Landlady: A New Adult Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 1)

by Jackie Wang

  “Is it going to be something—”

  “—We can play with it after dinner.”

  Sierra arched her eyebrows. “With my parents?”

  “Of course. If they want to.”

  Sierra let out a sigh. “Good. For a second I thought it was going to be, you know... something—”

  “—Get your head out of the gutter, Sierra Maywood,” I said, feigning offense.

  “You don't exactly have a track record—”

  “—How do you know what my track record is?”

  Sierra narrowed her eyes and shut her book. “The first day we met, you thought my 'Bedroom Box' was hiding a big black dildo,” she hissed.

  “It's not unusual for a lady of your age to have a toy or two,” I winked.

  She didn't look impressed. “Need I remind you we're in my parent's house?”

  “You brought it up,” I shrugged. I handed her one of the presents. It was lumpy and very poorly wrapped. “Open this one first. I didn't want your parents to see it.”

  “I thought you said your gifts were family-friendly.”

  I shrugged. “Okay. I don't mind if Lil and Ernie see this, but you might not want them to,” I said.

  Sierra unwrapped the gift and burst out laughing. “You brought my teddy bear?”

  “Figured it'd help you sleep a little better. And maybe remind you of home.” I paused. “Your real home, in Northbridge. With me.”

  Sierra struggled to stand up. Her eyes were misty. I pulled her against me and kissed her gently. I'd been dreaming about her soft, sweet lips for more than a week, and they were every bit as delicious as I knew they'd be. Sierra melted in my arms and let out a tiny moan. God almighty, her moan made me want to rip her clothes off and have my way with her. And her scent; that understated perfume that was uniquely hers. It drove me insane. I couldn't believe that I wasn't jumping on top of her right now.

  Who was this new Asher who had the self-restraint of a monk? The old me would've taken advantage of her a long time ago.

  She still wanted me. Thank God she still wanted me. I could tell by the goosebumps running up and down her arms. And the way she leaned into me. This wasn't just a one-sided daydream.

  After a moment, Sierra pulled away and said, “Thanks, Asher. This means a lot to me. I'm so glad you came.” She looked over at the kitchen, apprehensive. Heat rose in her cheeks, and a prickling of red dots ran along her wrist. “And you're right, I'd be embarrassed if my parents saw this.”

  “Tell me you want to do more than just kiss me,” I said, turning her to face me.

  Sierra looked down at her feet and nodded.

  “Tell me you still want me as much as I want you,” I said, tilting her chin up.

  Sierra nodded again. In this rare moment, Sierra and I weren't bantering or joking around.

  We both knew things had gotten more serious. As it should.

  Her eyes were sparkling like jewels. And those lashes...they went on forever.

  There were so many things I wanted to do with this woman... She had no idea. And not just things inside the bedroom either. I wanted to show her my world. Take her on vacations. Pamper and spoil her and make her the center of my universe.

  But for now, I needed to wait.

  “Good, that's all I needed to know. Come on, I smell something good in the kitchen.”

  Over dinner, Sierra's parents asked me about my job and a bit about my childhood. I told them about my sister, Adele and about growing up with lawyers for parents. About my mom passing away and how I'd gone through law school so I could work beside my dad. I didn't think I would share so much of myself to the Maywoods, but they were such great listeners I found the flow of conversation natural.

  “Sierra hates working with us on the farm,” Ernest said. “Can't ever get her to visit us.”

  “You could learn a thing or two from Asher,” Lillian added. “He's so close with his family. A good man. Nice man.”

  “Mom,” Sierra glared. “Stop it.” She cut through her pork chop and placed a slice in her mouth.

  “This is delicious,” I said, nodding at the succulent pork and glistening apple sauce. “Honestly. It's better than some of the best restaurants I've eaten at in Northbridge.”

  “Aw shucks, Asher,” Lillian said. “You're such a sweet talker.”

  “You're such a suck-up,” Sierra said, kicking me under the table. “If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to impress my parents.”

  I glanced at Ernest and Lillian. “Well, are you two impressed?”

  They nodded. “You're a fine gentleman,” Ernest said. “Thank you for coming to see our little Sisi.”

  After the disastrous fight I'd had with my own father that morning, Ernest's words helped soothe my hurt ego. “Thanks, Ernest. That means a lot to me.”

  “So when are you two going to stop making eyes at each other and get serious?” Lillian asked. She reached over and piled more mashed potatoes on my plate.

  “We're not—” I started.

  “—Together,” Sierra finished.

  “Why not?” Lillian asked. “You two are great together.”

  I shrugged. “Your daughter doesn't seem to think so.”

  “That's not fair, and you know it, Asher,” Sierra said, her face growing red.

  “Well, it's true. You said—”

  “—Never mind what I said before,” Sierra cut in. “Just finish your dinner.”

  Was she blushing?

  After dinner, I helped Lillian clear the table and offered to do the dishes. Once inside the kitchen, Lillian said, “Sierra can act tough sometimes, but she's a huge softie inside.” She started filling the sink. “And she likes you, I can tell.”

  “I like her too, Mrs. Ma—Lillian. I really do,” I admitted. “But she's a bit of a puzzle sometimes. I wish I knew what she was truly thinking or how she felt about me.”

  “No one's a mind reader, Asher. But I'll tell you this: she hasn't had a serious relationship in five years,” Lillian said. “At least not to my knowledge. She's scared. Nervous. A bit rusty when it comes to the whole dating scene. Give her some time. She'll come around.”

  “I hope so,” I said.

  “I know so.” Lillian beamed.

  After we finished the dishes, I brought out my main gift and handed it to Sierra. “Go ahead, open it.”

  It was a long, rectangular box covered in rainbow polka dotted wrapping paper. My wrapping wasn't the greatest, but it did the job.

  Sierra shook it a little. She looked like a child on Christmas morning, eyes bright. “What is it?”

  “Take a look,” I said.

  Sierra peeled the tape off one corner and giggled. “Is it the new Barbie doll I've always wanted?”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  She peeled the tape off the other corner.

  “Oh, just rip it off already,” I said.

  “Fine.”

  She tore the wrapping paper apart, and her face lit up when she realized what it was.

  “Monopoly! I love this game! I haven't played it since I was a kid!”

  “I thought you might like a board game. This is one of my favorites too,” I said.

  “Why don't we play?” Lillian suggested. “The dining table is cleared.”

  “Sure,” I said, pulling up a chair.

  Lillian and I unpacked the box, and they all agreed I should be the banker. I doled out everyone's cash, and we each picked a playing piece. I chose the 1930s roadster, one of my favorite cars. I was planning to go easy on them, but after about half an hour, I realized there was no need. The three Maywoods were old hands, and they were trading properties with each other so they could bully me into surrender. Within the hour, I was near bankruptcy and Sierra owned half of all the monopolies.

  By the time the game ended, it was already eleven. Sierra had won, obviously. Owned all the oranges, reds, and yellows with at least two motels on each. She had a smug look on her face that drove me nuts. A look that made
me want to sneak up beside her and kiss the daylights out of her.

  “Would you like to stay the night, Asher?” Lillian asked. “You can sleep on the couch next to Sierra.” I almost thought I saw her wink at me.

  “Umm...”

  “It's already late, and the roads are dark around these parts. I insist you stay,” Lillian said. “You can leave for work after breakfast tomorrow.”

  I hesitated. “Well, if it's alright with Ernest... and Sierra.”

  Ernest grunted. “Yeah, you can stay. No funny business, but you can stay.”

  Sierra shrugged. “If my parents are fine with it, so am I.” She tried to act casual about it, but I could see her eyes brighten up.

  “I guess I'll stay then,” I said.

  “We don't have an extra set of blankets, but you can use this throw,” Lillian said, bring me a hand-made quilt.

  “Thank you. It's warm enough tonight, so I'm not worried.” I sank into the couch. It was a bit lumpy, and I could feel a couple springs dig into my ass. But it would be so worth it knowing I'd be sleeping next to Sierra.

  “Bathroom is down the hall to the right,” Lillian said. “We wake up at six. Is that alright with you?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Lillian.”

  After Sierra's parents turned off the light and disappeared upstairs, I sat up on the couch. In the darkness, I whispered, “Psst. You still awake?”

  “You think I could've fallen asleep in the two seconds since the lights went off?” Sierra replied.

  Ignoring her sarcasm, I said, “I had fun tonight.”

  After a beat, she replied, “Me too. Thanks for coming, Asher. You made my day.”

  “Now I get to have a sleepover!” I said in falsetto. “At Sierra Maywood's house!”

  “I know. How scandalous,” Sierra said, deadpan.

  I was shocked by how quiet it was out here on the farm. And how dark. I could even make out some stars through the living room window. No light pollution to obscure them. I wondered what it was like growing up in a place like this, so far from the chaos of the city.

  “I bet your parents have never let boys sleep over before,” I said after a while.

  “Never stopped me from sneaking them in anyway,” she replied. If I could see her face, it'd probably be smirking. Her signature look: the Sierra Smirk.

  “You rebel.”

  “In fact, I lost my virginity on that very couch.”

  I let out an audible groan. “Really?”

  “Yup. Ryan Pratt. Football captain. We'd just turned eighteen. Parents were out of town for the weekend.”

  God, the thought of eighteen-year-old Sierra losing her virginity on the same couch I was sleeping on gave me the chills. And an instant boner. Luckily it was pitch dark so she couldn't see the tent in my pants.

  Why did she say shit like that? To mess with me?

  “Okay, stop right there. I don't want to hear this,” I said, sinking down lower on the couch and resting my head on the armrest. “Some people need to catch a few winks before work tomorrow.”

  “He came all over my back,” Sierra said without skipping a beat.

  My cock pulsed.

  Seriously, Sierra?

  Did she really just say that or was it my imagination playing tricks?

  “There was so much—”

  “—Stop it, Sierra.”

  I couldn't stop thinking about Sierra now, taking it from behind. Her back glistening with another man's cum.

  “—It stained the couch. You can check tomorrow.” A playful giggle. “Good night, Asher.”

  Damn this woman. Damn her!

  I wanted to jerk off so bad. Why the hell would she say something like this? My stiff cock refused to die, no matter what I did. I loathed her in that instant, for saying something so naughty in the dark. Something she knew would drive me crazy. She knew I'd react to it, and she knew I wouldn't be able to relieve myself.

  She was a devil woman.

  Someone I'd never even made it past first base with! I'd known her for almost a month now, and I hadn't even graduated past kissing and light groping.

  Fuck, what the hell did I get myself into?

  “You can't do that,” I said.

  “Do what?”

  “Say something so fucking hot then tell me to go to sleep.” Blood was whooshing through my head now. I felt dizzy. “That's playing dirty.”

  “Maybe I like to play dirty,” Sierra said. “Should I continue or are you going to go to sleep now?”

  “I want to sleep,” I said. “But I need to do something first.”

  “Oh, what's that?”

  I sat up and made my way towards her bed. Cupping her cheeks, I took her mouth into mine. Hard. I threaded my fingers through her curly mane and tugged. Hard. This wasn't the demure kiss we'd shared earlier before dinner. This one was heated and desperate. I was a man on a mission. Both could play at this game. I had to—

  Sierra pushed me away. “My parents are right upstairs, and the walls are paper thin,” she hissed.

  “I need you, Sierra. Bad. So fucking bad.”

  “Not here, not now, Asher,” Sierra whispered, rubbing her thumb along my stubbled chin. “But when the time comes...It'll be incredible.”

  I stood up and pulled down my pants and boxers. The fabric pooled on the floor. My cock sprang free, hot and heavy in my hand. I took Sierra's right hand and brought it up against my arousal. “You tell that to him.”

  I wished I could see the look on Sierra's face when she touched my cock for the first time. Was she impressed or shocked by its girth and length?

  “Asher Morgan,” Sierra hissed. “You're insane.”

  But she didn't let go. In fact, she began to stroke my length, ever so slowly.

  Within seconds, she'd rolled over, and both of her hands were gripping me. Her soft fingers playing with my hard cock nearly made me blow my load in less than a minute.

  “Keep doing that and you might get an unwanted surprise,” I said huskily.

  “Who says it'll be unwanted?” she teased.

  My hips began pistoning against her palms, and I could feel my lower body tighten, bracing for a climax.

  And when she pulled me closer and wrapped her lips around me, I instantly exploded against the back of her throat. Sierra pulled away and dragged in a deep breath.

  “Holy shit,” I cried. “I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry.”

  “You taste so good, though.” She let out a hum.

  “You swallowed?”

  “Of course, I did. You want a taste?” She giggled as she skimmed her fingertips down my thighs. Her lips brushed against my inner thigh, and I twitched.

  “You. Are. So. Fucking. Hot.” I pushed my hands through her hair once more, relishing the smell of her. The heat of her skin so close to mine. I wanted to say something. Something I'd wanted to say for a while now, but wasn't sure if she was ready to accept. I wanted to bare my soul to this woman, but—

  “Good night, Asher. You should get some sleep.”

  I nodded in the dark, biting my lower lip. “Good night, Sierra.”

  Much as I wanted to do more or say more to her, I knew I needed to sleep. My confession could wait until another day. After all, we had all the time in the world.

  I had to bring my A-game to work tomorrow. Because tomorrow, we were presenting the new contracts to the Holdom sisters. If they agreed to them, we'd be looking at a tidy $10 million profit after Clarisse Holdom Enterprises merged with Lachantal Corporation. Furthermore, if they decided to fire their current lawyer, we'd be looking at a potential $2 million retainer in the next quarter. Even though I fucked up with the final contracts and Dad passed them on to Klassen, I was sure that if we succeeded in wooing those two billionaires moguls, I'd get promoted to senior partner. After all, Mike and I did most of the legwork. In fact, I'd insist that Mike got promoted too.

  The next day, after a hearty breakfast of farm-fresh eggs, milk, and bacon, I gave Sierra a chaste kiss on the cheek an
d promised I'd be back that night for a short visit.

  “Come over whenever you want, Asher,” Lillian cooed. “Our doors are always open for you.”

  “Thank you, Lillian. That means a lot to me.” My cheeks still flamed at the memory of what we did the night before in their living room.

  Ernest didn't say much but grumbled a goodbye as I left.

  When I reached the office, there was the usual pandemonium...but with an added edge. Of course, people were on edge. The Holdom sisters were coming to visit. They were practically Hollywood celebrities. The youngest female billionaires in the world running one of the biggest cosmetics empires in the world. Who hadn't heard of Clarisse Holdom?

  “Look sharp,” Rachelle quipped. “They're coming in five minutes.”

  “Don't I always look sharp?” I grinned. I was wearing my best suit and a brand new dress shirt so starched and white it blinded my colleagues.

  “You do look... refreshed today,” Rachelle pointed out. “Did you get lucky last night?”

  Something like that. I didn't answer her question and headed straight to my office instead. I had to prepare my notes and gather my files.

  When I heard a deluge of 'oohs' and 'aahs' cascade through the office, I knew it was showtime.

  I made my way to the Meeting Room A and caught a glimpse of the two sisters heading towards me.

  Vanessa Holdom was the older sister, the one in charge. I met her at a charity gala last year in L.A. She was radiant then but even more so now that she was pregnant. Her belly was so huge it looked like she was about to pop. The baby bump was showcased perfectly underneath a form-fitting maternity dress. By her side, was her chatty younger sister, Lexi. I heard she'd just turned nineteen. She was by far the smartest and most cunning nineteen-year-old I'd ever met. IQ and college grades through the roof. Already the head of marketing at a billion-dollar company. She was ambitious, smart, and easy on the eyes.

  “Vanessa! Lexi! How nice to see you again,” I greeted.

  “Well if it isn't Asher Morgan,” Lexi smiled. “Haven't seen you since the charity gala last year.”

  Memories flooded back to me. There had been a shooting. The gala had ended short.

  “Did they ever catch the shooter?”

  Lexi shook her head. “We're still looking, but chances are he's either in hiding or already dead. I think he was working for a drug lord or something.”