by Jennifer Ann
“What’s wrong with now?” I grit through clenched teeth.
“We’re months away from wrapping up filming on season two. It’s not a good time.”
When her fingers wrap around my shaft, I open my eyes. “Then when will be a good time?”
While rising to her knees, she sets the palms of my hands over her tits, grinning wickedly. “Later. I promise.”
Then she impales herself on me. My mind draws blank with the heavenly sensation of her tight pussy letting me in the way I wish her heart would.
Several days later, Angie’s phone rings in the middle of the night. Having shared my bed with her almost every night for weeks, it jerks me awake. I wipe my face and shoot upright, on full alert. Too often, I forget I’m being paid to protect her. This isn’t one of those times. Angie has been under the weather the past couple of days. I’m constantly worried there’ll come a time I’ll have to take her into the ER.
“Oh my god, I can’t wait to meet her!” she’s saying as her eyes slip over to mine in the darkness. Taking my hand and squeezing it, she breaks out with a dazzling smile. “Congrats, Charlie! How’s Ev doing?”
Evelyn must’ve had their baby. I grunt along with her excitement, tugging her into my arms. Her soft body contorts to fit perfectly against my hard torso as I swim in her sweet scent. I’d give anything to be Charlie, only to have his kind of lifestyle with his wife’s sister instead. As little progress as I’ve made in trying to make her my girl, that won’t be happening any time soon.
“We’ll come up for the weekend,” she tells her brother-in-law while dusting her fingers back and forth across my forearm. She’s quiet for a minute, pushing her lips against my shoulder as his voice rumbles from the other end. “I meant me and Asher. And don’t worry, you have enough going on. We can take care of our own arrangements for a hotel. Really, it’s no problem.”
Thank fuck she clarified I’m the one coming along instead of Theo. I still never know when she’s acting for the sake of the public, and when she’s going to drag him into the picture. A few nights ago, I was forced to sit outside while they attended a friend’s dinner party.
She talks a bit longer with her brother-in-law before she whips her phone aside and turns to straddle me. As many times as I find her irresistibly sexy, in this moment she’s cute as hell with an almost childish grin. “I’m an auntie again.”
“Congratulations.” I hook my arm around her back and drag her close to kiss the tip of her perky nose. “Sure you’re feeling up to a trip?”
“I’m fine…it’s probably the stress of filming that’s messing with my stomach.”
“When do we leave?”
“Charlie’s arranging for a private jet. We can go whenever we want.”
I grunt with a humorless laugh. “I can’t believe you said that without batting an eye. Can’t say I’d ever get used to private jets.”
“Well you better try.” One of her hands settles in my hair while she bends down to nip the skin on my neck. “It’s the only way my sexy beast of a man should travel.”
Her man?
I pretend not to be affected by the label when her mouth covers mine, and she starts grinding on my cock. In reality, I’m wondering how much more of this back-and-forth I can withstand.
Heart racing out of my damn chest, my fingers dig into the small airplane’s seat until the pilot’s disembodied voice announces we’ve reached our final altitude. I’ve never been on anything smaller than a 737. For some odd reason, I prefer something with more bulk.
The young stewardess we met earlier reappears. “Can I get you a snack or beverage, Miss Kendall?” She’s attractive and everything, but I’m not overly excited how she keeps eyeing me like I’m her next meal. “Mr. Waldorf?”
Angie glances my way and I shake my head. “No thank you.”
“We’re both good,” Angie tells her. “I’ll buzz you if we need you back here.”
The woman’s cheeks redden as her eyes flash between us. Through a forced smile, she disappears behind the door in the front of the plane.
Angie giggles, sliding her fingers over my thigh. “You seem a little tense, babe. First ride in a jet?”
My dick twitches with her touch. “Can’t say I’ve ever ridden in a tin can before,” I quip, taking her wandering hand into mine. I don’t know the protocol on a plane like this, and don’t want to face the stewardess with a stiffy if she comes back. “Any of your other siblings gonna be in Brooklyn?”
“Just the ones that live there. Hunter’s busy with harvest, and Braden had drill this weekend. Katie said they won’t make it out until Monday morning.”
For the first time since moving to Miami, I’m reminded of my promise to invite Hunter and Levi down for a few days. Guess getting involved with Angie complicated everything. If they came down, I would have to pretend nothing’s going on with her. I’m not sure I could keep that big of a secret from two of my best friends. It’s going to be difficult enough once I’m in the same room as James. Can’t think of anything I’ve ever kept secret from him.
I clear my throat. “What are we gonna tell them about us?”
“If you want to tell James and Charlie that you’re fucking me, go right ahead.” Flipping her seatbelt open, she climbs into my lap. Her arms lock around my neck before she brushes her lips over mine. “But I prefer this gorgeous face the way it is. Unbroken.”
My hands are drawn to her hips like magnets. “You’re still pretending there’s nothing else here? That we’re merely fucking and that’s it?”
“What do you think will happen if we mention a single word of this to my family? Do you seriously believe they’d give us their blessing?” Giggling, she releases my neck and goes for my seatbelt, then the zipper on my jeans. “Unless you’re prepared for me to stop playing with your cock, it’s a bad, bad idea.”
“I won’t lie to them.”
She swirls the pad of her thumb over the head of my dick before giving it a firm tug. “Omitting something and lying aren’t the same thing.”
I thrust my hips into her busy hand, grunting. “James knows me too well. I’ll never be able to hide it from him.”
“Would it be easier if I went the entire weekend without touching you?” With a wicked smile, she leans in for a taste of my lips while jerking on my cock with more force. “I wouldn’t want to make things any…harder.”
Then she’s down on her knees, nudging my legs so I’ll lift my ass. She tugs my jeans down until she’s able to wrap her hot mouth around my raging erection. Dropping my head back, I groan and fist her hair with one hand. She knows exactly how to manipulate me with her fingers and tongue, practically unmanning me in one suck.
“Fuck, Ang…”
Releasing me with a loud pop, her sparkling eyes meet mine over my aching cock. “Keep our little secret between us, and the fucking part will come next. As soon as we’re done visiting my family, I’ll spend the rest of the weekend fucking your brains out.”
Logic fades away when her talented mouth goes to work.
Once we’re inside Evelyn’s private wing of the maternity ward, I can’t shake the paranoia that Angie and I both reek of sex the way we went at it throughout the flight. The stewardess stayed away, but I know she was on to us the way she couldn’t make eye contact by the time we landed. It was hands-down the wildest trip of a lifetime, and it continued in the private car. The things Angie and her gorgeous body do to me should be considered illegal.
“I’m so glad you guys made it!” Evelyn tells her sister as they’re finishing a hug. “Shar and James will be back any minute. They’re handing Franklin off to their nanny for his morning nap. Shar probably won’t stay long once they return though. She’s mad as hell that I went into labor early when she’s three days past her due date.”
Charlie stands at the foot of the bed with a pink bundle cradled in one arm. I approach him, offering my hand. “Congrats, man. Another girl, huh?”
He beams back at me, pride shinin
g bright in his eyes as we shake hands. “Yep. Olivia Rose.”
Evelyn laughs behind me. “Their poor future boyfriends won’t be able to handle Charlie.”
“There won’t be a problem if they keep their fuckin’ hands to themselves,” Charlie shoots back in a possessive grunt. I might only be paranoid as shit, but I swear he’s throwing me a side-eyed glance when he says it.
I quickly step away from him to hug Evelyn. “Congratulations. Being a mother of two looks good on you.”
“You’re lookin’ pretty handsome yourself.” She wiggles her eyebrows as I’m backing away. “Either the Florida sunshine is doing you good, or you found a woman.”
How the hell is she so perceptive? Is that a motherhood thing? I nearly choke on a chuckle. “Your sister keeps me too busy for other women.”
As Angie’s taking her niece from Charlie, her sharp eyes pin me down over her shoulder. “You’re the one who insists on being there during filming. You could have a lot more free time if you weren’t so stubborn.”
“Sounds like he’s just doing his job,” Charlie tells her.
For a minute I forget we’re having a conversation, because she’s so damn beautiful with a newborn in her arms, ray of morning light making her face glow more than usual. My insides clench with an intense craving that nearly knocks me on my ass.
The idea of starting a family with her hadn’t been a contending factor until this moment. Conversations about kids have never even come up between us. Hell, we never talk about what we’re doing together beyond one day at a time. For all I know, she’s giving that lifestyle up for her career.
Why do I continue with this bullshit affair when there’s no promise of any kind of future?
I gotta get the fuck out of here before the walls close in.
“I’m gonna grab a water,” I announce, scratching my head. “Anyone else want something?”
Angie doesn’t look up while fussing over the baby. “I’ll take a water too.”
Evelyn and Charlie both shake their heads, so I haul ass out the door and down the hallway. Leaning against the vending machine, I stare down at the contents with a massive knot in my throat.
Now that I’ve seen Angie as a potential mother, there’s no denying it’s something I want. With her—someone I can’t have. Someone who isn’t willing to make sacrifices in order to start a life with me. Yet she’s someone I would give up my own life to be with, no questions asked.
The realization washes over me with clarity.
I’m in fucking love with her.
“Don’t tell me you’re crying like a bitch because they don’t have your favorite chocolate bar,” a deep voice rumbles behind me. “Course it’d give me an excuse to kick your ass all the way back to Minnesota.”
With a gut-wrenching chuckle, I turn to throw my arms around my oldest friend. Don’t even care if I come off as a pansy doing it. I’ve never needed to be comforted this way.
10
Angelina
After spending an hour with Evelyn, Charlie, and baby Olivia, James and Sharlo take us back to their townhouse in Brooklyn Heights. I’ve been to their place a few times, although on my last visit she hadn’t yet set up the baby’s room. Sharlo has exquisite taste without it being too elaborate. Everything’s a crisp white with dashes of color, as laid-back and beautiful as my sister-in-law. While the guys catch up on the balcony, enjoying the incredible view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, I hang with Sharlo in the kitchen.
Despite being highly fashionable as always, she appears on the verge of bursting from her floral and stripped bohemian dress sweeping across the floor. Yet she floats around the room with the grace of a butterfly.
“We’re meeting Sofia and Nolan later tonight at Leona’s,” she tells me while setting a carton of eggs on the counter. “He’s arranging for a private dinner on the rooftop. May be a bit chilly, but I can loan you a coat if need be.”
“Sounds perfect.” Standing on the opposite side of the island, I set my hands on my hips. “Are you sure I can’t help you with something? I feel like we’re intruding enough the way it is already. You should be kicking your feet up.”
“I assure you, I want to stay as busy as bloody possible.” Rubbing her large belly, she releases a drawn-out sigh. “Keeps my noggin off the fact that this one’s as stubborn as their father, and refuses to come out to play.”
With a giggle, I pluck a blueberry from the bowl she set out and pop it into my mouth. I could spend hours absorbing Sharlo’s charm and wicked humor. If she hadn’t come along to win my brother’s finicky heart, it’s possible he would’ve died a grumpy old bachelor. “Maybe you’ll have the baby while we’re in town.”
“I do hope you’re right.” Between cracking countless eggs into a bowl with the efficiency of a professional chef, she glances over at me. “How’s work? Ev tells me you’re surrounded by nutters trying to sell your knickers online.”
I quietly snort to myself, knowing Asher had told Charlie and Evelyn about William, still annoyed all the same. Of course my little sister blew it way out of proportion. She’s been overly dramatic about everything ever since they came down for the premiere. “I’m not surrounded by them. It was a one-time incident. The producer took care of the problem right away.”
“And how are things with Ash coming along? He seemed a rather brilliant choice for the job.”
“It’s great—he’s great.”
Needing to break my sister-in-law’s questioning stare, I pick out another blueberry. My family has always been observant when it comes to matters of the heart, and I don’t need any of them suspecting that something’s happening between me and Asher. Truth is, I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. I only know I’m the most comfortable I’ve ever been with a man—even more than with John—and I’ve come to depend on having him close. Just knowing he’s outside instead of in the same room makes me a little anxious.
As much as I hate asking Asher to keep our relationship under wraps, I’m terrified of what will happen if our fans were to discover I left Theo. The studio has made it clear I’m replaceable if ratings were to drop. Without Vampire’s Kiss, I would have nothing.
Doesn’t matter anyway. Asher deserves someone who has their shit together. I can’t ask him to sacrifice a normal life in order to follow me around for however long, especially if I have nothing to give him in return.
But the magical things he does to my heart and soul…holy hell. It’s a thousand times better than having diehard fans jumping up and down, screaming my name with tears in their eyes. How can I possibly let go of that feeling?
Then again, who’s to say he won’t leave me for a younger woman the way John did? I won’t stay this beautiful and young forever.
“I have to get something from my purse,” I tell Sharlo, starting for the other room.
My hands tremble as I take my handbag off the hook to dig for my benzos. I’ve been hiding them in a side compartment rather than a prescription bottle that Asher could easily spot. I throw two into my mouth and almost choke on them with the sound of my name. I drop my designer bag and the contents scatter all over the wood floor.
Asher kneels at my side. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Panic tightens my throat as I wave him off. “It’s okay! I’ve got it!”
He snags one of the pills, holding it up between us. “What are these?”
“My anxiety meds.” Scowling, I take it from him and collect the rest. “Like I told you, I have a prescription.”
He rises back up to his feet, watching me with narrowed eyes. “Were you taking one just now? How many have you had today?”
“I’m not abusing them, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Thick fingers wrap around my wrist. “I don’t want to worry whether or not you need your stomach pumped again. I care about you too fucking much to let that happen. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
The intensity behind his gaze knocks my breath fr
om my lungs. I stare back at him for a minute, able to feel just how much he cares. While a part of me celebrates, I can’t help wondering if we’ve taken things too far. There isn’t room in my life for a legitimate relationship.
I carefully remove his fingers from my wrist, squeezing them for a brief second before releasing them. “I’m fine, I swear. Please don’t get upset over something that isn’t a problem.”
With a glance over his shoulder to the kitchen entrance, he turns to plant a soft kiss on my lips before bending to pick up the rest of my things.
I’d never been to the rooftop of my brother-in-law’s bar, but it’s something straight off the set of a romantic film. Old-world brick columns tastefully crumbling with decay, white lightbulbs crisscrossing overhead, and a long table set for at least twenty decorated with fresh-cut gardenias aren’t even the start of what makes it so amazing. The spectacular view of the sun setting over Manhattan stirs something so deep that for the first time I’m truly able to appreciate why so many of my siblings decided to settle here.
Luckily the weather turned out to be mild for September, making a night outside with a light sweater and the blazer loaned to me by Sharlo ideal. While the others are busy catching up with Asher over drinks behind me, I lean over the railing and take the cityscape in, wondering if I’d be happy in New York. As much as I love the ocean, there’s no beating the scene playing out before my eyes.
Sofia steps in beside me, wistfully gazing at the twinkling city. “It’s amazing, huh?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” I admit before sipping from my glass of wine. “I finally understand what the fuss is all about.”
She turns to face me, grinning. Her eyes sparkle from the lights over our heads, and her skin glows with a radiant tan. I always thought she was the prettiest of us three girls, and she’s only become prettier with age. “You look great, Ang. Still not used to seeing you as a brunette like Ev, but it somehow makes you even more elegant. Didn’t think such a thing was possible.”