She lowered her head and kissed him. The moment their tongues tangled, he drove his cock upward and her inner walls screamed from the friction. Drex was raw power, in control, and heavenly to look at. He slowly withdrew his cock as if he wanted to give her a moment to accommodate his size. She didn’t want to wait and tried to lower her hips, but he held on.
“Hurry,” she begged.
He grinned. “You don’t want that.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Instead of returning to the kiss, he lowered his head and licked around the outside of each nipple, never actually touching the hardened crest. She was convinced he wanted to drive her wild. He’d succeeded. His cock remained still, and her desperation grew. To let him know she needed him, she clamped down on his cock.
He stopped stroking her nipple to let out something akin to a howl. “Don’t do that.” His gaze lowered as if she’d committed a crime.
She might have responded had he not captured her mouth again. This time his tongue darted in and out furiously while he slowly eased his cock into her. He pressed her back harder against the wall and slid his hands upward. Balancing her against the door, he guided his fingers toward her nipples and pinched them hard. She welcomed the pain. Rapid bliss shot down to her belly and struck her clit just as he pistoned into her again. He managed to twirl the tips over and over again until the heat built inside her to a point where she was about to let her climax take her, with or without him.
Drex must have felt the same way because he lowered his hands to her ass, spread her cheeks wide, and drove into her hard. This time he didn’t slow down. He grunted and moaned, saying her name over and over again as if he was possessed. The harder and faster he went, the higher he took her until she could no longer control anything.
“Drex!” Waves of powerful glory slammed into her as the contractions rippled down her body. Her climax tore through her at a furious pace.
She yelled again as he thrust once more. His cock expanded, and contractions slammed through her so violently that she could only imagine what he must be feeling.
“Ash. Oh, Ash.” His eyes shut as his hot cum filled the protective barrier.
His arms wrapped tight around her, and his breath poured over her shoulder. She never wanted to unwrap her legs.
Then she was floating again, as he carried her to desk and gently set her down. With a pop, he withdrew. “Wait here.”
Naked, he sprinted out the door, in full view of anyone walking by on the street, and disappeared. A few seconds later, he returned with a wet paper towel.
She reached out for the cloth to clean herself, when he nudged her hand away. “Let me.”
With care, he swiped her down. Who was this man? How had he flipped from being distant and enigmatic to someone who turned her world upside down?
After he cleaned her, he leaned over and picked up her clothes. “Just in case Carl decides he needs to stop back and get something.”
“Oh, shit.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”
He laughed and the sound was genuine. “My sentiments exactly.”
Within a minute, they both were dressed. After another minute, her desk was restored to its original order. She couldn’t decide if she was supposed to say thank you or what? He was the experienced one, so she decided to let him lead the discussion.
Drex rearranged the two wooden chairs to face each other. “I think we need to talk.”
“About where we go from here?” Would he talk about sharing her with Tatum? She’d already decided she wanted to.
His jaw tightened and his gaze darted to the side. “Yes and no.”
He was back to being the same mysterious Drex. “Care to explain?”
“I’ve thought about having this conversation with you for a while, but I couldn’t figure out how to start.”
Oh, crap. This wasn’t about him and Tatum. “Are you married?”
His shoulders relaxed and she caught a glimpse of a smile. “No. I’m very single and for good reason.”
Maybe he couldn’t have kids. That was okay. If she, Tatum, and Drex ever had a chance at being together, only one needed to be fertile. “Which is?”
“I’m not who I said I was.”
Now he’d totally confused her. “Can you be more specific?” Why was he spitting this out in one-sentence bits?
He dragged a hand over his head. “I wanted to tell you before, but I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position.”
“Drex. Spill.”
“If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone else? Tatum, of course, knows, but not Holly or anyone else.”
Her pulse raced. “Did you do something illegal?” She’d lived through the Roger Dilett deceit and wanted nothing to do with that kind of lie ever again.
“No.” He looked over her head. “I’m fucking this up.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “I really am Drexel Ford. That much is the truth. My father is Ambrose Ford.” He looked up at her as if he expected her to recognize his name.
“So?”
“Have you ever heard of Ambrose Auto Parts?”
“No.”
“How about Henry Ford, the inventor of the automobile?”
“You don’t need to be insulting.” How had she slept with this man?
“Henry Ford was my great-great-grandfather.” This time when he raised his brow he leaned back in his chair as if to wait for the lightbulb to turn on.
“Your great-great-grandfather?”
Suddenly it came crashing down on her. The neat brows, the perfect teeth, the arrogance, and a built-in self-confidence only the wealthy could perfect.
“Yes.” Without taking a breath, it seemed, Drex told her about how he’d been head of marketing for his father’s company. “I was tired of people always wanting something from me.”
She should be impressed that he desired to get out from under his father’s scrutiny, but all she could think of was that for the last few weeks, he’d lied to her. “You didn’t think people would figure it out? You didn’t think that some of your friends would feel betrayed once they knew that you decided to be some poor kid from Oregon?” Her voice escalated and she hated that her stomach was churning and her heart pounding.
Before she said anything she’d regret, she shoved back her chair, which unfortunately went tumbling behind her. She didn’t right it. Instead, she rushed to her desk drawer and grabbed her purse. Not wanting to see the pity on his face, she stormed out of the office, her mind a jumbled mass of confusion.
“Ashley, please. Let me explain.” His voice trailed off as she unlocked the front door and ran outside.
The air was cool but way too damp, a bad combination. Did he think that if he screwed her that she’d forgive him? What kind of woman did he take her for? When they were making love, she thought she felt love. But no. It was her being naïve again. She clicked open her car door, jammed the key in the ignition, and started it up. Without looking back at the building, she raced out of the lot and headed home.
Halfway down Madison, she pulled off to the side, the anger building and the tears burning her eyes. If she went to her house, no doubt Tatum or Drex would beat on her door, begging her to forgive Drex. Right now, she wasn’t ready to talk to either of them. She was so pissed she’d say something stupid, which undoubtedly she’d later regret. Tatum never directly lied to her, but he hadn’t told her the truth either. It wouldn’t do any good to yell at him, but he should have trusted her enough to say something. Here, she thought they were close.
You’re stupid, Ashley.
She pulled out her phone to call Summer when she realized that she couldn’t tell her friend what was going on either. Even though she was upset with Drex, she’d promised to keep his secret. Damn. That bites the big one.
Visiting her parents would result in her telling her mother everything, too. Then Mom would tell Gavin and Zane who in turn would tell Nikki who would then tell Holly who would end up tattling to Tatum. Shit. Sometimes livi
ng in a small town sucked.
Once the tears dried, she realized there was no one to confide in. She’d just have to figure this out on her own. Speaking with Tatum was almost as bad as talking with Drex, so for tonight, she’d go home, draw a bath, and hope she fell asleep.
Her biggest concern was how to deal with the situation at work tomorrow. If Drex was half as upset as she was, he should just quit so she didn’t have to see him, but in her heart, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. If he did, Carl would be screwed, as he’d come to depend on Drex a lot.
Aargh. She slapped the steering wheel and headed home. With a good night’s sleep she might be able to come up with a plan on how to handle this sucky situation. Her mind still couldn’t comprehend how or why a rich man would give up everything to move to Freedom, Colorado, and take a menial job. There had to be more to the story than he was telling her. Her new goal was to find out the reason why.
Chapter Eleven
Drex’s gut was on fire and his body ached. He sat in the office for at least twenty minutes hoping Ashley would come back and say she’d overreacted. Only she never showed.
“You’re a dumb fuck.”
He straightened the chair she’d toppled, gathered his things, and turned off the garage lights before locking up. On his way home, he stopped at USave for some greasy, heart-attack-inducing food. Sometimes bad tasted good.
Tatum’s car was in the drive when he arrived back at the house. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face his roommate, but he had to at some point. Hell, maybe he’d have an idea how to repair the damage with Ashley. For someone who was used to giving presentations and convincing investors, he sure had lost his touch.
His legs felt like lead as he took the steps to the front door. Once inside, he tossed his keys on the coffee table, pulled a beer from the refrigerator, and returned to the living room. His roommate was still in the kitchen but had said nothing as Drex passed behind him.
Drex chugged half the contents. “You’re not going to ask how it went?” Tatum knew his plan.
“I figured you fucked it up and now want me to tell you how to fix it.”
That almost got a laugh out of him. “You were always good at patching things up.”
“You mean I know how to smooth out your rough edges.”
He didn’t care how Tatum characterized him. “Something like that.”
The refrigerator door opened and Tatum strolled into the living room with a beer of his own. “Start from the beginning.” He sat in the chair opposite him.
Drex wasn’t sure how to describe his aberrant behavior. “I waited until everyone had gone home, and then I was just going to march in and tell her everything.”
Tatum was his usual calm self. He waved the bottle. “But?”
That was the problem. He still couldn’t figure out what had happened. “I lost it. I have no explanation and no excuse.”
“So you didn’t tell her?”
Why was nothing coming out right? “No. I told her, but only after I practically attacked her.”
Tatum sat up straighter and lasered him with a glare that could kill. Drex held up his hand. “Easy, Captain America. It was mutual, much to my surprise.”
Ever so slowly, Tatum leaned back. “Then what’s the problem?”
“There was no problem making love with Ashley. I was transported to another time and place, and I can say with some surety that Ashley was, too. The problem was that after this incredible experience, I told her the truth and nothing but the truth.”
“And she didn’t take it very well.”
“A master of understatement. No, she didn’t. She accused me of being a liar.”
Tatum took another swig of his beer. “Well, you kind of are, but you knew that when you decided to be Mr. Everyman.”
His roommate wasn’t helping. “I know. It was bound to happen, but I have to face her tomorrow. It was bad enough that I lost control and had to go and kiss her, but now she thinks I’m a big fake.” This was not how he thought his time in Freedom would go.
“Ashley’s a reasonable girl. Once she thinks things through, she’ll understand why you didn’t blurt out your secret right away.”
He hoped to hell that was true. “What do I do tomorrow? Apologize?”
Tatum finished off his beer. “Fuck no. Just go about your business and treat her professionally. There’s a big county fair being held on Saturday. According to Brady, there will be a rodeo, a sharpshooter contest, and a ton of rides. Also, according to Brady, Ashley always attends and enters some food contest.”
“You think I should show up?”
From the way Tatum’s chin jutted out and the fact he was shaking his head, the answer was no. How could a man capable of bringing a local company national be so fucking dumb?
* * * *
Ashley had never been happier than when 6:00 p.m. on Friday rolled around. Her stomach hadn’t unknotted since Monday and she’d barely slept or eaten. Her workouts lacked energy, which really sucked. She’d felt so blah that she’d called Holly to tell her she wasn’t going to happy hour with the girls. Holly was a highly sympathetic person, and as much as she wanted to tell her good friend the truth, she couldn’t. If Tatum hadn’t revealed Drex’s secret to his own sister, then neither could she.
She left her computer running at the office because whoever worked tomorrow would need to enter data. Drex’s voice, along with Carl’s, filtered into her office, but she refused to look their way when she slipped out the front door to go home. Carl had mentioned something about her change in appearance and had asked what was wrong. For the sake of peace, she told him she was fine, but that she was worried about one of her father’s horses. She doubted Carl would run into her dad to ask, but she hated that Drex had reduced her to a liar, too.
On her way home, she stopped at USave. For the last six years, she’d entered her apple pies in the fair, and she refused to let Drex ruin it for her this year. After she gathered her ingredients, she stopped at the bakery. Seeing Sharon elevated her spirits. She was one of the few people who was in no way connected to Freedom Security Services, the sheriff’s department, or Wilkerson’s Automotive. At least Sharon was free from deceit.
“Hey, lady.”
Sharon spun around and grinned. As she walked over, she tugged down her hair net. “You entering your famous pies in the fair?”
“You bet. You?”
“You know I am. I’ve been working on a secret recipe for the most awesome rhubarb pie.”
“Yum.” Sharon had placed a few times, as had she. To her surprise, they weren’t competitive, but rather had shared what they put in their pies.
Sharon leaned her elbows on the counter. “I heard you have a new beau.”
Oh, crap. Had the rumor mill paired her with Tatum or Drex? Even though a large percentage of those living in Freedom were in ménage relationships, she didn’t dare ask which man she’d been associated with. “I don’t think having one date constitutes a beau per se.” She thought that was an evasive enough answer to throw her off.
“You bringing him to the fair?” Sharon grinned.
The woman would not stop until she had her answer. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see for yourself.” Ashley tapped her basket. “Gotta get baking! See you tomorrow.”
“Good luck.”
She sobered. “You, too.” Sharon was the only other person who loved baking as much as she did.
Ashley went directly to the checkout counter, hoping she didn’t run into anyone else who would ask her about Drex or Tatum. At least she could be fairly certain that a local fair would not hold much appeal for the great-great-grandson of Henry Ford, so she’d be safe from him for a day. Yeesh. What was the man thinking, coming to Freedom? How tough could his life be that he’d be willing to give it up and live in this small town?
She wasn’t prepared to think of the answer. If she did, her sympathy might swell, and she’d have to forgive him.
Once she paid the cashier,
she drove home. While she couldn’t prevent the men from stopping by, she didn’t have to let them in. She’d explain that she had work to do, and she prayed they’d be gentlemanly enough to leave.
Not wanting to waste time cooking dinner, she stopped at the drive-through and picked up a bucket of fried chicken, coleslaw, and a biscuit. She wasn’t hungry, but even she realized she needed food and tasting apple slices wouldn’t cut it.
No car sat idling in her drive when she approached, and a trickle of disappointment seeped in. It was stupid, she knew, but having a man beg her forgiveness would go a long way to earning back her respect.
You’re pathetic, Ashley Milosino. One minute you’re blistering mad and the next you’re contemplating forgiveness. It must have been the amazing sex that kept pushing her toward giving Drex another chance.
For the next hour, she became lost in the joy of baking. She made the piecrust and rolled it over the pie plate with great care. Not only did the judges grade the pie on taste, but on presentation as well. Because her oven was old, and one side often cooked differently from the other, she prepared two pies. She’d enter the pie that looked the best. After simmering the apples and adding her combination of spices, she arranged the cut-up apples evenly, then rolled the other piece of dough and placed it on top. Once the pies were in the oven, she settled down to eat dinner.
The oven timer dinged a while later, and she checked the pies. “Two more minutes for you, and one more minute for the one on the right.”
She closed the door and paced. When she guessed the time was right, she removed her masterpieces and set them to the side to cool. Now, she was ready to take her shower and work on a way to cut off her thoughts for the night.
* * * *
Even though Ashley slept on and off during the night, she woke exhausted. Being tired, however, would not stop her from going to the fair. Once she registered her pie, she planned on going on some rides and eating all sorts of bad stuff. The day promised to be in the seventies, so she decided to wear shorts, sandals, and a cute top. No telling who she’d run into. She was highly confident that Drex wouldn’t show, and unless Tatum had to work the fair, he wouldn’t be there either.
Freedom to Surrender [Freedom, Colorado 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10