Candy Canes: A Dirty Box Set

by Angela Blake

  “Ashlyn.”

  She heard her name spoken, and she jumped up. There, standing at the top of the patio stairs was Javon. He looked just as handsome as he had the other night. She wanted to jump into his arms and beg for his forgiveness. She wanted to kiss him so that he would know she was sorry for yelling at him, that she really wanted something more with him.

  “Javon,” she said. She started walking toward her, but he held up his hand for her to wait. He came to her, over to the bench that overlooked where the sun would sink down. Ashlyn looked at Javon uncertainly. How should she react to him? What should she do?

  “I’m sorry,” Ashlyn finally said, looking Javon steadily in the eyes. “I know I was wrong.”

  Javon’s eyes fluttered down to Ashlyn’s lips, and he bent down, halting right before he reached her lips. “I have to kiss you,” he said.

  Ashlyn closed the space, pressing her lips onto his. She parted his lips before the first moments of their kiss had passed, and she pushed her tongue into his mouth. She was fighting for forgiveness, pushing into him to show him that she hadn’t meant what she had said.

  They kissed and kissed, but Ashlyn wanted more. She wanted him to want more. She wanted to make him have so much desire for her that he simply couldn’t wait any longer. Ashlyn slowly pushed her hips toward him, feeling his erection pressing into her. Javon broke off their kissing to groan.

  “Let’s go to my place,” he said.

  Ashlyn nodded, acting as a robot obeying her master. “Okay,” she said gently. Javon paused for a moment to look her over. Then, he took her hand and carefully let her down the stairs and around to the parking lot. Ashlyn’s heart was beating hard and loud. She was making a decision, a decision she couldn’t change later even if she wanted to.

  Javon opened the car door, and Ashlyn hesitated. She looked back at him, waiting for that last little shove. Javon smiled at her then smacked her ass. It sent such a wave of desire up and down her that Ashlyn stepped forward and sat in the passenger seat. She watched as Javon went around to the driver’s seat. They were missing the sunset, but it didn’t seem to matter.

  Javon got in his seat, and Ashlyn couldn’t take her eyes off him. She wanted to taste him, but at the same time, she didn’t want to go anywhere with him.

  “Javon,” she whispered, his name flowing across her lips. He turned and focused his deep brown eyes on her.

  “Yes?”

  “I need to kiss you again right now,” Ashlyn replied, biting her lower lip, her eyes unable to remove themselves from his lips.

  “I think that is a wish I can grant,” Javon said. He leaned over, and their lips met again. Their kissing started a fire within Ashlyn, and she wanted to keep kissing him. She didn’t ever want to stop. Ashlyn felt Javon’s hand brush across her breast, and she hesitated. He would make her feel good. She knew that, but then would it all be over?

  Javon’s hand came back and gently squeezed Ashlyn’s breast. She broke off the kissing so she could groan. Did he know what he was doing to her insides?

  “I’d take you right now if it weren’t so public,” Javon murmured, his eyes focused on her as he gently slipped his hand under the edge of her shirt. She felt his fingers creeping across her stomach and around to the back. He unfastened her bra then looked up and smiled right into her eyes.

  Ashlyn shivered and waited for him to continue. She was poised, and she knew that her nipples had already hardened. She wanted him right there.

  “Go ahead,” Ashlyn urged. It seemed as though she was under a spell as she fought with herself between wanting him and choosing to be responsible.

  Javon leaned forward and bit her bottom lip, a little harder than he had before. “I don’t think you know what you’re asking for. I’m going to take you to my house, and I’m going to keep you up all night with that I’m going to do to you.”

  Ashlyn backed up. Maybe he thought he sounded sexy, but it really just scared her. Maybe it would feel amazing, but if Javon just wanted a good time, was it worth it? While she wasn’t a virgin, it had been so long that Ashlyn had fantasized about waiting until she was engaged at least. She wanted to have Javon right then, but she didn’t want to regret it. The fear started picking at her increasingly as Javon leaned her seat backward so that she was laying straight. Was she going to go through with this, with him?

  Chapter Seven

  Javon pulled Ashlyn’s shirt up, then straddled her. He pressed his erection into her and smiled. “Oh, Ashlyn, you don’t know how much I have thought about how I want to have sex with you.”

  His words scared Ashlyn, igniting the fear that had been building in her. She pushed her shirt down and struggled to sit up. Javon gently pushed her shoulders back down again.

  “It’s okay, Ashlyn,” he said. “You’re going to like this.”

  “I don’t want to,” Ashlyn said, her eyes becoming wide as she sat up again. “I don’t want to!” She didn’t really need to say it again except that she was scared that she hadn’t said it loud enough.

  “Hey, I won’t do it if you don’t want,” Javon said, moving back to his seat and watching her strangely. “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want me now?”

  Ashlyn couldn’t tell if she was really shaking or if she was just imagining it. “I just don’t want to. I have never been the kind of girl to sleep with guys just because, and I don’t want to be that kind of girl now.”

  “It doesn’t have to be just because,” Javon joked. “I’ll give you a reason.”

  Ashlyn shook her head, already removing herself from the moment. She struggled to clasp her bra as she talked. “I’m not ready for that. I want to be in a relationship with a guy before I get that intimate with him.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want a relationship with me?” Javon lifted his eyebrows. He looked genuinely surprised, and it set Ashlyn back for a few minutes. What was he trying to say? That he actually wanted something more than sex from her? She somehow couldn’t believe it.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I think we would need to know each other better. But, the film crew is leaving town in eight days. Then, I might never come back here.”

  “Well, you’d have to move of course,” Javon said. “But you can leave the crew, or you can finish the movie if you want first, then you can come back.”

  “But I can’t film if I live here,” Ashlyn said, the idea so ridiculous that she couldn’t even think straight about it.

  “That doesn’t matter,” Javon said. “I have enough money to give you anything you want. And as for what you need, well, I can take care of that at night in bed.”

  Ashlyn swallowed. The idea wasn’t even a possibility. Was Javon crazy? “I don’t think that would work,” Ashlyn said.

  “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t like to go to bed with me every night. Just think,” Javon’s voice dropped, “we could shower together. I can help you with all of those hard-to-reach spots. Then, I’ll give you a massage to get rid of all your stress. And then, I’ll just strip you down and show you who’s boss.”

  Ashlyn shook her head, even though her body like the sound of his suggestions. “I-I can’t. I love filming. It’s my life. I can’t give that up, not for anyone.”

  “What if your life was receiving pleasure?” Javon replied. “What if you didn’t need to work to make ends meet, but I could provide everything you ever wanted? Tell me that doesn’t sound attractive.”

  “No,” Ashlyn said more firmly. “I can’t do that. I’ve always wanted to film, and I would miss it if I couldn’t do it.”

  “I could buy you a camera if that’s what you want. Come on, you will never find another guy offering you the kind of deal that I am.”

  “I’m not interested,” Ashlyn said. “I don’t want a guy who just lives for pleasure. I want someone who cares about my needs. You just want to serve yourself, because you think it would be fun to have sex with me every night.” Ashlyn shook her head. “I’m not i
nterested.”

  “You are going to regret missing this opportunity,” Javon said, “but I won’t make you. It’s your choice, but I suggest you decide now.”

  “I’ve decided,” Ashlyn tried to convince herself as her eyes continued to tour Javon’s body. “I can’t do something like that. You just want to do what you want to do, and in a couple of months, you would get bored with me and toss me away just like you want me to toss away my filming opportunity.” Ashlyn took a deep breath then let it out. “I’m sorry for yelling at you this afternoon. That was completely wrong of me, and I’m trying to learn to not yell so much when I’m angry.”

  Javon simply nodded, but his face was set and stern.

  Ashlyn nodded at Javon, her eyes dropping to his lips. Was it too late? Could she go back and say she was wrong? Should she decide in the morning after he had made love to her?

  No, Ashlyn told herself. She had made her decision for a reason, and she needed to stick with her decision even if it was hard. “Goodbye,” Ashlyn said simply, opening the car door. Javon didn’t say anything as Ashlyn cleared herself out of the car’s way. The car drove away, and Ashlyn was left standing in the parking lot by herself.

  Part of her regretted her decision. She knew that if she had let Javon touch her, she would have lost her mind to the pleasure. But Ashlyn also knew that it would only be short-lasting. She had to keep her eyes on her real goal.

  Ashlyn began walking back to the hotel as darkness fell over the city. Ashlyn mentally fought with herself to convince herself that she would find someone better than Javon, not just someone who wanted to experience pleasure with her, but someone who really cared about her and what she wanted.

  Ashlyn wondered how many guys were really available who genuinely cared about a woman. She took a deep breath. Well, maybe one day she would find them. Meanwhile, she had to finish filming here, then they would be heading into the mountains to film another part of the movie. It sounded nice and relaxing to be in a cooler climate during this hot summer heat. Maybe Ashlyn would have better luck there focusing on her career and becoming a success. She determined that no man, no matter how attractive he was would be able to distract her.

  THE END

  Blue Eyed Daddy

  Chapter 1

  Anya Sho sighed as she crossed one leg over the other and bent her head forward in concentration. Anya had just turned twenty-one, but instead of celebrating like she wanted to, she had a paper due in a few hours for a history class she was taking in college.

  When her best friend Lisa suggested she come over to her house for a study session, Anya had jumped at the chance to escape her dorm, and the weird smells that emanated from it.

  Her best friend of four years, Lisa, nearly tripped over her long legs on her way to the bathroom. Anya mumbled apologetically as she stared at her legs and wondered.

  She knew that she got her height from her mum’s side of the family. Her mum was a pure Russian with the traditional supermodel good looks, and even though Anya had inherited some of her mother’s genes-the blonde hair and blue eyes- that was where the similarities ended. Instead of being tall and willowy like most Russian women, Anya was simply tall, and what most people called heavy.

  She wasn’t exactly on the thin side, and she didn’t mind because most American women were practically starving themselves just to get that elusive skinny supermodel look, but Anya knew that a lot of men actually preferred curvy women. Women with a little more meat on their bones.

  Anya’s father, Han always told her that when she was growing up.

  A sad smile made its way to her face as she recalled memories of her father. He was a small man from China who had come to America to take over his family’s restaurant. He was a quiet sort of man, not the type you’d notice instantly, unlike her mother whose mere presence demanded attention. They were an odd couple, but evenly matched in ways most people wouldn’t expect.

  Which is why it was a surprise when he cheated on her. Anya supposed that in a way, she knew. Her mother worked long hours as a doctor, and her father waited up for her a lot, but doctors didn’t have set schedules, so more often than not, she’d come home late and go straight to sleep. Some days she wouldn’t come home at all.

  Anya and her sister Alyona didn’t mind because they loved their mother regardless, but she supposed it was different for her father, who must’ve craved companionship. Anya imagined his small form waiting up day in and day out for a wife who many people viewed as his superior.

  It had broken her heart when she found out he had cheated on her mother because in a way, it had felt like he had cheated on his whole family. The divorce had gotten ugly, especially because Anya’s mother wanted nothing more to do with him, and he couldn’t let go of her.

  When they finally got their divorce years later, Han had turned into a bitter man who frequently snapped at his daughters whenever they came to visit. He gradually started ignoring them and for a long time only stayed in touch with them just to ask them about their mother. Whenever it seemed like she was unhappy, he would try to weasel his way back in. Whenever she was happy, he cursed her name to the wind.

  Alyona had eventually gotten tired of this topsy turvy relationship they had with their dad. She told him that when he was interested in learning about who she was as a woman then he could call her, but until then she wanted nothing more to do with him. With that, she had packed up her things and left. She moved to a quiet street in Boston with her husband and two kids. She had made her peace with the fact that she would probably never have the kind of relationship she wanted with her father, and for that Anya envied her.

  Anya wished she was able to do the same, but for some reason, she was unable to.

  She constantly found herself being sucked into his web, drawn in by honeyed words and whispered promises that he always hinted at, but never seemed to make. Every single time he’d dash her hopes and bring her crashing back down to Earth. Every time he did that, she’d vow to herself that she’d put a stop to it, and yet somehow, each time she told herself to walk away, something kept her back.

  Anya began to nibble on the edge of her pencil as she underlined some things in her text book. Lisa emerged a while later with a tray filled with treats and coffee.

  “I brought reinforcements,” she announced as she balanced the tray on the edge of her hip and used her foot to shut the door closed.

  “You’re my hero.” Anya stood up and went to help Lisa set the stuff down. She met Lisa during her freshman year at college, they were both psychology majors. Lisa was Anya’s complete opposite.

  Bubbly, energetic and from a completely normal home life. There was just one thing they had in common. Both their parents were divorced, but where Lisa had made her peace with it, Anya sometimes wondered how different her life would’ve been if her parents had stayed together. Lisa was short, but she was thin in a way that most people thought came from starving herself, but in reality, she could eat like an elephant. She just had really good genes. She was very down to earth, and that’s what drew Anya to her. They might be as different as fire and rain, but at the end of the day, they were like sisters.

  “Maybe you should write an essay about me-Lisa the unsung heroine,” Lisa mused in between mouthfuls of food.

  Anya lifted an eyebrow as she tossed a pencil at her. “The unsung heroine of what exactly? Coffee and snacks?”

  She held up a finger. “Hey, now. Don’t forget that they’re what keep you going. Where would you be without my coffee and snacks?”

  “Good point,” Anya conceded as she curled her fingers around the mug of steaming hot coffee. She paused for a bit, blew and took a tentative sip, letting the hot coffee slide down her throat. Her entire body tingled as the coffee began to take effect.

  “So what happened with that guy you met at the bar the other day?”

  Anya scrunched her nose as she tried to recall his name. “You mean Ryan? Oh, it didn’t work out.”

>   Lisa reached for her own cup of coffee. “Why not? He seemed nice enough. Besides, isn’t it too soon to call it? You’ve only been on like two dates.”

  “Two dates is enough time for me to determine the longevity of the relationship. Besides, he was too mainstream for my taste.”

  Lisa rolled her eyes as she set down her mug and glanced at Anya in exasperation, “You say that about all guys our age, An. I mean, don’t you think that you’re being a little unrealistic with your ‘too mainstream’ standard? We do live in the 21st century.”

  “So? That doesn’t mean I should lower my standards. Rather, it means that men should rise to the occasion.”

  Lisa cocked her to the side. “I get where you’re coming from, I do, but you know as well as I do that guys our age are more interested in getting as many girls as they can and partying. They don’t want to talk about Murakami or music or the way the sun bathes the world in a halo of purple and pink as it sets.”

  Anya looked at her in amused surprise. “I’m glad to see you listen to what I say.”

  “Sometimes,” Lisa gave her a sardonic smile, “but that’s because I know that despite your intensity that can sometimes be a little scary, you’re actually a very mellow person with a heart of gold.”

  “This isn’t another one of your attempts to get me to go on a double date with you and Patrick, is it?”

  Lisa had the grace to look sheepish. “Well, yes and no. You know I want to go on a double date with you, but you know I also want you to be happy.”

  Anya took a sip of her coffee and savored it before choosing her next words, “What made you think I’m not? Because I don’t buy into societal expectations? That a woman cannot be successful and happy without a man?”

  Anya placed the cup of coffee on the desk next to her before she turned around to face Lisa. She was met with a resounding whack as a pillow hit her squarely in the face.