of whatever’s happening between us.”
The other woman just glared at me, before she walked out as if she didn’t have a care in the world, and I finally let my heartbeat slow down just a bit, the bile on my tongue fading away.
“Are you okay?” another woman asked, and I hadn’t even realized we had had an audience.
I smiled and nodded and was grateful that his ex-fiancée hadn’t squeezed too hard. I wouldn’t have a mark on my arm. “I’m fine. I just don’t exactly know what she wanted.”
“I have a feeling you know exactly what she wanted,” the other woman said dryly, before shaking her head. “But you handled that well. Good on you.”
I wasn’t quite sure that was true, but nonetheless I smiled at her, before going back to the table. I didn’t tell Aston. Everything felt good. Right. And I didn’t want to ruin the night. So when he finished signing the check, and we headed out to his car, I pushed all thoughts of that altercation out of my mind, and only focused on tonight.
“So, where am I taking you?” he asked, and there was so much promise in that question, that I swallowed hard and looked directly at him.
“Let’s go to your place.”
A smile slowly crawled over his face, and he nodded. “My place sounds pretty good.”
And as we drove there, I focused on the now. Because that was the only thing that mattered in this moment.
Nerves settled over my skin as soon as we were inside his house, and he handed over a gin and tonic. “I only have diet tonic for some reason. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh that’s fine with me. I usually can’t tell the difference.” I sipped the crisp drink and noticed that Aston had added the perfect amount of lime. “It’s wonderful.”
“Well, it’s an easier drink than mine,” he said.
I looked at his Manhattan. “I don’t know if I could drink cherry and bourbon.”
“Well they are a match made in heaven,” he said, as he brought the tumbler to his lips. I did the same with my glass, and then licked my lips as a drop of my drink slid out .
His gaze latched onto my mouth, and I swallowed hard.
“I think I’m done with the drink,” he said, his voice low, and I set my drink down with a nod. And then he was on me, and I couldn’t think. He cupped my face, his mouth pressing against mine with such ferocity, I could barely breathe. He tasted of liquor and sweetness, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, needing him closer. When he reached around me and gripped my thighs, I let out a shocked gasp. And then he lifted me up off the floor, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“I want you on a bed first. I’ll take you on a couch, against the table, anywhere later. But I want to see you sprawled out over my bed.”
I nodded, my pussy pulsating. “Yes. That’s what I want too.”
“Good.” He kissed me again and led me to his bedroom. I didn’t know which direction he was going, if we went upstairs or anything. I was so focused on him and his taste, it was like I was out of reality.
Aston set me on the bed, and I let out a moan as he gently tugged on the tie to my dress.
“I’ve been wanting to unwrap you since I first saw this damn dress.”
I swallowed hard, knees going weak. “Oh.”
“Damn straight.”
“It’s all I’ve been thinking about since I first saw you. But now, I get to see exactly what I’m unwrapping.”
My breath caught as I stood up, and he finished undoing the knot at my side. When my dress fell to each side of my hips, I felt as if I were completely naked in front of him, though I was still wearing clothing. The hungry, dark look in his eyes, nearly sent me over the edge.
And when he studied my body, I felt as if I were enraptured, treasured, his.
He reached out, and ran one knuckle underneath my breast, and then over my nipple. It immediately pebbled, and I sucked in a sharp breath, the sensation of his touch going straight to my cunt.
“Aston.”
He looked up at me then, that familiar smile on his lips.
“I love it when you say my name. Just my name.”
I swallowed hard again, as he cupped my breasts, and let my head fall back.
“Aston,” I repeated.
He tugged at my dress, and it pooled at my feet on the floor.
“You’re so beautiful. You take my breath away.”
I opened my eyes then, studying him.
“It’s really hard to think with you touching me. Or with you even in the room for that matter.”
“I’m going to take my time with you.”
I shook my head. “Maybe not the first time. I don’t think I can wait that long.”
He laughed then, a deep laugh that went straight through me. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
And then his mouth was on mine again, and I was tugging at his shirt. He let me take it off him, one button at a time. And then my hands were sliding over his skin, over the slight hair over his chest.
“I can’t breathe, I’m so hot.”
“Yes, you are.”
I laughed. “That’s not what I meant.”
And when he slid his hands between my legs and cupped me, I sucked in a breath.
“Yes. You are.”
I swallowed hard, and then he tapped two fingers over my pussy, and my knees went weak.
Before I could breathe again, I was on my back, my heels still on, and he was kneeling between my legs.
“I need to taste you.”
Blushing, I let my thighs fall to the side, as he gently tugged on the edge of my panties.
“Did you wear these for me?”
“And for me,” I said truthfully.
“Such a good girl,” he whispered, and then he slid my panties to the side, baring me to his face.
He studied me slowly, gently sliding one finger along my swollen folds, then the other. He was taking his damn time, and I moaned, my hips lifting without thinking. He pressed his arm over my hips, keeping me pinned, and when I opened my mouth to protest, he leaned forward and took me in his mouth. I buckled off the bed, as his tongue lapped at me, gently, slowly, as he continued to eat me out. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and then two fingers were spearing me, and my knees went weak.
“Aston.”
He hummed against me, curling his fingers just right to play with the sweet bundle of nerves inside me. I nearly shot off the bed like a rocket, my thighs clamping around his face as I came, my hips rocking along him.
He continued to move his fingers in and out of me, two and then three, and not stopping, as my wetness covered his hands, and his face. I should have been embarrassed about how hot I was for him, how drenched I was making him, but I couldn’t think. The sound of ripping hit the air, and I realized that he had torn my panties off me. I could have complained as those were nice panties, but I didn’t care. Instead he had his arms wrapped around my thighs, as he continued to lick at me.
“I can’t. Not again.”
“You will,” he growled against me, and then he continued to feast, like a man starving in the desert. And miraculously, I came again, my toes curling in my heels, the sounds I was making echoing off the walls.
And when he finally stood up, between my legs, I looked at him then, and nearly came again. His mouth was wet from my orgasm, and he was licking his fingers one by one, and then licked his lips.
“So fucking sweet.”
I swallowed hard, and then he hovered over me, kissing me. I could taste myself on his lips, and I arched underneath him, my pussy against his still-clothed cock.
“That’s it, move for me. Get me wet. You’re a dirty girl, aren’t you? Wet for me.”
“Aston.”
“That’s it, keep going, drench me.”
I was blushing, as I wasn’t usually into dirty talk, but there was just something about Aston Cage that did everything to me.
He shoved off my bra, unclasping it as he did so, and then he was sucking on my nipples, licking and squeezing and biting my breasts so I knew that I would bruise in the morning, but I didn’t care.
“I need to be inside you,” he growled, and when he stood up, I swallowed hard.
“Yes. Aston. Same. I need you inside me.” I slid my hand between my legs, playing with myself, and he smiled.
“That’s it, play with yourself as I get this cock out for you.”
“Okay,” I whispered, not sure what else I was supposed to say, I couldn’t really think.
But before he took himself out, he undid my shoes, gently rubbing his thumb on the arches of my foot as he did so. I moaned, wondering exactly what I was feeling. When he stood up again, and undid his belt, and shoved down his pants, I nearly wept in pleasure. He was hard, thick, and he sprung out of his boxer briefs, looking as if he were ready to come right there.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded, reaching for him. “In me already. I can’t think.”
“I need to get a condom.”
I shook my head. “I’m clean. I’m on birth control.” I paused, wondering what the hell I was saying, but I didn’t care in that moment.
His hand around his dick, he paused, and nodded slowly, before he swallowed hard. “I’ve never had sex without a condom before.”
We stared at each other, the moment pulsating between us heavy. “I’m safe.”
“Same.”
And for some reason I trusted him, it made no sense, but it did. I just wanted to feel him.
“I want you bare,” he growled, and I nodded tightly, needing him. I lay on my back, with Aston between my legs, and as he kissed me slowly, his hand over mine between my legs, he worked my fingers inside of me. I couldn’t breathe, the connection so fierce, and when he gently probed my entrance with his cock, I swallowed hard.
“Aston.”
“That’s it, keep repeating my name.” And then he shoved deep inside me. He was buried to the hilt in an instant, his thick cock stretching me to the point of pain, and I didn’t care. He was so thick, so deep, that it took me a moment to catch my breath.
“Are you ready?” he asked, pausing.
“Yes. Please move. I need you to move.”
“You feel so fucking good. I can feel every inch you.”
And then he began to move, slowly pounding in and out of me, as I reached for him, my fingernails clawing at his shoulders. He bit down on my flesh again, biting at my breast, sucking, and I couldn’t think, just moving with him thrust for thrust. When he moved again, I wrapped my legs around him, trying to keep him close, deep inside. But he pulled out of me, leaving me bereft .
“Hands on the wall,” he growled, and he flipped me over on my stomach and gripped my hips. I crawled forward, with him behind me, and I put my hands on the wall, my knees shaking.
“That’s it, feel me.” And then, without any warning, he shoved deep inside of me, and I groaned, arching for him.
To keep myself steady, I nearly clawed at the wall, and he had one hand on my pussy, playing with my clit, the other around my throat.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“I can’t think…” I swallowed hard, and came again, not even realizing that his voice could do that to me.
“That’s it, squeeze me. I’m almost there.”
“Aston.”
I knew I needed to say something other than his name, but that was the only thing on the tip of my tongue. But when he pulled out of me again, I was afraid it was over, and yet I knew I could barely move. But instead he sat so his back was to the headboard, and then pulled me over him.
“Finish me, ride me. Take control. You’ve got this, Blakely.”
At the sound of my name on his lips, my eyes filled, and I lowered myself over him, knowing this would take him even deeper.
This was the most intimate I had ever felt, we were face to face, my breasts pressed against his chest. He gripped my hips and nodded slowly.
“I’ve got you, Blakely. You’re safe with me. ”
Tears slid down my cheeks, and I rolled my hips, slowly setting the pace. He just nodded, and kept going, his jaw tensing as he was nearly there.
And when he pressed his lips to mine, and I cupped his face between my palms, he came, groaning my name, and I let the tears fall.
I hadn’t planned for tonight. I hadn’t meant for any of this. And I was truly afraid with this one moment, with the tears running down my cheeks, I was well on the way to falling in love with Aston Cage.
And that would be my sweetest mistake.