CASEN (The Karma Series Book 2)

by Amy Marie

  Her brows furrow. “For what?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just nice to have someone take care of me. I only had to get three stitches. I can’t imagine if it were something worse.”

  Her eyes slit. “Don’t talk like that.”

  My lips meet hers and on their own accord my hands slide up under her shirt. She moans and then detaches herself from me.

  “No, Casen.” Her ass lands on the cushion beside me. “You know I’m not buying that whole ‘I fell off my bed’ bullshit you gave the doctor. Do you want to tell me what really happened?”

  “I made Lieutenant.” I grin at her, giving myself the first chance to be proud of my accomplishment.

  “Ahhh.” She taps her chin. “And you decided the best way to celebrate was for you to bang your head on a wall?”

  “No.”

  “Jump off the fire truck?”

  I laugh. “No.”

  “While I am so beyond proud of you and will give you a lap dance later to celebrate, I’d like to know how that has anything to do with the gash on your forehead.”

  Breathing out a harsh breath, I turn my body toward her. “Well, right before I found out I passed, Reece got an email saying he didn’t.”

  She hesitates. “Oh no!”

  I frown. “Yeah and to twist the knife in deeper, they had a spot for me in our station.”

  She slaps me on the shoulder. “That’s amazing!”

  “It is, but Reece...” My head throbs so I rub my bandage. “He didn’t take it so well. Threw a fucking hissy fit about how I get everything handed to me and he gets nothing. I don’t know what his fucking problem is but I know we can’t repair this. He threw a chair then tackled me to the ground. I hit my head on the leg of the desk.”

  Her gasp fills the room. “He attacked you? Oh my God, Casen! What the fuck?”

  “That’s what I said. I don’t get it. He has had this pole way up his ass lately, and his mood is only getting worse. I don’t even know what will set him off anymore. We grew up wanting to do this together but I would hope that if the roles were reversed I would be happy for him and then go grumble over a beer or six.”

  Embyr is quiet and I leave her to digest it all. I know she and Reece aren’t getting along and this won’t help.

  “Well,” she pats the cushion and stands up, “I’m going to get you a beer and then we’ll eat!”

  I’m worried about her tone. It almost sounds Stepford wife-ish. “Are you okay?”

  Her body twists back to mine. “I’m great. I’m just trying to get this night moved along so I can give you that lap dance I promised.” And with a wink, she walks into the kitchen.

  ***

  It’s well past nine o’clock at night before dinner is finished, dessert has been consumed, and everything is cleaned up. Embyr hasn’t let me do a damn thing and I watch as she flutters around my house. She knows where everything is and I can envision her living here and us building a life together. I wasn’t joking when I told her I could see myself marrying her. If we can get through all the shit we have so far, I have no hesitation that we can’t make it through the rest of our life with one another…starting with us moving in together. So, I blurt out. “You should move in with me.” Or tell.

  Turning around to face me from the counter, she pops her hip out. “Why’s that?” A smile plays on her lips.

  I get up from the couch and walk over to her, circling my hands around her. “I like having you here.”

  Arching up on her tiptoes she kisses me. “I do too, but I just bought my condo and I’d like to maybe not rush into anything just yet. We have time.”

  Slapping her ass, I give in to her reasoning. “You’re right. Now if you’re done, I’d like to open my blinds as wide as they will go and have you strip down to that banging fucking body you have.”

  Her face burns bright, and she playfully shoves me. “Won’t someone see me?”

  My eyebrows rise. “I’ll turn the lights off. You can dance with the light of the moon.”

  A notification from her cell comes from inside her purse. She heads over to get it. “Go sit down.”

  I comply and watch as she pulls her phone out of her bag and swipes the screen. She lets out a “hmm” and then hits the button to shut it off.

  “What was that about?” I ask while settling myself in and getting comfortable for the show.

  Her fingers grab the hem of her shirt and she pulls it up and over her head, leaving her in just a thin tank top and lacy white bra. “My boss.”

  Her boss? It’s late. “Why is he texting you?” I can’t keep the jealousy out of my voice. I thought that asshole knew she was mine.

  She slips her socks off and crosses the distance between us after flicking off the light. I scoot forward, going straight for the zipper of her dress pants.

  “He told me to come see him in his office first thing tomorrow.” She slaps my hand. “And stop it! This is a strip tease. I do all of the stripping.”

  I lie back and enjoy the show.

  SEVENTEEN

  EMBYR

  “Oh my God.” I moan into my bicep trying to keep quiet, but Casen’s tongue on my pussy, waking me up in the morning, is the most spectacular thing that could ever happen.

  “Quit squirming, Embyr, or I’ll bite you.” He growls as he spreads my lips apart.

  I grow wetter with the threat. “Bite it, Casen.”

  His teeth take my clit between them, and his lips suction over my skin. I grab the back of his head with my hands and push it further into me. I don’t give a shit if I’m smothering him. This feels too fucking incredible to care if he lives or dies.

  “Yes.” I cry, feeling that familiar tingle I get right before everything crashes and I come undone underneath him. I start to pulse, and he sucks harder. “More.” I beg, but I’m not sure there is more to give.

  He glides a finger inside me and crooks it, hitting a spot that only he has ever been able to find. My eyes shut tightly and just as I’m about to come, the waves starting to ripple, Casen removes his mouth and fingers from me and lifts my hips off the bed, impaling me with his cock. I scream out in agony and pleasure. I wasn’t ready for him and the pain amplifies how good it fucking feels. His thumb rubs over my clit and off I go like a finely tuned piano. He plays my body like an instrument.

  “Casen!” I scream. “Yes! I’m coming.”

  A few more thrusts and he follows behind me. I can feel his cock throb inside me, and it creates a second orgasm. This one is more intense than the first.

  He falls on top of me, his sweaty forehead meeting mine, and steals a kiss from my lips. When our breathing evens out, he lifts his head and looks into my eyes. “Thank you for taking care of me yesterday.”

  I grin. “Of course.”

  His fingers start to play with my hair. It feels amazing. So good in fact that my eyes shut, and I’m on the brink of falling back asleep before he calls my name again. “Embyr.”

  “MmmHmm.” I breath out, all energy lost despite the great sleep I got last night.

  “I’m going to need you to open those eyes so I can say what I want to say.”

  Fluttering them open, my deep brown irises meet his dilated green ones. He looks different. Calm and reserved. Something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. He just looks at me, not saying a word, and I start to get worried that what he is about to tell me isn’t good.

  “Casen, you’re scaring me.” I reach up, placing my hands on his sides.

  He shakes his head. “I’m scared too, but I couldn’t go one more day without telling you I love you, Embyr Quinn.”

  ***

  I can’t help the shit-eating grin on my face as the elevator doors slide open at work. He loves me. He said he loves me. Yes, I’ve heard him say it before but it was behind false pretenses. He said he’s in love with me and we have no secrets between the two of us. For the first time in over ten years, I finally feel as though my life is headed in the right direction. Steady
job. Great place to live. Food on the table. Boyfriend who loves me. I am just bursting at the seams. It’s been a long time since I have had so much good going on in my life.

  The office is eerily quiet when I enter. No one is at reception and the few doors I pass are closed. I know I’m a bit early but I can’t imagine I’m the only one here. Derrick should have arrived already.

  I set my purse and case down, opening it up and pulling out another framed picture of Casen and me, displaying it prominently next to my computer. I fire that up while putting my phone on its charger and ridding myself of my jacket.

  I’d like to get settled in before I meet with Derrick. I’m only a tiny bit concerned with what he wants to talk to me about. I know that I took off early yesterday from work but he had said he understood and instructed me to take half a personal day.

  I still can’t believe that Reece attacked Casen. Something is up with him, and it seems his temper is only getting worse. I was happy Casen spoke to him about our encounter but it just seems to have set off a chain reaction that is tearing a hole in their friendship. I don’t want to come between them, but Casen insists I’m not.

  I guess I always have though, haven’t I? Reece liked me in high school, which blows my mind, and it fueled him to make that bet…the one that essentially ruined my teenage years and early twenties. If this is just the start of Reece going back to his devious ways after supposedly changing, then I’m not sure I want to be a part of that. I told Casen last night I would just prefer to stay away from him, which might not work since Trinity and Reece are now officially dating…and fucking. Jesus, they make the walls rattle, but I know we do the same.

  I was surprised when Casen mentioned me moving in with him. As much as I would love to I don’t think right now is a good idea. We’ve only just begun the healing process and moving in may cloud our real feelings.

  “Sounds like something my therapist would say,” I mutter aloud, and then laugh at myself for talking to no one.

  Once my computer is up, I click on my email, quickly scanning them to make sure there is nothing pressing when one catches my attention. It’s from Casen. I smile and snag my lip between my teeth thinking about how he woke me up this morning. I know I said we shouldn’t move in together yet but that would be a nice added bonus. Before I have the chance to open the email up, my intercom buzzes.

  “Ms. Quinn?” Derrick calls out from the other end.

  Ms. Quinn? We are never formal around here. I can feel my skin start to prickle. Something doesn’t feel right. “Yes, Mr. Masters?”

  “If you don’t mind heading down to my office, Mrs. Price and I would like to see you.”

  I hit the button to respond. “Of course. I’ll be right down.”

  My stomach curls within itself. The pain of it coming instantly. Nervousness has taken over my body, and my hands start to tremble. Mrs. Price is the head of Human Resources. Why the hell is she in there with him and why does she want to talk to me? Why are we being so formal?

  Just then a text pings from my phone. I detach it from the charger and see it’s from Casen.

  Casen: Have a good day beautiful. I love you.

  I should smile but right now I can’t. I’m so fucking anxious.

  Me: I love you too. Headed to Derrick’s office. He has the head of HR in there.

  I leave my phone on my desk and walk down the carpeted hallway to Derrick’s office. A few others have arrived but none of them will look at me as I pass. They say a woman’s intuition is usually correct. I’m pretty sure mine is telling me I don’t want to go in there, but right now I don’t have a choice.

  His door is closed so I push it open slowly, the hinges creaking as I do. Both Derrick and Sasha, Mrs. Price, are behind his desk looking at something on his computer screen. When they hear me enter, both sets of eyes look up.

  Sasha walks around the desk, extending a hand toward one of the two chairs. “Have a seat, Ms. Quinn.”

  Slowly, I lower myself into it as she takes the other. Derrick, who only looked at me briefly when I entered, is looking directly at Sasha, avoiding my gaze like the plague.

  I glance between the two of them. “What’s going on?”

  Sasha stares at me with pity in her eyes and grabs a hold of my hand. “I want you to know that I’m here in this office as an HR representative, but once we leave this office I am more than happy to talk to you on a personal level.”

  I look at our hands, my brows furrow in confusion. “Okay?” I ask, elongating the word. “Does someone want to tell me why I was called in early to speak with the two of you? I have to say I’m feeling very nervous right now.”

  “Embyr,” Derrick finally speaks. “Yesterday, after you left, the entire staff at the hotel received an email. I thought maybe it was just to me, but then I had others come in and let me know they had, in fact, received it as well.”

  I shake my head, getting frustrated with how long it’s taking for them to tell me what the fuck is going on. “What email? Can you please just spit it out?”

  Sasha taps my hands. “Ms. Quinn, the email he is referring to had a video file attached to it. It was something that I’m sure you had nothing to do with but it did involve you.”

  My heart races. “A video?”

  She nods, and I see out of the corner of my eye Derrick turning the screen around so I can see. He sits back in the chair. “I want you to know I only saw a minute, and I have not watched more than that. I wasn’t sure it was you at first.”

  A familiar image is blown up onto my boss’ screen. Me, standing in Reece’s parent’s garage. Ian Smith with his hand on my back. Derrick doesn’t have to press play for me to know what happens next. I know that Ian brings me over to the couch and sticks his hands down my pants. I know he places me on my back and proceeds to convince me to have sex with him. To lose my virginity right there on videotape, where over a year later would be shared with everyone I knew. Now, ten years later it’s being shared with everyone I work with.

  “No!” I stand up, pushing the screen away. Tears prickle the sides of my eyes. “No! That didn’t happen. No!”

  Sasha stands up, pulling me into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Embyr. I don’t know why he would do that to you, why he would email that to your coworkers.”

  I sniffle and pull back, rage consuming me. I grab the edge of the screen and turn it back my way. Grabbing the mouse, I clear out of the video and look for the sender of the damn email, fully expecting it to be from Reece. He couldn’t have me, so he ruined my life…twice. My eyes scan to the top. I close them, rub them, hoping like hell that I misread the sending email address. It can’t be.

  “Casen sent this to you?” I whisper but neither has to answer because it’s right there. Clear as day. Casen Parker. I feel the walls crumble around me but I stand firm. Wiping a stray tear from my eyes, I face Sasha. “I’m sorry you had to see this. What’s the next step? Am I fired?”

  I would be devastated if I got fired from this job, but right now I don’t think I can face my coworkers again. They’ve all seen me. Naked me – losing my virginity and the man who showed it to them told me he loved me this morning. Fuck, five minutes ago in a text.

  “Embyr,” Sasha speaks up. “I’m not sure how to proceed but I don’t think this is grounds for termination. I just wanted to talk to you and head you off before everyone else gets to work. I think the best idea right now is for you to take the rest of the day off, paid of course, and allow us to have tech erase it from all computers. They’ll be up here in fifteen minutes.”

  “Okay.” I look around the room, unsure of what I want to do, and ultimately walk toward the door. “Okay, I’m going to go home.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Derrick says to my back.

  “I’m here if you need to talk.” Sasha adds.

  Quickly, I walk back down the hallway, keeping my head down so that I don’t have to see the pity or possibly disgust in the eyes of my coworkers. I’ve become friends with most of them since bei
ng here and now I can’t even look their way.

  I hold back my tears. They aren’t sad tears, but angry ones, and once I get to my office I slam my door shut.

  My phone is lit, indicating a message, so I storm over and pick it up.

  Casen: I bet I know what that’s about.

  He bets he knows what that was about? Of course he does. He was there when I got the text from Derrick. He fucked me last night knowing he sent out that email to everyone. He knows what it did to me back in high school and how it fueled me to do the horrible things I did.

  My head lowers.

  “Fuck!”

  It was all a setup. It had to be. He was never going to forgive me for what I did. He got us back together so he could rip my heart to shreds just like I was trying to do to him. He told me he loved me just this morning. He took me to dinner at his parent’s home. He gave me false hope of a better future. He stuck up for me when it came to Reece, and for what? Why? Why go through all that if you are just planning to ruin my career and obliterate my heart? I love this job and now I have to leave it. All the work I’ve done to better myself is gone. He couldn’t just leave me be and walk away. No, he had to get his revenge.

  I fall to the floor, my head lying on the seat of my desk chair, and I cry. Tears spill onto the leather and my head begins to throb. I want to be strong but more so I want to climb into Casen’s lap and have him make it all better. Now I know how he felt when all he wanted was me. I close my eyes and watch as that beautiful vision of our future together just fades far, far away.

  EIGHTEEN

  CASEN

  It’s been two days since I’ve seen or even talked to Embyr. I’ve shown up at her door, at her job. She is nowhere to be found. If I didn’t have Trinity’s number I would never even know if she was still alive.

  “She’s home,” Trin yelled at me through the phone. “She’s alive but she said she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

  That didn’t stop me from going to her apartment and sleeping outside her door last night. It’s going to make for a rough shift today but I don’t give a shit. She has to come out at some point, doesn’t she? I can’t figure it out. I thought we were doing okay. She took care of me when I got those damn stitches and spent the night. I told her I loved her and when she left I could tell she was happy, really and truly happy. I don’t understand this. Even a fuck off text would be nice but I’m not getting anything from her.