“Nice to see you again, Vanessa,” I welcomed.
Her eyes scanned the room. “Where’s Brian?”
I tried not to bristle at her inability to say hello like a normal human being. “Unfortunately, he can’t make it today. He had a family emergency come up last night.”
I didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t have been sympathetic to that statement, but clearly I’d underestimated her.
“And that excuses him from missing this meeting how? I flew all the way down from New York. If this so-called emergency turned up last night, I should’ve received a call last night letting me know. Did someone die?”
What a callous bitch. “I’m not at liberty to discuss his personal situation except to say that it’s obviously very serious. And since I’m the lead on the account, and we worked together on this proposal, we wanted to go forward with this meeting so we didn’t delay phase two.”
“Yes, I suppose you are the lead, technically, aren’t you?” She tapped her long red nail against her lip like she was considering something and then flopped down into one of the chairs.
I swallowed down any retort I could’ve made. Messing up this campaign was not an option.
We settled in and went over the PowerPoint slides in depth. Vanessa was relentless with her questions.
“I don’t think I care for your first proposal, Sasha. What’s the alternative?”
She damned well knew there wasn’t an alternative. Furthermore, the first one was perfect for the direction her company wanted to go with television ads. “We are confident that this first proposal will boost your market share, not to mention set the company up for its long-term strategy.”
“In other words, you put all of your eggs in one basket. For shame not to give a client multiple options, but then again, I’m not surprised. Perhaps Brian will have more ideas.”
It took all that I had in me to utter my next sentence. “This proposal was his, but I’ll be certain to relay your dissatisfaction with it when I speak with him later. If you give me until tomorrow, I’d be happy to come up with some different options.”
Amazing how fast she changed her tune. “You know what? It’s growing on me. But it does make me wonder: if this was Brian’s idea, what does he keep you on the account for?”
“We work as a team, brainstorming and coming up with ideas to keep the client’s best interests at heart instead of our individual egos. Brian will be very pleased to hear that you’re comfortable with the proposal.” I got up out of my seat and flipped on the lights before handing her the proposal for signature. I tried to act nonchalant, as if the two-million-dollar phase two contract was a drop in the bucket.
After she finished signing, I stood with her. “I’ll see you out.”
“No need, I know my way. Please tell Brian that I missed him and look forward to our next meeting.” She made her way to the door.
“Certainly.”
I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but she turned.
“Tell me, Sasha, are you currently fucking him, or is it in the past?”
The shock of that question floored me. I knew she glimpsed the surprise on my face before I could cover it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think we both know. A man doesn’t look at a woman like Brian looks at you without having had intimate knowledge of her at some point. You know what, I answered my own question. The look is definitely one of been there, done that. Take care, now.”
She strutted out of the office in her killer four-inch stilettos and too-tight leopard-print skirt while I envisioned a scenario in which I could tell her to go to hell and not lose my job.
After going through the motions of getting the signed contract over to the accounting department, I scanned a copy for Brian, and then set up the meetings to get the ball rolling on the actual commercial shoot.
Finally, after everything was in order, I settled into the visitor’s office and refused to think about Vanessa’s comments. I was on the fence about whether or not to tell Brian but reasoned he didn’t need my shit on top of everything else he was dealing with. I was effectively stomping my emotions down, refusing to acknowledge how they were making me feel. You’d think I’d be better at it by now. Pushing thoughts of Vanessa out of my head, I proceeded to plow through my day.
As I was driving back to Brian’s house, the number from the New York office flashed up on the car’s Bluetooth. I answered and heard Nancy’s voice on the car speaker.
“Sasha, I know you told me to screen your calls regarding that attorney, Michael Frank. I’m really sorry to bother you, but the message he left today I thought you might want to know about.”
I steeled myself, already knowing deep down it wasn’t good news. “Yes, of course, Nancy.”
“He wanted to let you know that she passed yesterday. He didn’t give any details but did leave his number again and that of the county morgue.”
My veins felt like ice water, and I didn’t know what to say.
“Do you want me to email you the details?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” came an automatic voice I didn’t recognize. I was numb.
***
Patience wasn’t my strong suit, so waiting on Brian at his place after nine o’clock that night—after not hearing from him all day—was about to drive me mad. Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer and sent him a text.
“Everything okay? Anything I can do to help?”
“On my way home,” came the reply.
I didn’t like this restlessness I was feeling. I hoped a glass of whiskey would take the edge off.
Pacing until I heard the garage door open, I had to physically grab the countertop ledge to keep myself from launching at him when he came through the front door. I tried to keep my inner turmoil at bay and focus on him. It wasn’t hard to make that switch when Brian entered the kitchen, looking emotionally exhausted.
“That bad huh?”
He nodded, walking over and kissing me briefly before crossing over to his bar. He fixed himself a stiff drink to match mine. “Yeah, it was.”
“Do you feel like talking about it?”
His tired eyes met mine. “Not really. Do you mind? Right now I only want to decompress a little.”
It stung. But with another glance at him, I recognized that he had the weight of the world on his shoulders at the moment. “I don’t mind. Come on, let’s go sit on the sofa.”
I snuggled up next to him, and we both sat there in the silence, sipping our whiskey.
“Tell me how things went with Vanessa.”
I was surprised he hadn’t checked his email, but it spoke volumes about how wrapped up he must have been today. “Good. She signed off on the proposal. I have a meeting on Tuesday afternoon with the media department to go over the commercial shoot, but if you think that you won’t be able to get away, I can reschedule for next week without an issue.”
He squeezed my hip and tossed me a small smile. “No, Tuesday is good. Great job.” He held up his glass, and I clinked mine to it.
“Thanks,” I murmured, thinking about the train wreck of a day it had actually been. “How is Juliette?”
He kissed me on my forehead. “I had to tell her that within hours of the PI following her husband, he had proof that he was cheating. The investigator is going to dig for more, but clearly Rob is enjoying the fact that his wife is out of town. She’s going to be okay though. The tricky part is the custody. She wants proof that he’s using drugs as leverage to ensure she can keep Tristan safe. Mark found a reputable divorce attorney that Juliette will work with once she gets back in a couple of weeks.”
“How did she take it?”
He sighed. “Better than I thought. I think she’s angrier with herself for being duped. She’s put up with a lot from him over the last couple years and tried to remain positive, so an affair was a slap in the face.”
“I bet, but thanks to you she has a plan and is being smart about things.”
“I hope so. I’d better get to my emails. I’ll let you get some sleep.” He kissed me quickly and made his way downstairs to his office.
I tried not to let the fact that he wanted to be alone bother me. After showering, I waited up for him in bed awhile but finally fell asleep. Feeling him crawl in beside me later, I curled into him. When he didn’t make a move to touch me after a few minutes, I propped up on my elbow.
Huh. He was already fast asleep. That was a first. Lying in a bed with Brian and no sex. I was annoyed with myself for expecting it. It had been a long, emotional day. Looking over at his sleeping face, I appreciated what type of man he was to ensure his friend was well cared for.
Deciding I wasn’t going to get back to sleep anytime soon, I padded into the bathroom. It seemed that I stood there frozen in front of the mirror for an eternity before I realized there were tears streaming down my face. Before I registered what it meant, the dam started to break. The terrible things Juliette had facing her. The meeting with Vanessa that had turned into a personal attack. And lastly, although I didn’t want to it to hurt, the death of my biological mother.
I grabbed a hand towel, trying to muffle the sound of my sob that sounded strange even to my own ears. I didn’t hear Brian come in but felt his strong arms come around me. Turning, I buried my face in his shoulder, unable to control it any longer.
He didn’t say anything, only stroked my back and let me cry it out.
Finally trusting my voice, I pulled back and murmured, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
He put a finger to my lips. “You have nothing to apologize for.” He fixed his mouth over mine in a gentle kiss, only pulling away to tuck my hair behind my ears.
“The last thing you need right now is to have to comfort yet another person.” I took a deep breath. “I’m okay. It’s only a stupid moment of weakness.” I was hesitant for him to see even a glimpse of my vulnerability for fear it would expose so much more.
He frowned. “You view needing someone, even for a moment, as a weakness, whereas I see it as a privilege to be that person for you. Would it help to hear that I needed to come home to you tonight? Needed to see your face and hear your voice?”
The tears slid down my face at his confession. “I’m not used to having someone to rely on like that. It scares me.”
He smiled and held my face between his hands. “Then let’s be scared together because I’m not letting go.”
He kissed me deeply, and I could feel his fingers hook into the side of my panties, sliding them downward. I wasn’t confident my emotional state could handle alpha Brian at the moment, however, and wavered.
He picked up on my hesitation. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
I pulled back, and my eyes locked with his. “I have something to ask you.”
“Okay, ask me, honey.”
I swallowed hard. “Would you make love to me?”
His eyes widened and reflected surprise, followed by something I couldn’t identify. “Sasha, I—”
I didn’t let him finish, putting a finger to his lips. “I know your whole theory on making love and having to be in love, but for tonight could you please fake it?”
His hand stroked the side of my face, and a shiver ran through me. He wiped the last tear that had slipped down my cheek.
I held my breath when he carefully lifted the T-shirt over my head. His fingers slid my panties down the rest of the way slowly, with his face lowering with the motion, trailing kisses from my hips to my knees.
There were no orders of getting on the bed or fast fingers this time around. Instead, he lifted me gently and placed me in the middle of his sheets. I watched, transfixed, while he took off his boxers as if in slow motion. He climbed up on the mattress and covered my body with his, settling between my legs but not entering me. His heat seeped into mine, our hands linking, and when he kissed me, the tension of the day melted away instantly.
Kissing my neck with soft nibbles, he slid down to my breasts. He teased them one by one, sucking gently. Back up the curve of my shoulder and over my collarbone, he moved up, kissing my lips reverently. “You are so beautiful.”
For the first time, I was raw and vulnerable and didn’t mind him seeing me as such. “You make me feel that way.”
“Touch me,” he invited.
Eager for the rare opportunity to explore him with unhurried touches, I glided my hands down his back, squeezing him tightly to me in a lover’s embrace. My fingers ran through his hair, enjoying the silken feel of it. I smiled when he captured one of my hands and set it on the side of his face after kissing my palm.
His erection settled against my thigh, but still he made no move to fill me. Reaching down, I stroked him with my hand, enjoying the long sigh of pleasure that escaped his lips when I gripped his velvety softness.
He shifted his hips allowing me more access. “That feels like heaven.”
Rubbing the crown of his hard length against my swollen clit, I moved him in small circles, then between my lips, coating him with my arousal.
“Your touch feels amazing.” His seductive voice lulled me into this serenity that I’d never felt with anyone. The connection was almost overwhelming, and he wasn’t even inside of me yet.
I traced his biceps with my fingers and then ran my hands slowly over his shoulders and down his back. Since he complimented me so frequently, I wanted him to know how very much I was attracted to him, too. “You’re so sexy, so strong.”
His lips settled over mine, and he kissed me now with tender urgency, stroking my tongue with his. He sucked in my breath until we were breathing like one.
I exhaled, so unbelievably consumed by his kiss that I swear I almost could’ve climaxed from the power of it alone.
His hand reached out and brushed my hair from my temple. He traced my lips with his tongue, then sucked on my bottom lip.
I shifted, aligning him with my slick entrance and letting him know I needed him now.
“Look at me,” he quietly demanded.
My eyes locked on his, viewing such raw emotion in the depths that I was completely lost in the moment.
He entered me one delicious inch at a time, the whole while holding my gaze, emphasizing that this was making love.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and held him there, buried deep inside of me, for what seemed like eternity.
“You were made for me, Sash—”
Shifting my hips, I felt him harden even further inside of me. “Oh, God,” I gasped.
We moved rhythmically as one with his hands lifting my hips up to the perfect angle, hitting my most sensitive spot. My eyes rolled back in my head in ecstasy even while trying to maintain contact with his. His breathing became erratic and his strokes faster. My climax came swift and hard, taking him over the edge with me.
***
Lying in his arms and listening to the rain come down, I knew something had shifted, but I didn’t want to analyze it. The look in his eyes while he’d tenderly made love to me convinced me that I wasn’t alone in experiencing mixed emotions. I knew this went against what he was comfortable with, what we had agreed on, and what we had ever done, yet I wouldn’t have taken it back.
“The meeting with Vanessa didn’t go very well, did it?” he whispered in the dark.
I sighed. “It could’ve gone better, but she signed anyways. I had to tell her that it was your idea.” It was tempting to tell him about her personal comment, but I was a big girl and didn’t need to lay one more thing on him.
He stroked my hip. “I’m sorry it had to be that way. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You had enough on your plate today, and it wasn’t anything new with her. Besides, it wasn’t the worst thing that happened today.”
“What was?”
I hesitated. “If I tell you, you need to promise not to try to fix it, not to offer advice, or analyze my feelings. I can admit to needing you tonight, but I don’t want this to turn into you trying to solve my p
roblems.”
“Okay, but now you have me concerned.”
I shook my head. “Nothing to worry about. I, uh, received a call today via Nancy that my birth mom died yesterday. I don’t have the details, only the number of an attorney who’s been calling the last couple of weeks, probably trying to get money for rehab or maybe to get me to come see her. I don’t know if it would have made a difference. It was a shock, but I’m okay.” I swallowed down the guilt.
Brian held me tighter. “I want to believe you.”
I bit my lip. Sasha-B-Fierce was supposed to be able to handle anything. “Then do.”
The next morning, I had an early flight to catch in order to get back to the New York office to meet with another client about their newest campaign vision this afternoon. Packing my bag kept me too busy to analyze what had happened with us the night before. I’d needed Brian to be tender and sweet. He’d faked it well enough, but it had only been pretend and didn’t change anything. With a little separation, I knew we’d be back to our previous arrangement and rid of any weirdness.
He carried my suitcase out to my rental car. “It’s strange not having you spend the weekend and not dropping you off at the airport.”
“It is.” Even if I’d wanted to stay, Brian was off to California for his sister’s graduation this weekend.
“I’m flying to Virginia next Friday morning. You’re still coming in for McKenzie’s celebration, right?”
I wavered, not realizing her party was already the weekend after next. Where was the month of May going?
“Unless you’ve changed your mind?” His voice had an edge.
He had misinterpreted my hesitancy. “No, I haven’t. I was only thinking in my head that I couldn’t believe it was already the end of May.”
He reached out, cupping my face. “I’ll only say this once to keep my promise, but if you need anything…”
I held a finger up to his lips, knowing he was referring to the death of my birth mother. “I’ll tell you.”
“Good. I’ll email you the hotel information for next weekend. And don’t be anxious about my mom and sister-in-law. I’ll make sure they’re on good behavior. Of course, I can’t say the same for me.”
Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2) Page 29