by Sophie Stern
I lean back on my elbows and let my eyes fall shut, closing out the noise of the world, the brightness of the lights, the sound of my phone ringing again. Now the only sensation I feel is lust.
The only thing happening in the entire world is right here.
August.
Me.
His tongue.
My pussy.
“I need to come,” I beg, grabbing his hair with one hand, trying to pull him closer to me. Though he’s been soaking my body with his mouth, he hasn’t touched my clit. Not yet. And I need it. I need it, even just a little. Just a little bit and I’ll be over the edge.
Just a bit.
Please.
But he pushes my hand away and shakes his head, standing up.
“No,” he tells me, unbuckling his belt. “You’re going to come around my dick. I want to feel every shake, every quiver. I want to feel you unwind around me. I want to feel you break, Charlotte.”
I don’t say anything, still panting from the way he was touching me, but now aching with desire. He’s too far away from me. I need him closer. I need him near. I need him taking me from the inside out.
I need every inch of him.
And then he’s in me, and I feel his hand cover my mouth just before the scream threatens to leave my lips, just before my world explodes and I’m giving him everything he begged.
My pussy quivers and shakes with relief as I orgasm around his dick, allowing him to thrust deeper and deeper until I can’t tell where I am, who I am, or why I’m here.
I see stars.
My nails dig into his bag, piercing his skin, not caring if I hurt him as I experience the greatest pleasure I’ve ever felt.
I forget about everything going on in my life, every bad thought, every bad memory, every frustration. I’m completely lost in this moment.
August is the only one who has ever been able to make me lose my mind like this.
He’s the only one who can make me get lost in him.
A few minutes later, August is the one exploding into me, letting me be the one who satisfies his cravings. He thrusts forward, burying my mouth in a kiss as he comes, allowing himself to be completely mine, if only for this moment.
I don’t want it to end.
And not all good things have to.
36
“Blue evening gown or slutty red clubbing dress?”
Anna just smirks at the question and leans back on my bed. She’s enjoying watching me squirm tonight. I've been staring at my closet for ages, attempting to pick out something that will showcase every curve. August's taking me to dinner and I want to knock his socks off.
I also don't want to look too easy.
“Hey, I called you over to help me pick out something to wear, not to laugh at me.”
Anna responds with a fit of giggles.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I just can’t help it. Why are you so nervous about tonight? It’s just August.”
“I know, but it’s August. Anna, I don’t want to blow this. I almost have a couple of times. I really want it to work. He’s so…”
“Rich?”
I throw a pillow at her. Pregnancy be damned.
“Perfect. He’s kind, he’s generous, he’s real. He makes me feel really good about myself. He makes me feel sexy.”
“Good,” now she smiles. “You deserve to have someone make you feel that way, Vi. And, if I may add, you deserve to get to be the one to make him feel that way.”
I’m glad she said it. So many women only care about what they get out of a relationship instead of realizing that it’s a two-way street. While August makes me feel incredible, I need to make sure I’m returning the favor. I want him to leave our time together feeling like he can do anything, be anyone, go anywhere.
I want him to feel like he can soar.
I hold up the two dresses again and, after a few more minutes of internal debate, I put the red one back.
“Good choice,” Anna smiles. “I knew you’d make the right one.”
“What? You mean I should dress classy instead of like I’m going to pick up a couple of big, strong men to share my night with?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
I plop onto the bed next to my little sister and pat her belly.
“Any kicking yet?”
“Not yet. Still kinda early, though.”
“I want to be the first one to feel him kick.”
“Him?”
“Yeah, I have a feeling it’s going to be a boy,” I say.
“Why’s that?”
“Just a feeling.” Then I whisper, “Plus, Mom always wanted a boy.”
We both laugh, but it’s a thoughtful sort of laugh. Mom’s not going to be here to see her first grandchild. She’s not going to see Anna become the type of mother that she’d be proud of. She’s not going to be here to see me falling for a guy who actually respects, loves, and cares for me. She’s not going to be here to see Anna and Colby growing old together.
She’s missing a lot.
And we’re missing her a lot.
“Okay,” I say, standing up finally. “I can’t cry tonight. I don’t want to cry tonight, okay?”
“It’s going to be a good night,” Anna promises. She hands me my makeup bag and pushes me toward the bathroom, but not before I see her wipe away a couple of tears of her own.
37
August picks me up at seven for dinner.
When he waltzes up to my house, he’s in a tux.
Yes, a real, honest-to-goodness-take-me-to-the-prom tux.
And damn. He makes it look good.
My mouth drops open when I see how it fits, perfectly highlighting each aspect of his body I love the most. His eyes shine against the emerald green vest; the jacket shows off his muscular shoulders. Before I even comment on his appearance, he lets out a low whistle.
“Damn, Vi.” He flashes me that boyish grin I’ve come to love so much, then offers me a bouquet of flowers.
“Maybe we are going to the prom after all,” I lift the roses to my face, taking in a long whiff of the fresh scent, then wave August inside. “Come on, I’ll put these in water before we go.”
He follows me into the kitchen, quietly watching me while I roam around, finding the perfect vase, filling it up, adding plant food, then arranging the roses.
“What?” I ask. “You’re staring at me.”
“You’re beautiful, Charlotte.”
He’s said it before and I’m sure he’ll say it again, but tonight he says it in a way that I don’t really expect. This time, it's serious. It's not an offhanded remark. There's passion behind his comment and it's not just because he thinks I'm going to fall into bed with him if he says it. He means it.
“Thanks, August,” I place my hand on his cheek and he leans into my touch, letting me rub my hand over his soft five o’clock shadow that I love so much.
His lips are on me before I know what’s happening, reminding me exactly why I love this man so much. No one else can make me feel this way. No one else understands me, supports me, or stands up for me this way.
Only August.
He pulls away from me far too soon, leaVing me wanting just a little bit more of his touch.
“Well, my Sweet, shall we go?” Playing the true gentleman, he holds his elbow out and waits for me to grab it before we head out the door. I shiver in the evening air and he stops outside the car to wrap his jacket around me.
“Wear this,” he murmurs, burying his face in my hair.
Then we glide into the car and head to the restaurant.
When I see where we’re going, I can’t help but laugh.
“Happy Chance Steakhouse,” I grin. “We had our first sort-of date here!”
“I think we had your Strongdelt interView here,” he responds quickly, but my heart beats a little bit faster knowing that we’re back at the place where it all started. Along with excitement, I suddenly feel just a little bit nervous.
Our f
irst dinner here ended up in me drinking way too much, making a total fool of myself, and almost drowning in August’s bathtub.
What could go wrong tonight?
**
When we arrive at the restaurant, the lights are off.
“August,” I say, as we walk toward the front door. “I think it’s closed.”
“Hmm,” he comments, seemingly surprised. “It can’t be. I made reservations. Maybe they just tinted the windows.”
Yes, because all restaurants have tinted windows.
Rolling my eyes at his obviously incorrect assessment of the situation, I humor him as he tries to open the door.
“It’s not going to open,” I say. “They’re closed.”
To my surprise, the doors do open. August looks at me with his mouth wide open and an obviously fake surprised expression on his face.
“Well, look at that!” He exclaims. What does he have up his sleeve? I punch him playfully, then grab his hand and walk inside with him.
When we’re through the second set of double doors, we’re standing in pitch black. Oh, the things I could do to him here. I reach back and grab his dick, rubbing my hand up and down his delightfully tight tux, but he doesn’t return the gesture.
As the lights flick on and people yell Surprise!, I realize why he didn’t want me fondling him in the dark. Everyone I know is here: Anna, Colby, Colby’s parents, my dad, coworkers, and even a couple of people I worked with at SVCC who were actually decent to me. Even Checkers and the lady who helped me adopt him from the humane society are here, along with Tiffany and her husband.
“How did you know it was my birthday?” I ask August suspiciously. “I never told you.”
“Oh,” he comments, winking at my dad, “I have my ways.”
Of course he does. I should have known that the billionaire next door would have his special ways of finding out exactly when my special days are.
“This is amazing,” I say to the room. Everyone is dressed to the nines. The entire restaurant is rented out for us to use and the smells of steak, salmon, potatoes, fresh bread, and wine fill the air. I can’t wait to drink my heart out and celebrate with the people I love. “Thank you so much for coming.”
Everyone starts talking at once: to me, to each other, to no one.
Anna slides up next to me and jumps up and down.
“Did you have any idea?” She asks. “Did you know?”
“Uh, no,” I tell her. “How long have you known about this?”
“Since the wedding!” She squeals. Okay, so only a few days. That explains how she was able to keep it from me. Anna is not exactly known for her discretion.
“Well, it’s amazing,” I tell her, taking another look at the way the gorgeous restaurant is decorated. Tulips in light blue vases act as centerpieces at each table. Matching blue streamers line the walls and ceilings. There are even baby blue balloons.
At one table in the center of the room, there’s a cake shaped like a computer.
“You have to be kidding,” I comment under my breath. Not meaning to be rude, I absentmindedly walk away from Anna and toward the cake. It’s like I’m drawn toward it. Yes, I love chocolate. Yes, I love sweets. I also happen to love, oh, I don’t know, computers.
When I look closer at the cake, the monitor on it is open to a social media page. STRONGDELT ROBOTICS lines the top part of the screen with a big, fat, “10,000 followers!” beneath it. That’s right. Since I joined the team, I’ve been able to grow the nonexistent social media platform of August’s company to having over 10,000 followers.
And business is booming.
“You’ve done a great job,” a deep voice interrupts my thoughts.
“Thank you,” I comment, then turn around to see the speaker. An older, wiser, still-handsome version of August stands before me. “You must be Mr. Mason,” I say with a smile, instantly recognizing his matching green eyes.
He nods.
“I am. And I’ve heard quite a bit about you, too, young lady.”
He holds out his hand to shake mine, but instead of taking it, I wrap my arms around him in a big ol’ bear hug.
“You have a wonderful son, Mr. Mason,” I whisper in his ear as August walks over to join us. He dad doesn’t say anything, but I know he heard me. I only wish he could hear the way my heart flutters when I’m around August. I wish he could hear the way I melt when he touches me.
“Charlotte, Dad,” he says. “I see you two have met.”
“We have,” Mr. Mason smiles. “And it’s very lovely to meet you, Charlotte.”
“This is such a surprise,” I try not to stammer or sound like a huge dork. I just can’t believe that his dad came out for something as silly as my birthday. I know that Mr. Mason has a lot going on and that he greatly depends on August when it comes to running the company. The fact that he took time out of his busy schedule for something like this, something for me, really speaks wonders.
August wraps him around me and turns to his dad.
“Isn’t she as beautiful as I told you?”
“No,” Mr. Mason says with a frown. I must look devastated because he starts cracking up when he sees my face, then he adds, “She’s more.”
38
If you’ve ever been the belle of the ball, you know exactly how I feel at this moment. All night long, all eyes are on me. I’m glad that Anna came to help me dress and even more happy she pushed me toward the classy outfit. Everyone looks amazing. Even my dad dressed up, and getting him to wear anything but coveralls is a chore.
After we eat, August leads me to the center of the room, where a dance floor has formed. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close.
“I’m glad I didn’t lose you,” he murmurs.
“Me too.” I lean my head on his shoulder, thinking about how far we’ve come. When he explained his past to me, I could have ran. Hell, I did run. But I came back. I came back for him and he was waiting for me.
How many guys would have waited?
How many guys would have given me the time?
Only August.
I can’t imagine my world without him. I wake up every morning thinking of him and when I fall asleep every night, I dream of him. He’s the only one for me. As we dance, I let myself lean on him. I melt into him, breathing in every second that we're together. At the end of the day, my heart beats only for him, and I hope beyond hope that he knows exactly how I feel about him.
Suddenly, August stops dancing. He puts his hands on my cheeks and kisses me deeply. And then, in the middle of my party, in the middle of the restaurant, in the middle of my friends, family members, and colleagues, August shows me how much he agrees with my assessment of our relationship.
The song slows, and he slips to the ground.
“Are you okay?” I ask. He looks like he started to fall, but he just smiles. That’s when I notice: everyone is watching us, and he’s not all the way down. He’s just down on one knee.
And he’s holding out a silver ring with a sapphire in the center of it.
“Charlotte,” he says. “You’re amazing. You’re everything to me.”
The world around me starts to blur. I’m so surprised that this moment is happening here. This moment is happening now. This moment is happening with August. I start to choke up, but I push the tears down. I don't want to ruin this. I want to remember every single thing about this night: the way I feel, the way he looks, the way our hearts are colliding into one another.
“There's no one else who makes me laugh the way you do. There's no one else who keeps me on my toes like you. Only you can make me feel this way. Only you know every little thing about me and love me in spite of it. Only you push me to be a better man. Only you can look at me when I'm broken and still believe I can be something greater than I am. Make me the happiest I’ve ever been, Charlotte. Marry me.”
All eyes are on me.
My blue-and-black hair shimmers beneath the glow of the lights and my red lips curve into a smile.
There’s only one thing I could ever say to August.
“Yes.”
Author
Sophie Stern is an erotic romance novelist who lives in the Midwest with her husband. She loves hearing from readers! Please feel free to connect on Facebook or leave a review with your thoughts on the story.
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Books
Other books by Sophie Stern:
Gifting the Billionaire Series
Gifting the Billionaire
Gifting the Billionaire 2
Gifting the Billionaire 3
Gifting the Billionaire: Books 1-3 (Bundle)
Billionaire on Top
My Bottom Billionaire
Billionaire on Top
The Roleplayers Series
Bitter Jupiter (The Roleplayers Book 1)
Teaching Jupiter (The Roleplayers Book 2)
Stripping Jupiter (The Roleplayers Book 3)
The Roleplayers (Bundle)
Aislin’s Alien Adventures
Curves and the Alien (BBW Paranormal Romance) (Aislin's Alien Adventures Book 1)
Bound by the Alien (BBW Paranormal Romance) (Aislin's Alien Adventures Book 2)
Submitting to the Alien (A BBW Paranormal Romance) (Aislin's Alien Adventures Book 3
Aislin's Alien Adventures (Bundle)
Seduction
Seducing the Dancer
Seducing the Lawyer
Seducing the Frat Guy (BWW menage erotic romance)
Seduction: A Spicy Soirée (Bundle)
Dragon Isle
Book 0.5: Stepdragon
Book 1: My Lord and Dragon
Book 2: The Dragon Fighter
Book 3: A Dragon’s Bite
Standalones
Filthy: A Taboo Erotic Romance
Aboard the Mother Ship (Paranormal alien romance)
Curves and the Billionaire (BBW Billionaire Romance)