by Levine, Nina
39
Lorelei
“Here, I brought supplies with me,” Sienna says as she enters my kitchen just after seven that night and hands me a bag with the logo of my favourite bakery on it. “Figured you might need them after the day you’ve had.”
It’s been the longest day full of stress, so I could kiss her when I rip the bag open to discover two vanilla cupcakes. My favourite. “You are a goddess sent from heaven.”
She grins. “I try.”
I hold up a mug. “You want a coffee?”
Sliding onto a stool at my kitchen counter, she nods. “Of course. With a side of tell-me-all-about-what-happened-with-Cassia-today.”
“Ugh, you had to mention her name, didn’t you?”
She clicks her fingers, indicating I need to hurry up. “Spill. And then we can make a plan.”
I stop what I’m doing and look at her. “A plan?”
“Yeah, a plan for dealing with bitchy exes. I know you’ve never had to deal with one before, but I have, so I am the perfect person to advise you on this.”
“God, this all sounds awful. I don’t think I need a plan. Ashton and I are good.”
“It’s not Ashton I’m worried about. Cassia Brampton has a reputation. She is not a woman you want to be ill-prepared for.”
I take a bite of one of the cupcakes. A huge freaking bite because I need it. I’m starting to feel even more anxious about Cassia than I was this morning. I’ve spent the day talking myself around on this issue, but now that’s all flying out the window.
Sienna takes note of my actions and says, “Okay, you sit and eat cake while I make coffee.”
I do as she says. “Make mine strong. I think I’m gonna need it.”
We then spend a good hour making a plan for how I’m going to deal with Cassia after I tell Sienna how rude the woman was to me this morning. Mostly the plan involves me remaining confident and not allowing her to make me doubt my relationship with Ashton.
“I’m gonna be there every step of the way cheering you on until she’s out of the picture,” Sienna says.
I smile at her. “You’re always there cheering me on.”
“Yeah, but this is going to be so much more. If Cassia Brampton thinks she can waltz back in and mess with my bestie, she’s dreaming.” The alarm on her phone sounds, and she slides off her stool while reaching for her bag. “Babe, I’ve gotta go. That hot neighbour dude of mine is taking me out for a drink tonight, and that was my cue to leave so I’m ready on time.” She slows for a moment. “Are you okay with all this? Or should I cancel my plans so I can stay with you?”
I shoo her with my hands. “I love you, but you can be a drama queen when it comes to this stuff. Consider me prepped for Cassia. You go and make that man fall for you.”
She grins mischievously. “Oh, he has already fallen for me. That happened when I rescued his dog from imminent death. I saved her from escaping our building and then we spent the next couple of hours swapping life stories. Tonight is our first real date, though, so I need to get myself ready for him.”
“Hot neighbour dude has a dog?” Sienna loves dogs. Her last guy hated them, so it was a match made in hell.
A dreamy smile spreads across her face. “Hot neighbour dude’s name is Nathan, and yes he does. And can I just say that watching a man love a dog is pure bliss.”
“Okay, go get ready. I’m going to spend the night catching up on paperwork and tax.”
She pulls a face. “Oh God, that sounds like the worst night ever. Is Ashton still at the hospital?”
I walk her to the door. “I think so. He called a couple of hours ago and said he’d be there for a while and that he may not see me tonight. I was going to head back to the hospital after I finished work, but the doctors wanted only family today.”
“I hope his mum is okay,” she says as she exits my apartment. Her eyes light up as she adds, “I’ll text later to let you know how my date goes.”
I laugh. “Something tells me you won’t have time to text.”
“I can always fit in a quick, sneaky text to you.”
With one last grin, she leaves me to head towards the lift. I smile as I watch her go, thinking about how good it is to see her this happy. I’m about to shut my apartment door and go find the paperwork waiting for me when the lift doors open and Ashton steps out.
His eyes meet mine after he speaks briefly with Sienna. They’re dark tonight. And they watch me with intensity as he strides towards me that curls hunger through me.
God, how I want this man.
In every way I can have him.
“Ashton,” I murmur when he reaches me. A shiver runs through my body when his fingers meet the skin on my arm. No man has ever affected me the way he does. “I thought you’d be at the hospital for most of the night.”
He lightly runs his fingers along my forearm before wrapping his hand around it and pulling me to him. Bending his face to mine, he kisses me. It’s not a quick kiss to greet me, but rather a deep one that reveals his hunger for me. He takes his time with it, slowly backing me up against the door. By the time he’s finished, his hands are cupping my ass and his erection is pressed firmly against me. And I am thoroughly turned on and out-of-my-mind crazy for him.
“I missed you this afternoon,” he says, his voice husky with desire. His hands move from my ass, and he slides his fingers through my hair and angles my face up so our gazes meet. The raw need I find in his eyes intensifies my own desire. “I need to be inside you, Lorelei.”
I grip his arm. “How’s your mum?” I want what he wants, but I manage to sort through my lust-filled thoughts to find this question. It’s important. I want to know that she’s okay.
“She’s good.”
His answer is sharp and to the point, and his actions make it clear he doesn’t want to discuss this any further, because as soon as the words leave his mouth, he lifts me and carries me inside to my couch.
Depositing me there, he keeps his eyes firmly on mine as he loosens his tie. He wore his suit to the hospital this morning, and even though he’s been in it all day, he still looks immaculate. The only thing giving away the fact he’s dealing with some heavy family stuff is the tiredness in his eyes.
The room fills with the sound of his tie sliding over his shirt as he discards it. Still watching me intently, he unbuttons his shirt. His fingers move deftly from one button to the next, undoing them, slowly revealing the smooth skin of his chest and abs. I lean back against the couch and enjoy the show of Ashton undressing.
When his shirt hits the floor, he flicks his wrist and beckons with his fingers for me to stand. Those beautiful blue eyes of his drop to take in my body, and when I stand, his hand goes straight to the button on my jeans. He makes fast work of removing them and slipping his hand into my panties.
Cupping my pussy and rubbing his thumb over my clit, he orders, “Take off your clothes.”
Ashton is bossy by nature. I know this about him. But tonight it’s like a whole other Ashton is here. He’s hungry for me, and he’s taken control, but he almost seems detached. And if I didn’t know better, I would think that all he came for was sex.
I do as he says and a few moments later I stand before him naked except for my panties. I hardly know I’m still wearing them, though, because Ashton’s hand covers my pussy rather than their thin material.
His thumb works my clit while he slides two fingers inside me. I’m so wet and ready for him, and I moan as he fucks me with his fingers. When he sucks one of my nipples into his mouth, I close my eyes and place my hands on his shoulders to steady myself.
I lose myself in the pleasure. Time passes in a blur with Ashton in complete control of my body.
When he growls, “Fuck,” my eyes flutter open, and I take in the wild look of need filling his features. I’m so close to coming. What I see in his eyes almost tips me over the edge, but before it does, Ashton spins me around, yanks my panties down and says, “Bend over and place your hands on th
e top of the couch.”
When he has me where he wants me, he undoes his belt and pants. His body moves closer to mine, his cock teasing the hell out of me. “I want to fuck you without a condom tonight,” he says as his hands cup my breasts.
It’s a statement, but I hear the question in it. I also hear just how much he wants this. His voice is raw with that desire. “I’m clean.” I want this too.
His hands move from my breasts to my waist. He grips my hips, and without waiting another second, he thrusts inside me. A primal groan comes from deep inside him, and his fingers dig harder into my flesh as he fucks me with a ferocity I’ve never experienced in my life.
It’s primitive almost.
Wild and untamed.
I love every second of it.
I brace myself against the couch as he slams into me over and over, and when I come, I scream out his name like I never have before. It seems to fuel him, and he thrusts into me harder until he comes too.
“Fuck!” he roars out. He keeps hold of my hips while resting his forehead against my back. “Fuck,” he mutters again, breathless.
We stay like that for a while. When he finally straightens, he turns me to face him. His hold on me is firm, like he doesn’t want to let me go. And that intensity is still in his gaze.
“Today was one of the worst days of my life, but having you by my side made it bearable. And coming home to you tonight…. Fuck, that was everything I never knew I needed.” He stops talking abruptly, like he was going to say something else but thought better of it.
Dropping his lips to mine, he claims me in the same kind of kiss he started this with. I feel every bit of his possession in this kiss, and while I never thought I was the kind of woman who wanted to feel possessed, I can’t deny how much I love it. How much I love feeling Ashton’s need for me.
And I realise how far I have fallen for this man.
I may even be falling in love with him.
40
Ashton
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. I’m exhausted after the last week of dividing my time between my mother, Lorelei, and work. Work has kicked my ass while I attempt to finalise the deal with Marc Brentley and secure Aaron Steel’s investment in the New Zealand resort I’m building. Neither deal is any closer to being finalised.
“Ashton, you look like you could do with a weekend off,” Mum says as I hand her the cup of tea she requested.
She’s home now, recovering from her heart attack. I’ve been spending time with her each day so I can see her health improving for myself. The only downfall to this is seeing my father almost every day, too. It has surprised me to find him here each time I visit.
“Jessica’s booking one in.” I omit the information that it’ll be half work, half play while I take Lorelei away to work on the resort we’re involved with.
“Good.”
I sit on the couch opposite her. “How are you feeling? Really feeling, I mean. Not the bullshit you tell Dad and the doctors.”
She purses her lips. “Why must you always insist on using that kind of language? I raised you better than that.”
“Stop changing the subject, Mother.”
Her shoulders rise as she takes a deep breath. Placing the teacup on the coffee table in front of us, she says, “I’m frustrated that I’m couped up in this house. I feel well enough to resume all my activities, but your father insists I rest. Little does he realise that all this resting is just making me tired.”
“No, your heart attack has caused that exhaustion. Your doctor said it can take three months or more for your heart to repair itself.”
“Pfft,” she mutters. My mother has always been stubborn. “Even so, I should be allowed to do more than sit on this couch and watch television and wait for people to visit me.”
We’re interrupted by Cassia who joins us. She smiles when she sees me. “Oh, I didn’t realise you had company, Kendall. I’m so sorry to intrude.”
She’s not, though. If she were, she’d offer to come back. Instead, she moves quickly to kiss Mum on the cheek before taking a seat next to me.
Placing her hand on my leg, she asks, “How are you, Ashton? We haven’t seen each other for a week, and I’ve been wondering how you’re doing.”
I move her hand from my leg. “I’m fine.”
“Well that tells me nothing.” Her tone is snappy, and I’m not in the mood for that today.
Standing, I turn cold eyes on her. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t need to be sharing the finer details of my life with you anymore, Cassia.”
“Ashton,” my mother chastises. “That is no way to speak to Cassia.”
Keeping my gaze on Cassia, I say, “She understands perfectly well what I’m saying.”
Cassia crosses her legs and pouts. “I was just trying to be friendly.”
If there’s one quality I can’t stand in a woman, it’s playing dumb. And pouting when they don’t get their own way? That is a sure-fire way to turn me off. Cassia didn’t engage in much of this while we were together, but she’s mastered it since. And it doesn’t suit her.
Dropping a kiss to my mother’s cheek, I say, “I’ve got work to do, but I’ll stop by after to see how your day was.”
She waves me away and shakes her head. “No, don’t. I won’t be here. I have actually managed to convince your father to take me to the movies tonight. I decided that was something he might agree to because it wouldn’t take much effort on my behalf.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Glancing briefly at Cassia, I say, “Goodbye, Cassia.”
“Don’t worry about your mother, Ashton. I’ll make sure she has a good day,” Cassia calls out as I head towards the front door.
God fucking help me. Why the hell have my parents encouraged a relationship with my ex?
“How’s your mum doing?” Jack asks as he enters the kitchen where I’m checking on the dinner I had sent over for tonight. Lorelei’s on her way over to spend the night here. I decided rather than taking her out to dinner, I’d organise it here so I can have more time with her alone.
“She’s recovering well.” I eye the empty whisky glass he places on the kitchen counter and bite my tongue from mentioning it.
Jack still appears to be spiralling, and the more I say stuff about it to him, the further away I push him. That’s the last place our friendship needs to be, especially now because he’s going to need me more than ever when he finally crashes. But fuck, it’s hard to watch someone you love do this to themself.
He pulls an almost-empty bottle of whisky out of the cupboard and pours another drink. “Let me guess, she’s being her usual self, defying doctor’s orders and thinking she knows best?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, pretty much. Hey, have you got any plans for Saturday? I thought we could take the boat out for the day.”
A smile spreads across his face as he downs some whisky. “Sounds like a plan. I’m in.”
My phone sounds with a text.
* * *
Jessica: Sian just sent a notification that she has three Willow Street buildings ready for you to buy.
Me: Good. Tell her to find more.
Jessica: That was your cue to tell me how happy my text just made you.
Me: If you’d told me she had all of them, then I’d tell you your text made my fucking year.
Jessica: Well since I’m not getting any praise tonight, I’ll take a coffee from that Willow St café tomorrow. You know how I like it.
Me: Have my assistant organise it.
* * *
She doesn’t reply to that, only sends me a gif showing me what she thinks of that idea.
“I’m taking that was good news by the way you’re smiling,” Jack says.
Glancing up at him, I shake my head. “Not really, but Jessica’s sense of humour is out in full force tonight.”
“That woman definitely knows how to make a man smile,” he murmurs, and I see the moment where he drifts back into old memories.
<
br /> “Jack,” I warn him. “Don’t go there.”
He throws the rest of his drink down his throat. “So no good news, then?”
“She let me know my real estate has found three Willow Street properties to buy. The news would have been good if the number had been a lot bigger. I’m battling my father for these properties, so I need to make this happen fast before he does.”
Jack frowns. “What does Lorelei think of all this? I would have thought she’d be against it.”
“This is business, Jack. It doesn’t have anything to do with Lorelei.”
He whistles low. “And now I understand why my best friend is still single even though women line up to date him. Your head is in the clouds if you think this doesn’t have anything to do with Lorelei.”
I reach for a whisky glass in the cupboard and pour myself a drink. “When she sees the results of a Willow Street development, she’ll understand why it was needed. The businesses on that street are dying while the rest of Sydney moves ahead, simply because no one has bothered to develop it.”
His brows arch. “And you really believe she’ll sell her building to you for this?”
“It won’t matter if she doesn’t. I can still go ahead without it. And that will only help her, so she’ll reap the rewards of that. There’s no way she won’t be good with it once I lay it all out for her.”
As a knock sounds on the front door, he says, “For the record, I believe this might just be the worst idea you’ve ever had. If you really want Lorelei in your life, that is. If you don’t want her, sure, go ahead because I believe you that it will be good for business. But sometimes, people have to come first, my friend.”
I frown. “I agree, and that’s why I’m doing this. It’ll be good financially for everyone.”
He shakes his head at me. “But sometimes other things are more important than cash.”