by Tia Siren
I smiled, but deep down, my stomach was boiling with rage. Brock had some explaining to do. If he was pushing me into a corner, I was going to fight back. I was seething by the time I made it to the rental car. The man better watch his step. He was treading on some very dangerous ground.
Chapter 12
Brock
Helen left early for the day, saying she had an appointment she needed to get to. I was fine with holding down the fort. It wasn’t like I got a lot of people dropping by wanting to see or buy property. Everything was done over the phone or via email.
The little bell over the door tinkled, alerting me that someone had come in. I quickly stood so I could greet whoever it was. When I stepped out of my office, I saw it was Ashley, and she was pissed. I could see it by the set of her jaw, plus her fists were clenched and she was breathing hard. Once again, I was sure she might shoot flames out of her nose at any moment.
“What the hell, Brock!”
I took a step back as she continued forward. I thought for sure she would steamroll right over me given her current trajectory.
“What did I do now?”
“You know exactly what you did! DNA? How the hell did you get my son’s DNA?” she shouted, inches from my face.
“Our son,” I corrected.
“My son! I am his parent. You are a sperm donor!”
I stepped toward her, using my size to force her to take a step back. “Only because you made me one.”
She stared at me. “How dare you sneak around my son. How did you get his DNA, you horrible man? Did you swab his cheek?”
I laughed. “No. I took the water bottle he was drinking from. Pretty easy, really. It required no sneaking. I did it right in front of you.”
That seemed to take some of the wind out of her sails. She looked at me, jabbed a finger at my chest, and shouted, “I’ll get a restraining order. You can’t see him!”
“If the DNA proves he is my kid, you most certainly will not! I have rights, and I will see him, Ashley. It’s only a matter of time. Deal with it.”
She opened her mouth to say something nasty again, but I was tired of arguing with her. I grabbed her face with my hands and kissed her. I swallowed her protest when she moved her mouth to say something and took advantage of the opening. I plundered deep inside, my body pressed against hers as I held her face in my hands.
After several long minutes of her kissing me back, she jerked away. I waited for the tongue lashing I knew was coming.
She stared at me, shock on her face, but the anger I expected wasn’t there.
“I—”
I didn’t get to finish my sentence. She lunged at me, her arms going around my neck. Instinctively, I opened my arms and lifted her. Her legs wrapped around my waist as her mouth came down on mine. I didn’t think twice about what to do next. The woman was biting my lower lip, licking and then sucking. I was too fucking hard to think about stopping. I kissed her back, my mouth moving over hers as furiously as she was pressing against mine.
With her draped all over me, I walked into my office and used an elbow to close the door behind me. The large windows in the front of the office would be perfect for any voyeur. This was not a moment I wanted to advertise or share. With the most pressing matter taken care of, I could focus on the woman grinding her pelvis against mine, a woman I had longed for the past six long years.
I pulled my mouth from hers, needing to bury my face against the flesh of her skin. I sucked just below her ear. I knew her body well and remembered how easy I could make her come simply by sucking and biting that sensitive area. I managed to get one hand between us, which went directly to her right breast. I cupped and squeezed, drawing a deep groan from down in her throat.
Her head dropped back, making it far easier for me to attack her neck with my tongue. Her hands went to my hair as she rotated her hips again. I felt her heat rubbing against me and wanted to feel her bare need. Her short jean shorts were in the way. I needed them off. I needed my fly open and I needed to bury myself deep inside her. There was so much I needed, I felt frantic. She was moaning and writhing, and I knew she was just as desperate as I was.
I used my hands on her hips to lift her off me. Before she could say anything, my hands went to the button on her shorts and quickly unfastened it. I got the shorts undone and managed to get them pushed down, leaving her standing in a sexy blue thong. My hand slid directly between her legs. I used the palm of my hand to press against her.
She moaned, and I dropped my mouth to hers, needing to taste her. Her hands deftly unfastened my belt and then undid the button of my slacks. Without hesitation, she slid her hand under my boxer briefs and encircled my engorged cock with one of her smooth hands. My cock jerked, and I was suddenly as desperate as she was. She began to stroke me, running her hand down to my heavy balls, cupping them, and then she gently tugged before she stroked me again.
I slid her panties to the side and felt the warm wetness of her pussy. My fingers danced around her opening before I pushed one deep inside. Another moan. I turned with her and backed her against the wall, her hand clenched around my dick. My mouth closed over hers. I couldn’t get enough of her taste. Our tongues danced and intertwined as my finger moved in and out.
I ran the tip of my finger over her clit. She bucked forward, and I knew I had found the spot. I rubbed and circled the area before moving up a fraction and lavishing attention on her hard nub. Her wetness increased. Her body vibrated against the wall where I had her pinned. Her hand was increasing in speed as it rubbed up and down my dick. I knew she was close to her climax.
I pushed her panties down her legs as far as I could reach. I dropped to my knees and yanked them all the way off before standing and pushing my boxers down my hips. I didn’t have the strength to wait another second and opted not to remove my pants. We were both in a feverish frenzy. My sole focus was on fucking her. I could smell the musky scent of her and was driven to a new level of hunger for her body. I lifted her and slowly pushed her body down my own. Her legs wrapped around my hips and her back pressed against the wall. My mind drifted to apple pie. Pushing inside her and feeling her wet heat around me was truly like a fresh apple pie.
It had been a long time since our bodies had been joined together. She was a small woman. I was a large man. Like magic, we fit together perfectly. Her tiny body wrapped around mine. Neither of us said a word as I pushed inside. It felt like returning home after a long absence. It felt so good to have her pussy enveloping my dick. Once I was fully buried in her, I fucked her hard and fast. There were too many glorious sensations surging through my body to do it any other way. I was out of control. My sole goal was to make her come with me.
She bounced up and down on my dick, her hands on my shoulders as she used the wall for support. I pumped into her, and the moment I felt her legs tighten around my waist, I knew we were there. Her head rolled back and forth as she came. I released the orgasm I had been holding back deep inside her. Her pussy clenched and squeezed around my dick. I pushed in higher, wanting every last drop from her. She gave it willingly.
I pulled out and stepped away from her, my forehead against hers. I was fighting to control my breathing and couldn’t move—not yet. Years of pent-up lust for the woman had been released in that short burst of passion. I felt as if I had lost a little piece of myself—a piece I was happy to give, but now my body needed to adjust. She literally made my knees weak.
Ashley regained her composure first and used her hand on my chest to push me back. I looked up to meet her eyes. I had no idea what had just happened. Clearly, she didn’t either. She looked like a wild animal caught in a cage.
“Shit,” she muttered, bending over to pick up her discarded panties and shorts.
I stood tall and tucked everything in before zipping my pants and refastening my belt. I watched her jerk her panties up her legs. Her body had changed little. Her cut-off shorts made her legs look much longer than they were. She stepped into her sandals, took
a deep breath, and looked up at me.
“This changes nothing,” she said in a voice laced with embarrassment. “We are not friends.”
I grinned. “Are you sure about that?”
She glared at me. “Yes, I’m sure. I am still going to fight you. I won’t let you get Jasper or my dad’s farm.”
I shrugged, still grinning like a fool. “Whatever you say, Ashley. Pretend you hate me. We now know otherwise. You want me because I still know how to please you.”
“Big deal. You can make me come. You have a killer body and I am a healthy female who enjoys sex. It’s just sex, Brock, nothing more. It was a quickie in your office. Don’t act like it’s anything big and meaningful.”
“It’s big all right,” I said in a lascivious voice. “And I can make it meaningful if you give me more than five minutes. I can make you scream in pleasure. I will bring new meaning to the word come. I can make your body tingle, Ashley.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? How old are you?”
I laughed. “Just saying.”
“Brock, you need to back off. Do you hear me? Quit trying to make me pay for what happened six years ago. You can’t possibly be mad. I mean, look around you. You’ve done very well for yourself. If we would have married and had a kid right away, your life would be very different. You can thank me instead of being such a dick!”
“No.”
“What?”
“No. I’m not going to stop. I’m doing nothing wrong. Jasper is my son. I have every right to have him in my life,” I argued, but I felt no anger. The quickie had wrenched that from me—for now. I knew she had an uncanny knack for pissing me off. I almost looked forward to it. If it meant I could have another round of sex like that with her, she could make me as mad as she wanted.
She exhaled with a heavy sigh. “Whatever. This isn’t going to happen again, Brock.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t attack you or beg you to fuck me. Remember who climbed who,” I said with another smile.
She could try as hard as she wanted, but she wasn’t going to ruin my mood.
“Whatever,” she grumbled, smoothing her hair down.
“Why pink?” I asked.
“What?”
“Why the pink streak?”
“I don’t know. I liked it.”
She yanked open my office door and stalked to the exterior door. “Bye, Ash.”
Another fiery glare. I laughed, which only pissed her off more.
Chapter 13
Ashley
I hated myself, but I hated him more for getting me so damn hot. How could a man I hadn’t seen for so long have such a strong effect on me? It was like my body recognized him and turned me into a sex-crazed lunatic. From the moment I first laid eyes on him last week, I had been racked with thoughts and images of hot and dirty sex with him. His body was to die for. Watching Jasper study each of the tattoos that day had left me feeling achy between my legs. His arms were muscular and the tats were a serious aphrodisiac. He was a polished man when he was working, but when he was off, he was that same rebellious boy who had stolen my heart all those years ago.
When I’d walked into his office yesterday, I’d had no idea what I was going to say or do. I had been a bundle of violent emotions, and when I’d gotten close enough to smell his pleasing cologne, my brain had shut off and my body had taken over. I had jumped him literally right in front of the entire town. I had no idea if anyone had seen us. Thankfully, he’d had the foresight to move us to his office. I wondered if he had plenty of practice and experience to fall back on. How many women had he banged there in his office?
Once it was all done, I felt like a complete fool. I was mortified by my behavior. I had never in my life been so brazen. It was him. I blamed him. He had a way of pulling my strings and making me do whatever it was he wanted. While he hadn’t necessarily said he wanted to have sex, I could sense it. Or at least that was what I was telling myself.
I shoved another cup in the dishwasher, forcing it a little too hard. I was mad as hell. I was mad at Brock, my siblings, cancer, and the world in general. Mostly, I was mad at myself for the shitty decisions I kept making. Everything was wrong. Nothing was as it should have been. I shouldn’t have been back in this Podunk town trying to save a farm nobody wanted. I shouldn’t have had to worry about that man getting custody of my child.
“Dammit!” I shouted when the cup stopped the dishwasher from closing all the way.
I pulled open the dishwasher and threw the plastic cup across the kitchen. I stood there staring at the wet spot on the wall and the cup on the floor.
“That was stupid,” I muttered before walking over to clean up the mess.
As if the memory of the hot sex wasn’t bad enough, my body still tingled and shivers washed over my body every time I thought about it. I remembered the feel of his lips against my neck and, most importantly, the feel of his dick pressed into me. He was bigger than I remembered, or maybe it was simply because it had been a long time since I’d had sex. Maybe it was because I’d been so damn horny I didn’t know any better.
It had been tantalizing, and while I had reached an orgasm, I felt wholly unsatisfied. It wasn’t enough. I craved more. My body practically demanded it. I wanted him beneath me, with me riding him slowly. I wanted to feel him deep inside me. How could I want a man who was making my life such complete hell? There was something seriously wrong with me. I needed therapy—or a really good lay by anyone other than Brock.
I stomped through the house, picking up as I went. I knew I was throwing a world-class tantrum, but I couldn’t seem to stop it. The house had cleared out a bit ago after I’d freaked out over a cup left in the living room. I was being a total bitch. I knew it, but I felt like I was being pulled in a million different directions. Bitch was my default attitude. I had even managed to run off my best friend. Janna had gone into town on her own in my rental car. I had snapped at her earlier when she’d asked me to go with her. Thankfully, we knew each other well enough that I knew she wouldn’t hold it against me forever.
Dad and Jasper had retreated outside. Everyone had left me alone to stomp around the house and act like a total bitch without interfering. Now I felt like a total asshole.
“Hey, Dad,” I said as I carried a glass of ice-cold lemonade to him. “I come in peace.”
He was sitting on the porch, trying to stay out of the sun, and watching Jasper play in the dirt.
“Hi,” he said, greeting me with a smile and taking the lemonade. “Feeling better?” He winked.
I smiled. “Yes. Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m cranky.”
He nodded. “I understand. This is a lot to deal with. I’m sorry to have to put such a burden on you. I know Brock knows about Jasper. Is he trying to get custody yet?”
I shrugged. “He’s mentioned it. I’m not worried he’ll win, but I know he’ll get visitation and that bothers me. It means I either have to put my kid on a plane and send him back here a few times a year or I have to move back. I know Brock won’t move. I have no idea what a judge will do. It’s a mess. I know it’s one I created, but it still sucks.”
“Yes, it does, but I’m confident you two will figure something out. I don’t think Brock is a bad man, and he should be in Jasper’s life. Trust me, when that boy hits the teen years, you are going to want a daddy figure to help manage him. Teenagers are rough business,” he teased.
I laughed. “So I’ve heard.”
“You’ll figure it out, Ashley. Jasper is a good boy. You have done a great job with him. You’ve made me proud. Your mother would be very proud as well.”
“Thanks, Dad. How are you feeling? You look a lot better today. I can see some color in your face again.”
He nodded. “Today is a good day. I pray the worst is behind me. I only have two more treatments to go.”
My heart ached hearing the strain in his voice. “You’re going to beat this, Dad. I just know it.”
He was alw
ays such a strong man. To see him weak and frail hurt me deeply. I wanted my big strong daddy back, the man who was always there to support me even when I was doing really stupid things. It wasn’t fair he had been struck by this disease, but I knew he was tough enough to kick it.
“Listen, Ashley. I have accepted my fate, whatever it may be. I’m ready for what comes my way. I believe it was meant to be. Losing your mama when you were all so young was my first clue that fate was a cruel bitch. When it’s your time, it’s your time.”
“It isn’t your time. Medicine has come a long way. You can beat this and go back to your regular life,” I promised him, hoping with every fiber of my being that was the case.
He looked at me. “I won’t do another round of chemo after this. I want to make sure you all know that now. If this cancer wants to kill me, well, it can. I will not put my body through it again when there is no point. I would rather live out my days with some dignity. Some days I think the chemo is killing me faster than the cancer.”
I couldn’t imagine what he had been going through, but I couldn’t imagine him giving up either.
“Dad—”
“No. Stop now. I’m not doing it. It costs too much money, and if it isn’t going to work, I don’t want to waste another dollar or, more importantly than that, another minute,” he said with a firmness in his voice I hadn’t heard in a long time. That was my old dad talking, the strong man who put his foot down when one of us kids was deserving of a good, hard hand to guide us back onto the road to right.
I nodded. I could understand his decision even if I didn’t agree with it. I wanted him here with us forever.
“Dad?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you want the farm? I mean, do you really want to live here?”
He sighed. “I love this place, but no, I don’t want to live here alone anymore. My dream was to pass it to one of you. I really always thought you would be the one to live here.”
I cringed, remembering the plans we had made before I’d run away.