by Sindee Lynn
“It looks like it won’t be much longer now before you’ll know if there really is a difference between white dicks and black ones,” David said brushing pass her and headed down the stairs. “That’s me giving you the benefit of the doubt you haven’t already found out.”
She fought the urge to tell him she was fully aware of the size of Wade's dick but she held her tongue and heaved a huge sigh before following him downstairs. She reached the bottom in time for the door to close in her face.
Leaning against the doorframe Ashley suddenly felt very tired. She looked up the steps where Wade had been. Her fingers grazed the spot on her cheek where his warm lips had brushed. She half expected the spot to tingle like the rest of her body. Pushing herself away from the closed door, she headed for the kitchen. She needed coffee. Maybe that would help clear her head.
The wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee met her as soon as she walked into the kitchen. Since David never drank the stuff and felt no obligation to make it she knew Wade must have fixed it. Taking a cup down from the cabinet she was walked towards the powerful elixir when her phone rang.
“Hello,” she answered not bothering to look at the caller id.
“Hey I’m glad I caught you at home. I tried you on your cell but you didn’t answer.”
The bottom fell out of her stomach at the sound of Heather’s voice on the other end. She glanced around expected to see spies peeking in her windows and then stopped herself. There was no conceivable way Heather could know what she had done last night.
“Have you by chance seen my brother? Mom’s freaking because he didn’t come home last night and didn’t call. I told her not to worry because he was probably crashing at a friend’s house or laid up with some ho. But you know Mom.”
“Tell Maura he’s fine. He showed up on my doorstep about three this morning,” she managed to push past dry lips.
“I should have known.”
Ashley almost laughed at the relief she heard in her friend’s voice. Heather was Wade’s toughest critic, always riding him about any and everything. At times like this, there was no denying she loved him. Heather just felt he was wasting his life and for the most part Ashley agreed with her completely. She just didn’t see any reason to remind him of the fact every time she saw him. His sister had no such compunction.
“How did that work out with David being there last night?”
Ashley’s hand paused on the way to her mouth with her coffee. It shook so bad she had to put her cup back on the counter. She gave Heather an overview of the morning events on how David downed their family. She left out the part of their argument where David accused her of wanting to fuck Wade.
“He’s a sorry son of a bitch. What the hell does he know about our family?” Heather spat.
“Nothing. Not that it matters now. It’s done and it was long overdue.”
Feeling a little steadier, she took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes in pleasure. Wade made the best coffee. That fact alone was enough reason to keep him around.
“You have to admit Wade does seem to spend a lot of time at your house.”
Any feelings of calm vanished. Once again she was on treacherous ground.
“What are you trying to imply Heather?”
“I’m not implying anything Ashley. You cannot deny my brother spends a lot of time at your house. That’s all I said and that’s all I meant.”
Breathe girl. Just remain calm. Heather had been making sly remarks for years about her and Wade. She’d always been able to ignore them in the past “What am I supposed to do turn him away?”
“I don’t see how taking him in whenever he gets himself in a bind is doing him any good either,” Heather said.
“Hey you sound like David. Cut it out.”
Heather let out a grunt. “Maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all. Do you know why the brat showed up at your house last night rather than go home?”
Okay back on level ground.
“Yeah, same as always. He drank too much and decided to come here instead of killing himself and/or possibly someone else by driving home,” she said taking another sip of her coffee.
“I figured it had something to do with his inability to drive home. What I meant was what brought on this latest drinking binge? Do you think we should do some kind of intervention or something? I mean this makes the what, second time in so many weeks that he’s gotten too trashed to go home?”
“I don’t know if intervention is needed or just a change in the type of girl he’s dealing with. His latest girlfriend dumped him. He told me that much last night. Who knows if there’s more to the story or not. With Wade one can never tell.” Though she answered as nonchalantly as possible the thought of another girl doing the things they had done last night caused her stomach to churn. Through the years she’d never allowed herself to give too much thought to the number of girls he dated or who he was sleeping with for that matter.
“I didn’t even know he was seeing anyone new. The last girl I remember was Tonya. What was this one’s name?”
“How the hell should I know?” As soon as the words left her mouth Ashley realized she’d allowed her out of control emotions to cause her to put more force behind them than she’d meant. “Like you said she’s gone now but I think it was something with the letter D. Dawn, Debbie, Dina… something along those lines.”
“Her name was Dana. I assume you are talking about my last girlfriend’s name?”
She nearly jumped off the stool at the sound of Wade's deep voice behind her. He walked into the kitchen, his tanned chest now dry of water but still bear. He’d managed to put on his jeans, which were riding low on his lean hips. They were zipped but the top button was undone. Her eyes followed him as he walked over to the cabinet. The play of muscles in his back as he reached for a cup had her mesmerized. Her fingers itched to feel that smooth skin once more.
She had to look away as her body reacted to the sight of his naked flesh. That mixed with her ever present thoughts from last night were getting to be too much. She was going to have to get out of there if he didn’t leave soon.
“Was that Wade I heard?” Heather asked.
“In the flesh.” She couldn't keep the smile from her face when he glanced at her over his shoulder with an answering grin and a look in his eyes she remembered all too well.
“Let me speak with him please.”
“Your sister,” she said holding out the phone.
Mock terror flashed across his face and he backed away, his hands splayed in front of him.
“Oh no, I am so not in the mood for a lecture right now about the need to drink responsibly. Nor do I care to hear her tell me how I need to stop being a pain in your ass. Oh and how can I forget my absolute favorite thing not to listen to - I need to do something with my life. No thanks,” he said pouring himself a cup of coffee ignoring her outstretched hand.
“You know she has a point. You do need to get it together with all the drinking and you could use a job. I mean just so you can have something to do all day.”
His strong hands wrapped around the coffee mug. He had such long fingers and how talented they were. Moisture formed between her legs as she recalled how those fingers had touched her hidden spots last night. Heat spread through her body. She lowered her gaze to prevent him from seeing how the sight of his near naked body affected her. He needed to put a shirt on, she thought. And maybe some gloves too.
“Tell Heather I’ve always said I wasn’t a pain in your ass.” He dismissed the rest of what she’d said with a sexy smile slashed across his full lips.
His smile was infectious and she couldn't keep a serious look on her face.
“He says he’ll pass on the lecture this morning,” she told Heather, shaking her head at him.
“You tell him to call his mother immediately and tell her where he is before she worries herself into a heart attack and I will deal with him later. I gotta run I have a meeting in a few minutes and need to refocus
, now that the lost child has been found.”
“Okay call me later. I’ll be here all day.”
“You aren’t going in to work?” Disbelief sounded in Heather’s voice.
It was rare if ever she took a day off but she was determined she would not be doing anything work related today. How about let’s do him, her body asked. Ashley threw a look at Wade from under her lashes. Her heart thumped loudly in her own ears as excitement over the possibility of spending a whole day wrapped in his arms surfaced.
“No, I figured after working fourteen hour days on the Cornwell Engineering event I needed a day off. Don’t ask me what I’m going to do.”
Because it might just be your little brother, her body added. An uncontrollable urge to giggle came over her but she managed to fight it off. Running her fingers threw her hair, she shook her head. It was official. She was losing it.
“Okay tell me how that goes. I’ll call you later.” Heather hung up.
Ashley set the phone down and glanced in Wade’s direction. He stood at the counter, his back still towards her, holding his coffee cup. The muscles in his back flexed with his movement. When he turned and headed in her direction she couldn't take her eyes off of him. She was enthralled by the graceful way he moved. Her body throbbed and moisture soaked her panties as memories came back of how unhurried he’d been last night as he’d tasted every inch of her body.
When he settled on the stool beside her, she took a ragged breath and prayed for strength. The quietness of the house surrounded her making it obvious it was just her and Wade all alone. Considering how her good sense had failed her last night she didn’t think that was a good thing. No matter how much her body liked the idea she was determined to resist. She refused to be added to his lists of conquests.
Chapter Seven
“Heather wanted me to remind you to call Maura.” Glancing out of the corner of her eye she saw him nod his head in acknowledgement. Indecision moved across his face like a shadow but he remained silent.
“I would have thought for sure David would be down by now. You know giving me the evil eye and dropping not so subtle hints that I need to leave.” His head was still lowered and all of his focus was on the coffee in front of him.
Had there been a hint of accusation in his voice or was it just Ashley’s own guilty conscious? She wasn’t sure. Her thoughts had been so crowded this morning she hadn’t allowed herself time to consider what must be going through his head since realizing David had been in the house last night. She glanced in his direction again. He refused to look at her.
“He left already.”
Could he have heard any of their argument? Her bedroom door had been open and he had been just down the hall. David hadn’t exactly been whispering. The neighbors across the street had probably heard him.
“I guess I’d better leave before he comes back then huh?”
She threw another quick glance in his direction. He just sat there taking slow sips of his coffee. He knew. She was certain of it.
“David won’t be coming back. We broke up.” No pain or remorse could be found as she uttered the words. Not even the slightest bit of disappointment that it was over. Just an odd sense of relief.
“Are you okay with that?”
Hmmm…. am I okay with it? No more arguing about the amount of time you spend at my house. No more making excuses for why my new boyfriend refuses to interact with my second family. No more endless conversations about what he was going to do after football. No more enduring boring lack luster sex.
“Yeah I’m okay with it.”
He paused as if trying to decide on his next words. Uneasiness settled in her chest making it hard to breathe. The tension between them was strained and palpable. “Did your decision have anything to do with what happened last night?”
There it was. The one question she had wanted most not to answer.
“I can’t deny that what happened last night caused me to deal with some things really wrong between me and David. Things I’d been avoiding.”
Long moments of silence followed her reply. Chancing a glance in his direction she noticed his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. She wondered what was going on inside his head.
“I heard you tell Heather you were off today.”
He wasn’t going to press the conversation. Ashley slowly released the breath of air she hadn’t realized she had been holding.
“I figured I owed it to myself to begin the weekend a little early. Besides starting Monday I’ll be putting all my focus and energy into the Blaze event that’s coming up in about nine months. I’ll be in overdrive until it’s done.”
Wade shifted on his stool bringing his leg in close contact with hers. All thoughts of the issues surrounding what had happened last night fled at the touch. In their place were only the memories and how much she wanted to do it again. She had to force herself to concentrate on breathing.
“Do you want to do something with me today?”
Man did she ever? What would he do if she just reached over and stroked his chest? Would he object if she gently tugged on one of those shiny rings piercing his nipples as she’d done last night? Her stomach muscles clenched. Ashley pressed her legs tighter together to prevent her juices from escaping the sides of her panties. Her body had been on a slow simmer since she’d collided with him in the hall and now it was almost at the point of boiling over. She attempted to pull her mind away from the path it was headed down.
“I don’t think so. But thanks for the offer.” She took another sip of her coffee.
She felt the heat of his gaze on the side of her face but refused to look over at him for fear of what she would see. It might be the undoing for the small control she maintained over her own desires.
“Not even if I agree to watch the TV all day?” he asked in a coaxing.
She turned a heated gaze in his direction. Just the two of them curled up on her couch under a blanket. There was no telling what wandering hands would find. Lord help her.
“You really shouldn’t look at me like that,” he said setting his coffee cup down before turning in her direction on his stool. “Unless of course you’d like a repeat of last night.”
Hell yeah. Repeat performance now please, her body responded. No, she tried to reason. But he did look good and oh how she wanted to grab his hand and head to the closest flat surface. She wondered if they could do it on the island. The thought brought her up short. It had been a long time since she’d felt so reckless about sex.
It felt kind of good just thinking about all the possibilities of having sex in every room of her house with Wade. He sure as hell had the stamina for it. Heat rose up her neck as she remembered exactly how much he had. She was surprised she’d had the strength to leave his room and go to hers before David woke up this morning.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she finally answered turning her focus once more on her cup of coffee.
He rose from his seat and he gripped her hips, turning her to face him. He spread her legs gently and moved between them. The imprint of his hardened desire pressed against her center.
“I think it’s a fabulous idea and so does my little friend here.”
He slowly moved against her. His hands lightly caressed her thighs through the material of her sweat pants. The intensity of his gaze held her captive. She couldn't look away. What he wanted from her was displayed clearly in his eyes and by the hard body pressed against hers.
She wanted it just as bad as he did but this was a new day. Last night she’d been overwhelmed by a need so great she couldn't deny it any longer. It had driven her to the room where his scent lingered in the air. She’d needed to be close to him. When she’d first noticed him standing there at the foot of the bed she’d thought he was a figment of her sex starved mind. But at the first touch of his hands on her skin, her first taste of him, she’d realized it was no dream. It was real. Her common sense had attempted to make a return but she’d pushed it to the back a
s she’d finally given in to a desire that had been riding her hard for years.
Ashley sighed in frustration over the impossibility of the situation she found herself in. If he were any other guy, she wouldn't have denied herself for so long despite their difference in age or race. But he wasn’t. This was Wade—Joey and Maura’s son and her best friend’s brother. They’d entrusted her time and time again with his care. She felt as if she’d already betrayed their trust last night. How could she allow it to happen again?
Wade placed two fingers beneath her chin forcing her to look at him. Her chest constricted and her stomach clenched at what she saw. There were storm clouds brewing. If she was going to find strength to deny them both what they so obviously wanted it was now or never.
“Wade.”
“Shhh,” he said placing a finger to her lips. “Let me just enjoy this for a little while longer before you bore me with all the many reasons why you don’t think we should be doing this.”
His thumb worried her bottom lip until they parted. Of its own will her tongue escaped and tasted him. Strong arms folded her gently against his chest. He placed a kiss softly against her neck before moving down to her shoulder where he pushed the material away so he could nibble the soft skin there. It was like fighting a losing battle. Her body was against her and the longer she allowed his touch the more muddled her brain became. Her breath came out in short gasps as his hands cupped her breasts through the material of her shirt. She felt his smile against her skin when she titled her head to allow him better access.
What was she doing? She was supposed to be discouraging him not encouraging him. But it was hard to think through the fog of pleasure he was wrapping around them.
“You feel even better in the bright light of day,” he whispered against her ear.
His breath came out in shallow puffs of air against her skin. Ashley realized he was on the same edge she was on. His hands moved slowly down her back until he gripped her ass. Squeezing and pulling her closer. She wanted to scream. It was as if he had a road map of her body and all the places that could garner the best reaction.