by Ashley Beale
Lasting Attraction
Lasting Attraction
Book three in the Cassie Series
-a novel by Ashley Beale-
Lasting Attraction © Ashley Beale, 2014.
This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights. You are not permitted to give or sell this book to anyone else. Any trademarks, product names, service marks, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. All rights are reserved.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Published by: Ashley Beale
Edited by: Amanda King
Cover imagine © 2014
Photographer: Harold Strout of Kittyhawk Studio
Cover model: Jennifer Klinge
Created by: Createspace Cover Creator
ISBN-13: 978-1495261442
ISBN-10: 1495261441
Burning Attraction was the very first novel I wrote. When I first put my ideas onto paper, I never actually believed anyone would read my story- let alone fall in love! Now I have thousands of people reading about Cassie, Pierce & Avery… and I could not be more thankful. The Cassie series has changed my world in a million ways. So Lasting Attraction is dedicated to YOU! For being a wonderful supporter… for reading this journey. Thank you!! I couldn’t be here without you.
"I'm coming!"
"Well hurry up, you're taking forever."
I sigh while watching myself in the mirror. "Just give me three minutes." I can hear as Pierce walks away from the bathroom door. I continue looking at myself in the mirror, getting even angrier with myself than I've been.
After a second, I splash my face with some water and take a few deep breaths. I dry my face off and smile at myself, comforting myself before I walk out the door. Today is the day I meet Pierce's family once and for all. He has been extremely anxious about it, which in return only makes me more nervous.
Once I meet him in the kitchen, he pulls me into him and gives me a chaste kiss to the forehead. "It'll be okay baby girl. They'll love you just as much as I do."
I don't tell him that is what I'm afraid of. Instead, I smile and accept what is. We walk together out of the apartment and I hop into the passenger seat of his pickup truck while he takes the driver’s seat. We ride together, mostly in silence, to his parents’ house where his brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew all are.
"So have you thought about next week at all?" he asks as we're almost to his parents' house.
I look over and smile sweetly. "We can discuss this after we leave, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I guess. I just don't see why its taking you so long to decide."
"Like I said, because you can trust me on this. Avery and I are just friends and that is all there will ever be between us. You know what went on between us, you know what he did. What we do to each other. We're not capable of being together. You and I make sense. We're happy. I'm happy, with you. Nothing is going to ruin that. I don't want to leave my apartment for an entire week just because he is showing back up."
Pierce reaches over and squeezes my hand. "Okay, sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up right now."
"It's fine," I tell him, looking out the passenger side window.
We arrive at his parent’s just seconds later and he tells me to hold on when he puts it in park. He jumps out and runs around the truck until he is at my door, then he opens it up and helps me out. We walk hand in hand until we're inside his parents' gorgeous, welcoming home.
Evan, Pierce's brother, looks so much like him I have to do a double take. I've met him before but his hair was more grown out before and he was dressed in his work attire, not his casual clothing. He isn't nearly as defined and he is clearly older, but just looking at him makes my heart pound a little harder. Two Pierce's? Every girl's fantasy. Not that I'm ever going to go there.
Everyone says their introductions except Evan, he just smiles at me and turns away. It breaks my heart but I know deep down I deserve it. He knows I'm not good enough for his only brother, and I understand that completely. It doesn't make it hurt any less though.
Pierce’s niece and nephew are utterly adorable but keep more to themselves than speak with us adults. That excludes when we first showed up and they tackled their uncle before raining him with kisses, and hugs. Seeing Pierce with them only causes a panic deep inside but I ignore those feelings because right now, its pointless.
We manage to get through an awkward, yet delicious, dinner with his family. There aren't many questions asked like I thought there would be, and instead conversation seemed to be between Evan and his father the most. His mom says less than twenty words to me since I showed up and I can feel their disapproval radiating off them. I've never before felt so closed off from a boyfriend's family. I know he has probably told them things about, aside from what else they've heard, but the least they could do is show me a little kindness.
I ignore it the best I can, putting a smile on my face and trying to compliment the food as well as their home. When I walked in, I felt very welcomed because their home is just that beautiful and warming, but them- all I can say is I'm not sure where Pierce got his compassion from. He may be an ass at times but he is still such a sweetheart most of the time. When he loves something, or someone, he makes them feel that way. Aside from Avery, he makes everyone around him feel good as well. But its whatever. I can still try.
When we leave, his niece and nephew give me a hug and it feels nice to have them at least enjoy my company. In the truck, the first thing Pierce does is apologize for the hostile and uncomfortable atmosphere, but I tell him its fine. I can see that he is struggling, so I change the subject and decide to talk about other things.
The two of us end back at his place, and he makes sure to show me for the next two hours how much he loves me and appreciate me, regardless to the disastrous mess at his family's home.
Once he lays down in bed, all I can think about is our conversation in the truck on the way to his parent's house. About Avery. What am I going to do when he comes home? I'm still so angry at him. It’s obviously true about the tape, and that part upsets me the most. He has tried to contact me, several times, but I ignore everything. I don't even want to see him when he comes back next week, but at the same time, I want to more than ever. It’s such a contradiction, I can't explain.
That is why I don't want to discuss it with Pierce. I don't want him to worry about Avery coming back, because I don't want us to fight, we have enough to worry about and to work through without adding in Avery being around for a week. However, I know its probably best we actually talk about things. We're not so good at being honest with one another. Its like I'm terrified of telling him my true feelings, my worries, my hopes, my concerns. I feel like he doesn't understand me the way I want him to.
Also, I'm scared of being rejected by him. We've been doing so damn good these last few months, but there has been this unexplainable tension between us too. Neither of us have addressed it, and I'm not even sure I want to. I think if I bring it up, its going to open up things between us that we'll never be able to take back. So for now, I'm leaving it be. Even if in the end it hurts us.
In the morning, as I'm making Pierce's lunch for him, he comes over and wraps his arms around me. I freeze at first then I breathe out slowly, continuing on making his food. "You okay?" he asks.
"Yeah, of course. You just scared me is all."
"Sorry," he says. He gives
me a kiss on the cheek then goes about getting us some coffee. "Thank you for making my lunch babe, I appreciate it when you do things for me."
I look over at him and smile. "Of course. I love helping you out."
"And I love when you help me." He hands me my coffee the same time I finish packing his lunch. "And I love you."
"I love you, too." After I set down my mug, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and give him a kiss on the lips. "I hope you have a great day at work."
Once he leaves I go into the bathroom and just start crying. I had the worse dream last night. I dreamt that Avery, Pierce and I had a threesome- so yeah, that part was nice I have to admit. It started out fantastic. Then out of nowhere, they both get up and leave. I try calling after them, but they walk away from me and never come back. I remember feeling empty inside and I had just lost it completely.
All I can think about now is that it was warning me. That I'm going to lose them both, forever. I can't. I won't survive without them both in my life. I know its not possible. I know that very soon I'm going to lose one of them, and I know its going to hurt like hell, but at least I'll have the other. I just have to figure out which one I can survive without, and which one would kill me if I lost him completely.
She has been acting so weird. I'm not sure if it's because Avery will be home at the end of the week or if there is more going on. It started several weeks back but its been progressing more and more each day. It doesn't help matters that I've been stressed right the fuck out. My secretary is moving to Seattle with some man she met online and now I have to fill the position. She has been helping me but no one has worked out yet.
Talking about secretaries, my phone rings with Marie on the other line. "Hello," I answer, clicking the red button.
"Hi Mr. Danielson, your brother is here to see you."
"Send him up, please."
I click the end button and tidy up the papers on my desk. Evan knocks on the door just as I straighten my tie and stand. He walks in but doesn't look too impressed by something. I wave to the seat in front of me and take my own chair once again. He sits with force and grunts something under his breath.
"What do I owe the pleasure?" I mock.
"I got someone for you to hire to replace Marie."
"Oh? And who might that be?"
"His name is Kal. Kal Braxton. I owe him a big favor and I need you to accept him as your secretary."
I raise my brow at that. "Why do you owe him? And will he be suitable for the position or is this strictly because you owe him?"
"He'll be perfect. Listen, when I rebelled against dad and started working over at Bronson Dynamics, Kal was my secretary. He was great at what he did; fast learner, respectable, great ethics. One day I invited him out to poker night and he, well, he hit on me. I punched him in the face and broke his nose. I didn't know he was gay, it caught me off guard. I didn't punch him for being homosexual, but because he hit on me. Well, actually, because of how he hit on me. It didn't really matter though, I could have gotten the company in a lot of trouble for the situation. He saved my ass and allowed me so I could keep the job."
"Okay, did he threaten you or anything?"
"What? No, no, not at all." He shakes his head and sits up straighter. "No, he is a good man. He ended up leaving the company, saying he found a better position. This was all about six months ago. I just found out he never found another position, he just couldn't handle working for me or some shit. I don't know. Anyways, he hasn't had a job in all this time and needs one desperately. I already discussed payroll with him but you make the final decision."
Evan hands me a folder and I open it up to see Kal's resume, the things he and Evan have already discussed, and a list of references. Evan came to company last month and is going to start working below me until he can prove himself to work alongside me, then together we'll both take over the company by next year. I practically run it myself now, I just don't have the title or pay yet.
"Okay, when can he start?"
"When is Marie done?"
"Well, she wanted to be done this Friday but I asked her to stay until the following. She'll need to train him, so if he wants the job, he needs to come in soon to fill out the official forms and start training, probably Monday."
"I could get him in here to sign the forms in an hour or two."
I nod my head. "Sounds good."
He rubs the back of his neck and leans forward, resting his other elbow on his leg while he seems to be rubbing a kink out of his neck. Apparently he has been stressed about things in his life as well. "How are the kids?" I ask, hoping to get some insight.
He peeks up at me and lifts his mouth into a fake smile. "Kids are great, as usual. But you already know that, since you saw them just last night."
"Yeah, about that..." I meant to tell him he was kind of a dick to Cassie. I understand his viewpoint, protecting his little brother and all that, but still, she is my girlfriend. I love her. He needs to respect that. "You were a dick."
He huffs out a small laugh. "Yeah, I was, wasn't I? Listen, good for you, I'm happy you’re happy and all that shit. I just don't trust the bitch. She is hiding something, I can tell. Call it intuition, I just don't trust her."
"Well for good reason, but she is still my girlfriend, and you're my brother. When Alyssa cheated on you in college I never fucking said shit. You cried like a bitch for a week then you were accepting her apologizes like nothing ever happened. I respected you, you can respect me."
After he stands up, he back hands me in my arm, not that it actually hurt. "Fuck off." He grins and walks towards the door, so I know he didn't take it too personally. When he gets to the door he looks back over to me. "You know, I don't think mom showered us with enough affection growing up, because we both could find better." He leaves without another word, leaving me here to think about what he just said.
I'm sure I could find better, but most of us could. It isn't about being with someone that is perfect, its about finding the perfection inside someone who is anything but. Its about loving someone, flaws and all. Its about accepting differences and mistakes, about forgiving and forgetting. Its about love. I love Cassie and I accept everything she is- the good and the bad. Her imperfections are what made me lust after her in the first place.
I'm not giving up on her, nor do I ever want to.
Once I get back to my apartment, I send Cassie out a quick text telling her to be ready for me in an hour. I'll take all my frustrations out on that sweet pussy of hers. She doesn't respond, so I assume she is sleeping or simply doesn't hear her phone, so I get into the shower. Once I'm in there, I just let the water pour over me like rain, washing away my annoyance between work and my brother's words today. Fuck him if he doesn't like her, because I fucking love her.
I hear the squeak of the door opening and peak out over the curtain. Cassie is tiptoeing into the bathroom in nothing but her birthday suit, and damn if it doesn't look nice. She looks like she may have lost weight, and I'd be more concerned if not for the fact she is currently naked and strutting towards me like she is ready for me. I'm already hard by the time she squeezes into the shower with me.
"I texted you and said I was coming over in an hour." I grab her cheeks between my hands and lay my lips upon hers, which is hungrily furthers for a moment before I pull away and look deep into her eyes.
She bites down on her lip in a nervous habit while her eyes sear into my own. God she is beautiful. I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough of her. "I know, I was already on my way over though, so I ignored it and wanted to surprise you."
"Best fucking surprise ever." I push back on her so she is flat against the bathroom wall and my lips lay claim to hers once more. Her hand moves down to the base of my dick, then she starts to glide it back and forth. The warmth of the water and the grip of her hand has me pre-ejaculating already. Fuck, I may not last very long. My hand reaches down between her legs but she pushes it away with her free hand.
I back away and
give her a questioning look but she just grins wickedly. "Let me please you, Pierce." My smile grows and I nod my head, turning my body so I can lean against the side of the shower wall. She gets onto her knees, and I watch as the stream of water runs over her breasts and down her naked body. She licks underneath my length from the base to the head before putting it completely into her mouth. I can feel as the head of my dick glides into her throat, and I can even feel her throat tighten around my dick as she slightly chokes.
I close my eyes and rest my head back and allow her to continue sucking my dick, using her hand near the base to keep a smooth and steady rhythm. I love the popping sound it makes when she pulls her mouth away and as I'm about to look down again, she devours my dick with her mouth once more. I'm not going to last long, especially once her hand slides down and holds my balls, massaging them in her hold.
"Fuck, Cassie, I'm going to come."
She doesn't slow down, she just continues the motions and I have to grab the back of head. I grip into her hair and take control, unable to stop myself. I start fucking her mouth with my cock, maybe harder than I ever have, and her hands glide around to my back side to keep herself in place, holding onto the back of my thighs.
It doesn't take long for me to start feeling that insane tingle inside my balls and throughout my body before I ejaculate inside her mouth, which easily glides down the back of her throat. I grip her hair a little harder before completely letting go and falling back against the wall once more.
She licks me clean, not that she has to, and stands up. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into me more. "Cassie, that was..." I come up empty. Its pointless to describe how incredible that was.
After a small kiss to my chest, she rests her head against, and the water rushes down on the both of us. I kiss the top of her head and turn her around quickly in my hands. "What are you doing?" She asks curiously.