Just an Illusion--Unplugged

by D. Kelly

  Sasha winks at me, letting her fingers brush against mine as she hands me the frosty glass.

  “Sasha …” Jordan warns, but she doesn’t take him seriously. Sasha is J’s best friend.

  “Don’t start with me, J. You bang whoever you want in this bar. I get to have some fun now and then, don’t I?”

  “It’s my bar,” he counters, but she’s quick to reply.

  “I’ve been here since the first day. If you’re not going to make me the new bar manager, don’t jump my shit for making my day a bit better.”

  She leans over and whispers in my ear. “Jordan’s office, ten minutes.”

  I nod, and Jordan groans as she saunters away. “Why do you encourage her?”

  “Because she’s hot as fuck, has a pussy like a vise, and truly understands it means absolutely nothing when you get fucked in a bathroom.”

  “I’ll give you that. Not that I’ve gone there, but I’ve seen her in action enough to know she’s a no-strings-attached kind of girl.”

  “She’s got new ink too.”

  He nods. “Yeah, Ben finished her sleeve last week. It looks pretty badass up close.”

  “Hey, sexy, buy me a drink?” a familiar voice whispers in my ear, and when I turn to look, I can’t keep the grin off my face.

  “Sure, sexy mama, what are you having?”

  “That depends,” she whispers huskily as her hand ghosts over mine. “What are you offering?”

  “Normally, I’d offer you a drink straight from my natural geyser, but you’d have to get on your knees, and I’m not sure you’re in any condition for that. Besides, the glare your boyfriend is giving me right now could probably kill me in an alternate universe.”

  Belle laughs uncontrollably, and Darren wraps his arm around her shoulder. “Mine, asshole, get your own.”

  Sasha walks by at that same moment. “Tick-tock, sexy. It’s go time.”

  With a satisfied smirk, I reply to Darren, “I’m about to. I’ll be back in fifteen, save my seat.”

  “Seriously? It’s that easy for him?” Belle asks as I walk away.

  If she only knew. I don’t think it’s taken me more than five minutes to find a willing partner in the last ten years. After entering J’s office, I close and lock the door behind me before heading straight to his desk and grabbing a condom from his stash.

  Sasha steps out of the bathroom wearing only a black bra and matching thong. My dick immediately stands at attention.

  “It’s been too long, Sawyer,” she says before dropping her lips to mine. As our tongues tangle together, her expert hands have my belt and pants undone in no time. She pushes my pants and boxers down, drops to her knees, and takes me in her mouth.

  “Fuck, Sasha,” I hiss, as she flicks her tongue against my tip, humming her approval. Steadying my arms behind me against the desk, I let her set the pace, knowing she’ll stop before I come because she wants to get off just as much as I do.

  She pulls away and looks up at me while continuing to jerk me off with her hand. The hunger in her eyes is so damn sexy, and when she dips her tongue to lap up my pre-cum, my eyes roll back in my head. She climbs up my body and pulls off my shirt, then tugs my nipple rings with her teeth.

  Groaning my appreciation, I slide my hand into her panties and dip my fingers into her warm, wet pussy. My thumb skims over her clit and hits metal. Fuck. She hisses at the same time I do.

  “This I like, a lot,” I tell her as I push her back against the desk and drop to my knees to get a good look.

  It’s a simple silver stud, and my cock twitches as I swirl my tongue around it. She practically drops to the floor in a puddle of pleasure as I fuck her with my fingers and tongue.

  “Sawyer, stop,” she gasps, and I pull back immediately. She flips around with her ass facing me, hands bracing the desk. “Fuck me now so I can come on that big cock of yours. I’m not going to last long, and my break is almost over.”

  Damn, I love how direct and to the point she is. When a woman tells me exactly how she wants to get off, it’s the ultimate thrill and really fucking sexy. I kick off my shoes and pants so I can move freely and then sheathe my cock with the condom before pushing inside her in one smooth thrust.

  “Fuck,” we groan together as she clenches my cock and pushes her ass against me.

  “Hard and fast, Sawyer. Make me feel you for days.”

  I wish she had long hair so I could wrap it around my wrist and pull, but her short, spiky cut is perfect for her. Placing my hands on her hips, I thrust into her, building momentum.

  “Dammit, Sawyer, stop going easy on me. I want to feel it.”

  With her words, I slam into her again and again. She clutches the desk for dear life as she cries out her pleasure. “Yes, fuck yeah, right there!”

  I move one hand to that silver stud, and with the slightest flick, she’s coming hard and fast. My orgasm hits as her tight walls clench around my cock, and we ride it out together until we’re breathless.

  “Damn, I needed that so much. Thank you.”

  I chuckle as I slowly pull out of her and help her up from the desk. “You’re not the only one who needed a release.”

  While I tie off the condom, Sasha disappears into the bathroom to clean up. Once she’s dressed, she pops a kiss on my cheek and ducks out the door, leaving me to get dressed.

  Why can’t all fucks be this simple?

  When I get back to the bar, Darren leaves Belle with me while he goes to the restroom.

  “If she’s your type, why do you look at my girl as if she’s the only woman alive?”

  “Excuse me?” I practically choke on the beer Sasha left for me on the counter.

  “Don’t play dumb, Mel might be oblivious, but I know better. You want her. A lot.”

  “Your girl made her choice, and it’s the right one. Noah loves her.”

  She taps her fingers on the counter. “Hmm, true, and she loves him too. Still doesn’t change how you feel.”

  My eyes lock on her brown ones; I’m not backing down.

  “What’s your motive here, Belle? Are we friends right now, or are you looking for a story?”

  She sighs. “You’re just like her, so fucking jaded about things. From now on, if I want to talk to you about something for work, I’ll preface the conversation with that or ask if it’s okay to use if something comes up.”

  “Princess isn’t jaded, she’s cautious. It’s not a bad thing.” It’s one of the things I admire most about her.

  She cracks a smile at me and leans in close. “You would have been the right choice too, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She’s not drinking because of the baby, so whatever she says right now is her unfiltered truth.

  “Just what I said. You and Noah both have qualities that compliment Mel. The one big difference I see is he’s an over-the-top, romantic, heart-on-his-sleeve kind of guy while you’re the one who would challenge her and push her in all the ways she so desperately needs.”

  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

  “Doesn’t matter, they’re in love. There is no way in hell I’m getting in the middle of that. Been there done that and barely escaped with my family and my sanity.”

  Shrugging, she moves back into her own space. “Your call. Bathroom bar fucks are fun too. I’m not sure I’ll miss them though. Before Darren, I swore I’d never give them up.”

  I quickly glance around to be sure Darren is not within listening range. “Not to be a dick, but that baby is his, right? You haven’t been with anyone else?”

  She puts her fingers up in a scout’s honor sign. “Cross my heart. I’d never lie about that. I know what it’s like to have a random sperm donor for a dad. Even if my relationship with the father didn’t work out, this baby will have one with him.”

  “It’ll work out, but I had to ask.”

  “I know, just like I had
to ask about you and your Princess.”

  “You’re a bitch, do you know that?”

  “Yup, but it comes from a place of love.”

  “Hey, who do you love?” Darren asks, coming up behind her and dropping kisses against her neck.

  “That who is a what, and it’s being a bitch.” She answers, and this time Darren laughs.

  “What’s new?”

  She punches his shoulder, and he pulls her into his lap. “Be nice or,” he meets my gaze over her shoulder, “you won’t be banging my bongo tonight.”

  “You know, Belle, he’s kind of an asshole. You guys might actually be perfect for each other.”

  Belle laughs. “The bitch and the asshole sounds like the perfect fairy tale to tell our kids already.”

  We all share a laugh and a few more drinks before heading home.

  I catch J’s attention before we leave. “We’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m not missing Mom’s turkey, cookies, or eggnog. I’ll be there.”

  “Good, you can finally meet Noah’s girl. See you tomorrow.”

  We follow Mac outside, and it’s quickly decided Belle and Darren will ride back with us. It’s better this way, safety in numbers after all.

  This morning went well. Noah and I are getting along, and all seemed right in the Weston house until Rob and J got hold of me.

  I just split my Pop-Tarts with Noah, and Princess poured me a drink when J and Rob indicated they wanted a meeting. Once my bedroom door closes, they’re both staring at me in disbelief.

  “I’m not a fucking mind reader. What crawled up your asses, and what does it have to do with me?”

  J comes closer and feels my head with the back of his hand. “He doesn’t have a fever.”

  Rob moves his eyes up my arms “All his tats are there. Pod person?”

  “Enough, you two.”

  “Nah, he’s still the same cocky fuck. What gives, Sawyer? Why is Noah’s hot-as-fuck girlfriend your Princess?” J asks, doing a piss-poor job of hiding his underlying mirth.

  “That’s what this is about? It’s an inside joke and the nickname stuck. It’s not a big deal.”

  “You sure? Noah seemed tense,” Rob adds, and I nod.

  “Noah is still irritated about the drug stuff, and I haven’t exactly been easy to deal with because of his role in retiring and the anniversary and shit. It’s got nothing to do with Mel.” I leave out Sara because I don’t know how much information Noah is going to give the family about her right now. All they seem to know is this tour is attracting a bigger crowd and we increased our security because of it.

  “What do you guys know about her anyway? Noah seems awfully cozy for someone he just met.” Rob’s analytical side is showing, and while I usually find it interesting to see the way he thinks, it pisses me off.

  “She’s cool, and with her family history, you can assure your wife she’s definitely not after Noah’s money. You’ll see as the next few days progress, they’re perfect for each other.”

  “I don’t envy you. How the hell you share a bus with a girl that hot is beyond me. I know she’s Noah’s girl, but my dick might have a hard time figuring that out if I were sharing close quarters with her.” J’s words hit home harder than I could have imagined.

  “We’ve been down that road before, and remembering that Marilyn shit is enough to shrivel any dick. Mel and I are friends, she’s a cool chick, but that’s the extent of it.”

  Divert, divert, divert. They’re both looking at me like they know the truth. Maybe Rob does, Diane is his wife, but I know J doesn’t. Draining the rest of my drink, I hold up my glass. “Time for a refill. Come on, let’s get drunk.”

  Thanksgiving Weekend

  On Thanksgiving, I woke up early and was greeted in the kitchen by my mom, who was already cooking up a storm.

  “Good morning, Mom,” I say, kissing her cheek and gratefully reaching out for the coffee she’s handing me.

  “Morning, Sawyer, did you sleep well?”

  “The usual, how about you?”

  She schools the minor scowl she wears when she thinks I’m not sleeping enough and places a cinnamon roll on a plate for me. “I always sleep well here. The sound of the ocean is heaven to my ears.”

  After taking an appreciative bite and chasing it down with coffee, I give her my attention. “Mom, why don’t you let me buy you a bakery? You’d make a killing, and you love cooking.”

  She turns to me with her all-knowing mom gaze and calls me out on all my shit. “Maybe for the same reason you won’t admit you have feelings for Mel. Some things are better left as is. A bakery would be a fun novelty, but it eventually comes with responsibilities I’m not sure I’m ready for, time away from my family, and what used to be fun is now work.”

  Ouch.

  “Mom …”

  “Honey, I love you, and I can see what a wonderful woman Amelia is, but …”

  “Mom, stop. We’re friends, and I do like her a lot, but I promise whatever I thought I felt, I don’t. I wish everyone would drop this. Noah and Mel are perfect together. Nothing is going to mess that up.”

  “Friends, huh?”

  “Friends, and it’s kind of cool to have a new one who doesn’t want or expect anything from me. I know Mel doesn’t have any ulterior motives, and she isn’t getting to know me under false pretenses. Hell, we hired her to get to know us, but her friendship is what matters, the employment at this point is secondary.”

  The doorbell rings once, then again, and again. It’s not even seven in the morning, who the hell could it be?

  “I’ll get it.” When I get to the door, there’s nobody there, but there is a crazy-looking bouquet of flowers, and I know right away it has Sara’s name all over it.

  After carrying the flowers into our office, I close the door so no one enters while I wake up Warren. Thankfully, he’s on this side of the house and we won’t disturb Noah or Darren.

  When he answers the door, he’s groggy and rapidly blinks his eyes as he tries to adjust to the daylight.

  “What’s going on?” he asks, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

  “Sara. There’s a flower arrangement from hell in my office. There’s a note too. What do you want to do?”

  “Does Noah know yet?” I shake my head, and he nods. “Good, keep it that way. Give me a minute and I’ll meet you there.”

  When I go back into the office, I sit at the desk and stare at the crazy monstrosity. It’s gorgeous yet off the wall. There have to be 70 or 80 different flowers ranging in all sizes and shapes. Bright colors, light ones, even black fucking roses. Whoever put this together spent a lot of time doing it and probably quite a bit of money too.

  The note is made out to Noah, and I’m itching to read it, but I know Warren is going to have some gloved-up protocol to follow.

  He opens the door and steps inside, opening a pair of plastic gloves from a package. “Where in the world did you get those?”

  “First aid kit under the bathroom sink.”

  Once the gloves are on, I hand Warren a letter opener, and he comes around to my side of the desk so we can read it together.

  Noah,

  Roses are red,

  Violets are blue,

  Thanksgiving is mine,

  Tell your whore toodle loo.

  “Holy shit,” he says under his breath.

  “I’m going to kill her. She fucked with the wrong family, Warren.” I’m already on my feet and pushing back from my desk when he grabs me by the shoulders.

  “Sawyer, breathe.”

  “Breathe? She’s threatening the one person who has never hurt anyone in his life. Noah strives to better lives, including hers, and she wants to fuck with him and his happiness? Hell no.”

  “Just sit for a minute. Let me call the detective who handled the case last time. But before I do, where is the file with her old letters?”

  Never in a
million years did I think we’d need to go back to this shit. I unlock the bottom drawer and pull out the file. We spread the letters out, and the writing is an exact match. I’m sure they’ll have to confirm it, but there’s no doubt this came from her.

  While Warren talks to the detective, I think about what this means for us all. We need so much more security, especially today. My whole family is in this house.

  “They’re on their way. They want us to keep anyone from touching the letter, but we’ve got to get Noah and Mel up and briefed.”

  “Okay, I’ll go get them. From now on, Warren, anywhere Noah goes, I go. I’m serious. She will not get through both of us, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a fucking thing happen to Noah.”

  “You’ve got it. I’m going to take these into the kitchen. We should just tell everyone at once and be done with it.”

  I pause at the door and take a deep breath. Happy fucking Thanksgiving.

  When I make it to Noah’s room, I bang on the door. “Noah! You need to get out here now!”

  So much for remaining calm; my frantic tone probably has him scared to death. By the time Noah opens the door, I’m beyond freaked out and end up snapping at him. “Kitchen, now,” I say before stalking off.

  Most of the family is crowded around the demented display of flowers as they make their way to the table. Noah’s eyes grow wide, and Mel clutches onto him like a life preserver. As pissed as I am, my heart aches for them and the shit storm heading their way. Noah eyes the note next to the flowers and reaches for it.

  “Don’t touch it,” Warren cautions. “Just read it.”

  As Noah reads the note in a low voice, Mel’s body begins shaking. No one is unsympathetic to what she’s feeling right now—we’ve all been there before—but she’s just been drafted into our worst nightmare. I want to pull her close and calm her, but that’s Noah’s job, not mine.

  Belle moves closer and holds Mel’s hand as Noah truly takes in the scene set before him.

  “That handwriting …” Noah says, turning to Warren, who nods in confirmation.

  “It’s Sara’s. We’ve already called the police, Noah.”

  I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look as devastated as he does when he nods his understanding and pulls Mel into his arms. Silent tears are streaming down her cheeks, and Noah clutches her tighter.