“Are we done yet?” I asked, trying not to sound sullen.
She eyed me from the other side of a male mannequin. “Why are you so eager to get home?” Then her eyes lit up. “Is this about Jason? Gwen, do you have a crush on him?”
I nearly swayed to the side. “What? No, Mom. Definitely not.”
She pursed her lips, unsuccessfully attempting to stop herself from smiling. “Gwenie, you can tell me if you have a crush. Remember, you used to tell me all the time?”
I couldn’t remember any such moment in history, but I simply nodded. “Yeah. But trust me, Mom, I don’t have a crush on Jason.”
“All right,” she said, drawing out the words, while winking at me suggestively, betraying the fact that she didn’t believe me at all. “You know, he’s probably a nice kisser.”
My cheeks heated up by about ten degrees. “Oh my God, Mom,” I groaned.
She innocently lifted a shoulder. “What?” she coyly asked.
“Can we go now?”
“All right, Miss Prissy Pants.” She swatted me with one of the ties she was looking at. “Let’s go. Are you sure you don’t want to get Jason anything else?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
I followed her to the register, each step feeling heavier than the last. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get away from Jason Adler. Even in the presence of my mother, he was there, for God’s sake.
It was going to be a long ass holiday.
CHAPTER SIX
Jason
I strolled down the long row of Christmas trees, inhaling their sweet scent. It was like being in the middle of a forest of firs, but better. Lights sparkled and music played from a boom box, setting the tone for the shoppers.
Ahead of me, Harry inspected the stand of wreaths. I ambled up to him, watching as he stroked his jaw.
“Don’t know how many to get,” he murmured.
“That is a quandary,” I agreed. “But you only have one front door and one back door.”
He laughed. “Good point. We’ll get two.”
Snatching up two of the fluffier wreaths, he headed towards the little folding table that served as a register. Halfway there, a woman with silver hair waved eagerly at him.
“Harry!” she called. “Harry, over here!”
He walked over to her and I followed. She smiled cheerfully at him, her lips and cheeks red and bright.
“Picking up some wreaths?” she asked, looking down at his hands.
“Susan’s parents are coming into town,” he explained. “We’re going to do a little family decorating.”
The woman’s eyes turned to me. “And who is this?”
“This is Jason Adler,” Harry explained. “He’s one of Claire’s friends. Jason, this is Diana Swift. She taught Claire and Gwen in junior high.”
Diana gave my hand a firm shake. “How nice to meet you,” she cooed. Something about the way she said it told me she genuinely meant it. “Where are you from, Jason?”
“Nice to meet you as well. New York City.”
“Oh, grand!” she exclaimed, then looked back to Harry. “I’m sorry to say I’ve got to run. Tell Susan and the kids I say hi, will you?”
“I will. Merry Christmas, Diana.”
“Bye!” She waved a mitten covered hand at us and hurried off. Harry and I continued to the folding table. Once he’d paid and gotten his change from the cash box, we set off for his truck parked alongside of the road.
A couple with two young kids were climbing out of a van parked a few spots away, and Harry waved at them. “How’s it going, Ed?” he called.
“Great,” the man yelled back. “Merry Christmas!”
Harry unlocked the truck doors and I chuckled to myself.
He eyed me. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s just so different,” I mused, getting in the seat. “Crystal Brook, I mean.”
He set the wreaths in the back of the cab before climbing in himself. “It’s pretty special, huh?”
I thought about that for a moment. I’d never been partial to small towns. Granted, most of what I had known was New York City. Other than that, I’d spent my time, both growing up and as an adult, in vacation homes mostly near coasts.
Being a born and bred New Yorker, I was proud of my roots in that quintessential way only a New Yorker can be. It was egotistical, I knew, but hey I loved my home town. There were always new things to do there; new people to meet and experiences to be had.
In what small town could you stay out at a club till six a.m., only to walk home while the street sweepers cleared the trash from the night before? New York was the kind of place in which you could be and do anything, really.
But being in Crystal Brook was making me see the other side of that coin. In New York City, I didn’t know the names of one of my neighbors. They were just people I passed in the hallway in the midst of a busy day. Every once in a while, I saw what I thought was a familiar face, but it had never occurred to me to reach out and find out more about them — what their names were, what they did for a living, or where they went to school.
Harry had all of that.
“What’s it like?” I asked as he started the engine. “Knowing every person you see?”
“I don’t know every person I see.” He pursed his lips as if giving it some more thought. “Well, maybe I know about half of them.”
“And I bet you at least recognize the other half.”
“True.” He grinned. “It’s a wonderful thing. But what do you think of it? Nothing like New York, huh?”
I blew out a breath and looked out the window at the passing outlet mall. “No. It definitely isn’t. If I were to go up to a random apartment in my building and knock on the door, they would probably think I was trying to rob them.”
Harry burst into laughter. “You dress so nice though.”
I guffawed. “Thanks.”
“So get out of the city.”
“No,” I said quickly. “I love New York. It’s the best place for me. It’s where I began my company, where I built everything up.”
“You don’t think there might come a day when you’re ready for something different?”
“You mean like a beach house in Hawaii? One with a half dozen beautiful women already living in it?”
He laughed so hard he grew red. “Now, there’s a dream.”
“We can do it together,” I grinned. “Let’s go.”
“Hold on.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Let me check with my wife.”
“Wow, she’s really going to love me now,” I joked. “Now that I’ve convinced you to run away to Hawaii with me.”
He waved his hand around. “I can’t go anyway. Who would change the air filters?”
I kept laughing, but something told me he was being half serious. Harry liked his life in Crystal Brook — actually, he loved it.
Oddly enough, his own appreciation for the town gave me something to think about.
Gwen
Our mission a success, we headed back home. I yawned the entire way, putting every ounce of energy I had into keeping my head up.
“You can drop me at my place,” I said. “I walked to work.”
She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “Your grandparents will be here in an hour. Dad’s already gone to pick them up.”
“I know, but I’m pretty tired. I’ll just take a nap at my place and then come over.”
“Take a nap at the house,” she said, and I recognized the tone even though she didn’t add “young lady” at the end.
“Okay. Fine.” I didn’t have the strength to argue.
The house was empty except for Danny, who played a video game in the living room. I curled up on the couch, watching the cars race around the screen. My little brother occasionally let out a curse or a whoop. I was used to his bursts of enthusiasm, as well as the sounds of our mother puttering around in the kitchen behind us.
Soon, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. A throw pillow
tucked tight under my head, I drifted to sleep.
I was being lifted and held against something warm and hard. Footsteps echoed off a wooden floor. Then I was dropping, but not for long. My fall was cushioned by the softness of a bed.
Opening my eyes, I saw him. Him. Jason. He was standing over me, unbuttoning his shirt.
I gasped in surprise, but the sound was replaced by one of longing. I wanted to touch him. I wanted everything.
“I want you,” he breathed into my mouth as he settled on top of me, his breath warm against my lips. “I’m going to fuck you. Then I’m going to make love to you. Then I’m going to fuck you some more.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “Please. Now.”
With a small smile, he nibbled on my lips.
I was falling. Falling into his spell, totally seduced by our connection. I needed this. Needed him. Needed how I felt in this moment.
“I want you,” I said, spilling fuel onto his passion.
Moving down my body, he pushed my skirt up my thighs. Separating my legs, he knelt between them, slowing and gently feathering the tips of his fingers up the insides of my legs.
I arched into the touch, urging him higher.
He grinned as he settled between my thighs, his head lowering slowly by degrees. He begins licking, sucking, biting, plunging, eating me up. I was lost, totally his.
“Yes,” I moaned as his fingers joined in, entering my body, finding the end of me. The sensations were overwhelming … tongue, teeth, fingers, pressure, stroking, creating an avalanche of desire and an animalistic need for release.
“Don’t stop,” I begged as his tongue danced on my clitoris. He didn’t. Just pressed harder, working his fingers faster until I came.
It was powerful, unlike anything I’d ever experienced and my thighs pressed together, clamping around his head. He didn’t stop. He licked, long strokes of his tongues tasting every part of me.
“You’re so sensitive. It’s so easy to make you come.”
Instead of replete, my need for him grew even more. I needed him inside me. Now.
Forcing him to stand up, I peeled his jeans down his legs, taking his boxers with them. His cock sprang free and I licked my lips. He was think and long. Perfect.
Sitting on the bed, I took him in my hand, stroking him up and down. When a clear bead of fluid appeared at the tip, I spread it with my thumb. Gazing up at him intently, I deliberately stuck that thumb in my mouth, and sucked. He tasted good and his eyes narrowed at this most intimate and brazen gesture. He cursed when I stroked him all the way down his length with my tongue.
“This is going to be over before it begins,” he warned me as I took him into my throat. “I don’t want to come yet.”
I didn’t want that either. I wanted him inside me.
He pushed me on the bed and followed me down, his cock nudging between my knees.
“Please,” I begged and he smiled down at me.
“Please what, Gwen?”
“Please, I need you now.”
He plunged and I screamed… myself awake.
Voices came from another room, soft but joyful. Outside, an engine revved and I rubbed my eyes and rolled over. Danny still played his video game, but someone else sat next to him on the floor.
“Level three,” Jason whooped.
I sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t move. How long had I been sleeping? And what had Jason seen? Sometimes I snored. Heck, sometimes I drooled while I slept. And sometimes I dreamed of having sex with my sister’s boss.
Anger rose in me. I couldn’t even take a nap at my parents’ house without being impinged upon.
I sat up, my legs aching from being curled up tight.
Danny glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to the game, aggressively jamming some buttons. “Hey, it’s Old Man Winkle.” He looked back and smirked. “Must have been some dream.”
Oh God. Please don’t tell me…
Jason put his controller down and turned to face me. My stomach flip flopped as his hazel eyes fell on me, that damn dimple popping out adorably. Shit. He was grinning, but not saying a word. I pressed my thighs together. Shit. Shit. Shit. I was wet!
I gazed back in horror and, God forgive me, lust, unable to tear my eyes away. My body temperature climbed, steadily reaching a feverish degree. What if I just went ahead and asked him to meet me upstairs to “help” me with something? I could tackle him and bang him in the walk-in linen closet if I wanted to. That’s what he wanted, after all.
Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. My dream would become a reality, and in a few days, he would be gone and out of my life for good.
No, I couldn’t do that. I’d never dealt well with casual hook-ups. Once I got down and dirty with a man, I felt tied to him in ways I couldn’t explain — which often ended up being a bad thing.
With a wink, Jason turned around, facing the TV screen once more. I swallowed hard. His eyes being diverted from my face didn’t lead to me feeling any more comfortable with his presence. I stared at his broad shoulders, remembering how they looked without layers of clothing stretched across them.
Look away, I told myself. Just look away.
I whipped my gaze to the Christmas tree.
Danny spoke up. “You were talking in your sleep.”
I nearly choked on air — a feat, yes, but in such a circumstance totally doable. “What?” I gasped.
My brother turned around and smiled at me, looking every bit like a mischievous and sadistic elf.
I opened my mouth to ask what I’d been saying, but then changed my mind. It was probably something mortifying if the look on his and Jason’s face was any indication. Had I really been having a sex dream about Jason, probably calling out his name, while both he and my little brother sat there enjoying the show?
I threw the blanket off and stood up so fast my head spun. “Where’s Mom?”
“In the kitchen,” Danny said.
“Your grandparents are here,” Jason added.
I didn’t respond to either one of them, instead focusing on putting space between us. As I left the room, I heard Danny whisper something. They both laughed, making my stomach churn. It seemed I wasn’t the only one seduced by Jason.
Mom stood at the stove, stirring something while nodding her head. “That’s what I said in the letter. The whole town needs to come together.”
“Oh, Gwendolyn,” a familiar voice said from the table.
Grandma stood up to hug me. Next to her, Grandpa beamed up at me from his seat. I wrapped my arms around Grandma and noticed the cane leaning against the table. Since when did Grandpa need help getting around?
“How are you?” Grandma asked, drawing back. “Lord, you’re beautiful.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” I mumbled but secretly pleased. “I’m good.”
“You look tired. What are those bags under your eyes? Are you working too much? Do you have a temperature? Your cheeks are flushed.”
“Yes,” Mom replied, before I could even open my mouth.
“Nothing wrong with hard work,” my grandfather chimed in.
I inclined my head to him. “Thank you, Grandpa.”
Grandma eased back down into her seat. Both of my grandparents were in their seventies, and I’d always thought of them as “young grandparents,” but they seemed so much older than they had when I’d visited them the summer before in Florida.
“Ooh, I can’t wait to see your shop,” Grandma squealed. “Little Gwen, a business owner.”
“It’s adorable,” Mom said. “You’re going to love it.”
I inched over to the counter, where a platter of cut vegetables was set up. Snatching up a carrot stick, I bit down hard. “Where are Claire and Dad?” I asked around the mouthful.
“Coming down soon,” Mom answered. “Your father said he’s helping me with this turkey.”
I leaned against the counter. “We’re having turkey? That’s going all out.”
She winked. “It’s a special night. The who
le family is together.”
“Hm. Plus Jason.”
“He’s honorary family now.”
I laughed. “Mom. No, he’s not.”
She stopped her frantic busy work at the stove to look straight at me. “Gwen. Lower your voice.”
Heat rose in my cheeks. “Sorry.”
Grandpa grunted. “You don’t like Claire’s boyfriend?”
I sighed. “I didn’t say that. And he’s not Claire’s boyfriend, Grandpa. He’s her boss.”
He grinned. “Is that so? So he’s single, huh?” His eyebrows went up and down.
“I don’t know,” I lied. I turned around and grabbed a celery stick.
“When are you getting married?” Grandpa asked, not able to let the subject go for some reason.
“I’m not.”
“Lots of girls say that, but they don’t mean it. You’ll change your mind when you meet the right man.”
I glanced over at Mom, and she gave me a strained smile. I knew the look. Just humor him, it said.
Someone needed to let Grandpa know it was the twenty-first century and there were lots of reasons for women to choose not to get married. Also, exchanging them for livestock was going out of fashion as well — in America anyway.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I need to get ready for dinner.”
“Find your father, please,” Mom called to me as I left the room.
I yelled up the stairs for Dad then went into the downstairs guest bathroom to splash some water on my face in an attempt to wake up. Clenching the sides of the porcelain sink, I gazed into the medicine cabinet’s mirror. It was slightly ajar. Grabbing the corner of it, I pried it open and peeked inside.
Floss, Tylenol, band aids, and an unopened package of toothbrushes. It was the usual stuff.
I closed the door and shook my head, unable to believe myself. I’d opened the door looking to see if Jason had left any of his things in the bathroom. Because for some crazy reason, the kind of mouthwash he used mattered to me.
“You’re losing it,” I told myself. “Get it together.”
It had been way too long since I’d had sex. That was it, I knew it. I had thought work could be an efficient outlet for my carnal energy, but that wasn’t the case. My desire had no doubt been building up over the last year. If I didn’t do something about it soon, I would pop.
Damaged (Crystal Brook Billionaires) Page 9