Chapter 17 Aston
I can smell her all over my hand.
The temptation to slide my cock in and take her inside the bathroom is impossible to ignore, but I know it won’t be long until someone comes looking for us. With every moan escaping her beautiful lips, I fight the urge to fuck her to oblivion.
Miss Woods is my target.
I want to own her here and now.
My hands instinctively cover her mouth to hide her delicious moaning, but all it does is send me into a frenzy. I thrust my fingers into her, groaning as they slide in so effortlessly. Her soaked pussy smothers my fingers, and inside my pants, I’m ready to fucking blow.
The unbearable pain of holding back is a whole other torture.
I control the moment, but the truth is—I am tormenting myself just as much.
Avoiding our reflection in the mirror is futile. I watch her body melt into me, and her tits bounce inside her white lace bra. All the while she rides my fingers until she loses control and comes all over them.
Then, I taste her.
And she tastes like perfection.
She brings my fingers to her lips and I watch her taste her own juices.
Fuck, I am on the verge of exploding right here and now!
Yet, the fear of being caught weighs heavily on my mind.
For now, I have to stop.
But I need this power trip. I need to be the only man she thinks of when her body is falling into an abyss and her pussy is throbbing with cum, dripping from the intensity.
The only voice in her head.
The only scent she can smell.
And I need this doctor douche gone for fucking good.
Everleigh exits the bathroom first, leaving me to gather myself and try to calm my cock, which feels beyond unbearable inside my pants. I pace up and down, but it doesn’t seem to work.
Next, I try to splash cold water on my face, but not even that helps.
My phone pings, and in an effort to distract myself, I read the email.
It doesn’t take long for my anger to shift toward my father.
The prick is trying to avoid the press by palming everything off on me.
The media giants are hot on my heels, and avoidance will get me nowhere.
I’ve spent the last year working my ass off to close essential deals, only for them to be jeopardized over his actions.
I exit the bathroom and head back to the dining room. Thankfully, the conversation has carried on to the wedding plans—anything to avoid talking business or Everleigh’s so-called love life.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
And by that, I mean my patience.
Across the table, Everleigh avoids my gaze. Her cheeks are still flushed, making me hard beneath the table again.
Fuck my life—I need to get out of here and take her somewhere.
Damn, anywhere but here.
I bet her pussy will clench nicely against my cock. She’s tight, and I got off on just how tight she was.
Viviana turns to face me, raising her brows. “You were gone a while.”
I clear my throat. “A phone call.”
“Still the same man I remember,” Viviana scoffs with her glass of wine in hand. “All work, no play.”
Inadvertently, my eyes wander across the table to meet Everleigh’s. “I wouldn’t say there’s no play.”
The little rise in the corner of Everleigh’s mouth before she turns away purposely is enough for me to know she wants more.
And sweetheart, this is far from over.
“Madelina suggested we be each other’s plus-one for the wedding.” Viviana places her hand on mine. “What do you think?”
It takes seconds for Everleigh to snap her attention back onto me. Jealousy looks like perfection on her, but to keep things civil, I simply respond with, “We’ll see.”
After dessert is served, Myles’s parents announce they’re leaving.
I shake Roland’s hand politely, grateful the night is over.
All I can think about is getting Everleigh out of here so I can own her body entirely.
When Viviana lures me aside to suggest we return to her parents’ ranch tonight, I tell her I’m busy.
Look, she was a decent fuck years ago. But from memory, I was drunk the times we had sex. We barely spent time together between her schedule and mine, even though our families labeled us as dating.
My response to her invitation doesn’t sit well, especially since she glances at Everleigh and then back to me as if piecing the puzzle together. Before she can say another word, my father requests I join him inside his office.
For the first time in my life, I welcome my father’s demand for my presence. However, knowing he will test my patience, I grab a whiskey bottle from the drinks cart and pour myself a glass, downing it in one gulp.
I let out a rasp, then walk down the hall toward his office.
Once inside the dimly lit room, I close the door.
As a child, I avoided coming in here at all costs.
My father repeatedly warned my sister and me that this was his space.
Nothing at all has changed. There’s still the large wood-grain table with his old-school feather pen that was passed down from my great-grandfather.
The smell of cigars lingers in the air and has seeped into the books lining the tall, dark brown shelves.
There are no photographs of us, just a picture of his prized possession—his Rolls-Royce.
I take a seat across the table, only for him to belittle me the moment our eyes meet. “Your lack of cooperation has jeopardized our plan.”
“ Our plan? You mean your plan.”
“Now you listen to me…” He points his finger at me as his nostrils flare. “You play your damn cards right or else.”
“Or else what?” I stand up, yelling back. “You need me. Without me, you couldn’t pull off half your ridiculous stunts.”
My father expels an arrogant laugh. “You think I need you?”
“Well, I’m the one having to speak to the media about this damn lawsuit.
Who else is going to defend your actions and maintain the integrity of your company?
As for Roland, you think he’s going to allow Myles to sell you all this land after newspapers are calling you greedy?
It’s important to the Whitney family to keep things close, and yet here you are trying to buy this land to sell it off to wealthy people willing to pay stupid money just to have a town that is exclusive to billionaires.
Since you’re very out of touch with what is actually going on, you need me to bring you back to reality. ”
Across from me, my father juts his chin with a stiff smile. “Everyone is replaceable.”
Fury twists inside of me. “Are you giving me an ultimatum?”
“I’m demanding you pay attention to my instructions, Aston,” he answers in an arctic tone. “Once your sister is married, the land will be ours. If anyone can convince Myles and Madelina to sell, it will be you.”
“What makes you think it will be that easy? I just told you, Roland made it clear everything would be passed on to his son and kept in the family.”
My father’s dismissive glance grates on my last nerve. “And his son is marrying my daughter. You think it’s a coincidence they are getting married?”
I take a step back, fixating on his blank stare. “What did you do?”
He leans back comfortably in his leather chair. “Son, you still have much to learn about the game.”
“It’s not a game when Madelina is involved,” I bellow, clenching my hands into fists. “What did you do?”
He continues to observe me with an arrogant smirk. “Roland invited us to join them at their ranch this weekend. I expect you to be there.”
And with his phone in hand, he dials a number and requests I leave the room.
I storm out, fuming at the thought of him involving Madelina in his fucked-up game.
As I walk past the dining room, I enter without thinking and grab the bottle of whiskey.
This time, I don’t pour a glass, I simply bring the bottle to my lips to down the hard liquor.
An unflattering rumble escapes me as my mother watches on.
“Aston…” she calls softly.
“Don’t start, Mother. I’m leaving.”
With the bottle in my hand, I rush out the door only to hear footsteps follow me to the car. Fuck, why won’t everyone leave me alone?!
“You’re not driving,” Everleigh calls out behind me.
I bow my head, refusing to answer. My hands grip the glass bottle like my entire life depends on it. “I need to get out of here,” I hiss.
She snatches the keys from my hand, much to my annoyance. “Fine, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
My gaze flickers to hers. “You’re not driving my car. Nobody drives my car.”
“Then I guess you won’t be going anywhere.”
I lower my chin to my chest, letting out a huff. Everleigh moves to the driver’s side while I climb into the passenger seat. God, everything about this feels wrong. It’s almost like I have no power, sitting here like a fucking moron unable to drive my own car.
The loss of control prompts me to take another swig of the bottle as Everleigh attempts to insert the keys into the ignition but sees no ignition.
“Um…”
“Foot on the brake, stick out of gear, press this button.” I exhale, then turn to her and question, “Do you know how to drive a stick?”
“Yes,” she declares, rolling her eyes. “Can you trust me, please?”
“Fine.”
The engine starts with a loud roar, a sound that always manages to calm me.
Everleigh does, in fact, know how to drive a stick.
And as the dark road greets us, I sink into my seat and continue to drink straight out of the bottle.
“What happened back there?” she asks, breaking the welcome silence.
“It’s not worth talking about.”
I hear her sigh. “Why do you let him get to you, Aston?”
My head shakes unwillingly as I stare out the window. “You have no idea who my father is.”
“Maybe. But I know what I feel. And for as long as I’ve known your father, he has made me feel…” Everleigh pauses, then continues, “Uncomfortable.”
“Among many things he makes a person feel,” I mutter.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” she falters, quickly glancing at me, only to focus back on the road. “Unless, of course, you want to. No pressure.”
I take another long drink, allowing the liquor to burn. “Then let’s not.”
“Okay, fine,” she answers. “Where do you want me to take you?”
“Your place,” I tell her.
“My place?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“I’ll make a deal with you. Stop drinking, and you can come back to my place. Otherwise, I will dump you on the side of the road right here in the pitch black and let a bear feast on your drunk ass.”
I hand the bottle to her, and she places it in the middle console. “Good boy. Now, don’t throw up on me, because I’m a secondary vomiter.”
The Bluetooth sounds with an incoming call. My sister’s name flashes on the screen as I reach over to decline the call, but Everleigh pushes my hand away to hit answer.
“Maddy, it’s me,” she says, twisting her mouth. “I’m driving Aston’s car.”
Madelina sighs over the speaker. “Is everything okay? I came back into the room, and you guys were gone. What did Dad say, Aston?”
“It’s not your problem,” I tell her.
“Well, Dad is drinking again, and Mom is packing a bag to stay in a hotel.” Madelina sounds worried. “I’ll stay here to make sure he’s okay.”
“I’m coming back home, Madelina.” I twist to look at Everleigh but press end to terminate the call. “Turn around, we’re going back.”
“You want to go back?”
A heavy weight sits in the pit of my stomach. “My mother and sister need me.”
Reality has pulled me out of my selfish existence once again.
The silence in the car allows me to overthink, so by the time we get back to the house, the darkness reminds me of what my life has become.
The knight in shining armor for all the wrong fucking reasons.
Everleigh turns the engine off and then places her hand on mine. “Do you want me to go in with you?”
“No, I will take it from here.”
“Okay,” she whispers. “I’ll call someone to pick me up—”
“Take my car,” I interrupt, quick to unfasten my seat belt. “I don’t want you getting into some car with a stranger.”
“There’s no Ubers or cabs out here. I would have called a friend who I trust.”
I tilt my head, annoyed. “A doctor friend?”
Everleigh’s penetrating gaze does something I can’t explain. As I stare into the pools of her honey-brown eyes, even in the dark, they ignite something inside me.
“No more games, Aston. Just go inside and deal with what you need to.” She sighs, then reaches out to caress my cheek. “You know where to find me if you need me.”
Her touch terrifies me.
I pull her hand away, then say, “I’ll call you.”
After exiting the car and taking a few steps, I hear her drive off.
There are more significant crosses to bear right now.
And when my father has taken to the bottle, his only target is my mother. I’ve heard it repeatedly, the callous words he throws in her face like she owes him her life.
I enter the house and hear him yelling.
A weight sits inside my chest when I see Madelina seated on the sofa, holding back her tears.
As for my mother—she’s left once again.
So, for the sake of my sister’s emotional state, I go on the hunt for my father and remind myself the only person I will allow him to hurt is me.