Hard & Fast

by Vivien Vale

  “Are you sleeping?” I ask.

  “No,” she says in a sleepy voice. “Not yet.”

  I smile. She opens her eyes, and the irises are a deep brown. She smiles at me.

  “I was just thinking,” she says.

  “About what?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “About how everything worked out for us. When I got promoted, this was the last thing I expected would happen.”

  I nod. I knew she was hot – God knew I’d lusted after her since she walked into my office that day – but to think that we would be together and in love seemed impossible at the time, especially considering we were both out to take each other down.

  “I won’t mind doing this every day,” I say to her.

  “What? The sex?” she asks.

  I smile. “Yeah, for sure. But not just that. Being with you. Falling asleep and waking up with you again. I want to do this with you.”

  Kylie smiles, and it’s a beautiful smile that brings light to her eyes.

  “I think I want to do this every day, too.”

  We smile at each other, but a moment later her smile turns into a frown.

  “What will you do, now?” she asks. “You quit your job after you got it back.”

  I shrug. “It’s just a job. I can be CEO anywhere. I have the experience and the credentials and everything. Maybe I’ll start my own company. But, honestly, I have you, and that’s all that matters to me. If I had to give up being the CEO of a company to have you, I would do it every time.”

  She smiles at me and her cheeks are becoming rosy again.

  “You’re adorable when you blush,” I say, which just makes her blush that much more.

  “I’m mean it, you know,” I carry on. “I don’t care what I do as long as I have you.”

  She puts her hand on my chest. “I feel the same,” she says

  “But you still have your job, which is great.”

  She nods.

  Everything is working out for the best. I’m not worried. I’m sure I can find something else. I have enough money to survive for a while, and I have Kylie. That’s all I need.

  “I love you,” I say.

  She nods and smiles.

  “I love you, too,” she says.

  When she says it, warmth washes through my body. I don’t know where we’re headed together. It’s only at the beginning stages and thinking about something long term isn’t necessary, not yet. But I want to be with Kylie because she’s everything all the women before, weren’t. She’s smart and funny and kind. She’s caring and understanding, and she’s not high maintenance at all. Her independence is attractive and her dedication to her work is to be commended. But one of her best traits is that she has it in her to love me.

  That makes her the perfect woman, and once you find the perfect woman you’re not supposed to let her go.

  So, I’m going to hold onto her very tightly.

  Epilogue - As Told by Kylie

  One year later

  Everything turned out the way it should. I’m working for RidgeCo, and I’m making enough money to make it on my own, pay off my student loan, be as independent as I like to be, and take care of my mom. My gran passed away this past winter. I still ache when I think about her – the woman that took us in when we were in the worst place in our lives – but she had a good life, and I was able to make sure she was comfortable in the end.

  Now, my mom has an apartment just outside the city, and she can relax about money because I have more than enough for the both of us.

  It may have taken me longer than expected, but I got what I was working toward. I made something of myself.

  Wes and I are still dating. We’re better than ever, in fact. We spent so much time together sleeping at each other’s apartments that it seemed easier just to move in together. I had clothes at his place, and he had some at mine, and it just made sense to take that leap.

  We’ve been living together for six months, now, and it seems to be working out well.

  I was nervous to give up my independence. I’m still worried about what love might bring me when thinking about my father and the cheating bastard that he is. But I’m willing to give Wes a shot because he’s a respectable guy and he deserves it. I told him about my past and my fears, and he goes out of his way to reassure me when I need it.

  Besides, he’s still fucking good in bed. It shouldn’t matter – and in the grand scheme of things it’s the person I love, not the sex – but it plays a role.

  After Wes’s dramatic press release and his resignation from RidgeCo as CEO because he loved me, almost every large company in the city wanted him. It’s ironic how popular he became overnight. He ended up taking a job with Rocket Enterprises, and he’s pulling the company up from where it was when he started. I will always maintain he has the Midas touch.

  I’m senior manager at RidgeCo, now, the job that Leon held once upon a time. I’m good at my job, too. I was born to do this. It might have taken a long time for me to get where I needed to be, but now that I’m there I couldn’t be happier.

  As for Leon, we heard through the grapevine that his wife passed away. Her life insurance paid out, and he retired with the money. Despite all that happened with him, I do feel bad. He was loyal to his wife in the face of some really hard things. I still see Bradley around from time to time – we go to the same places when we go out – but we purposely ignore each other as if we’ve never been anything other than complete strangers. I guess it’s accurate enough – other than his gossip to his father that jeopardized my career, he’s nothing to me.

  The new CEO at RidgeCo calls me in on Friday. I walk to his office. It’s the same one Wes used to have, and when I walk inside of it, I still get flashes of the sex we had in here once upon a time. The new CEO has no idea, and I prefer to keep it that way. It’s my secret, and now that it’s all behind us, I can laugh about it.

  “Miss Jordan,” Donovan Miles says when I open his door. “Come in.” He’s tall and skinny with horn-rimmed glasses and acne even though he’s got to be in his mid-thirties. His friends call him Donny, and he looks a lot less tough than he is. He’s an effective boss, though, and the company is doing well under his rule.

  “You wanted to see me?” I ask.

  Miles nods. “I want to talk to you about the project.”

  I sit down in one of the chairs opposite Miles and fold my hands in my lap.

  “I’m very pleased with your work. Very pleased.”

  I smile. “Thank you.”

  “I want to give you a bonus for it. You’ll see it on your next paycheck, but I just wanted to call you in and tell you that I’m happy with your work.”

  I smile and thank him again. When he dismisses me, I leave the office.

  I phone Wes the moment I’m back in my own office.

  “This calls for a celebration,” he says. “Dinner at eight, tonight. Wear something sexy.”

  “For you, always,” I say, and I hang up.

  I’m busy with my makeup when Wes comes home. He stops at the bedroom door and whistles through his teeth when he sees me.

  “You look fantastic,” he says.

  I’m wearing a red dress that clings to my curves without being too revealing. Less is always more. Wes walks toward me, oozing sex appeal. He always looks so hot in his suits. He pulls me against him and kisses me. I can feel him getting hard against me.

  “It makes me want to take you right here,” he says between kisses. My breathing is already changing.

  “We can always stay in and celebrate in other ways,” I say when he moves his lips onto my neck. But Wes stops kissing me and shakes his head.

  “I made reservations.”

  That has never mattered before, but if he wants to go out and spoil his girlfriend, I won’t say no. We’ll just have to leave sex for later. My nipples are hard against the padding of my bra, and I’m wet, but I can hold out.

  I know that I have a hell of a lot I’m holding out, for.

  We
go to Gary Danko, a French restaurant with light, cozy décor and a tasty menu. We eat dinner together, drink wine, talk about everything and anything. Being with Wes is always comfortable. Since we started dating it’s like we belong together.

  When it’s time for dessert, I complain that I’ve eaten too much.

  “Let’s just go home, my love,” I say to him.

  “Just a bit of dessert,” Wes says. He’s insisting. He’s acting a little strange tonight. I finally give in, and he orders the seasonal sorbet.

  When the dessert arrives, it’s beautifully presented.

  “This looks great,” I say to him. He watches me as I start eating. I take one bite and then another. The third bite has something hard in it, and I frown, taking my napkin and pulling it out of my mouth. A golden ring glitters in my hand. I wipe it off with the napkin.

  “What’s this?” I ask. When I look up at Wes, he’s not in his seat anymore, but kneeling on the ground.

  “Marry me,” he says. “I love you. Be mine forever.”

  It’s so simple, so straightforward and tears well up in my eyes. I nod. “Yes,” I say.

  Wes takes the ring and slips it onto my finger. It’s beautiful – a princess cut with diamonds set around it into the band and it fits perfectly.

  I kiss him. He stands up, pulling me into him, pressing his body against mine. He’s just as turned on as he was when we were at home, and my body responds immediately. I want him.

  “I want you, now,” I say.

  Wes looks around. We’re in a classy restaurant. He calls for the check and pays for the meal before he takes me with him to the entrance where a coat check girl is reading a book.

  “What are you checking in?” she asks.

  “Us,” Wes says, and he slides a couple of bills across the counter to her. She glances up at the manager that sweeps past us in a hurry before she takes the bills.

  “Only a couple of minutes,” she says.

  “It’s all I need,” Wes says and pulls me into the closet.

  “What are you doing?” I ask. We’re acting like teenagers when we have a home to go to and a bed we can fuck in all night.

  “Keeping it fun,” he says, and he’s right.

  The thrill of being caught reminds me of the sex we had in the office so many months ago. Any moment, we can be caught, and that makes it feel so much more fun, even though the sex is always perfect at home. Wes presses me against the coats that are lined up along the one wall, and we’re engulfed in the smells of other people, perfume hugging us.

  Wes doesn’t waste time. He hikes up my dress, pulls down my panties far enough to give himself space and brushes his fingers against my pussy.

  “You’re so wet,” he says.

  “You sound surprised,” I whisper. I’m already out of breath, my skin tingling, my body aching for a release.

  He grins at me, shaking his head. “Oh, no. I know you’re my little office slut.”

  It’s a running joke between us. I don’t have time to laugh at it. His fingers circle my clit a few times, and I gasp before he pushes his fingers into me. I gasp. He finger fucks me for a short while. I reach into his pants and pump my hand up and down around his cock.

  When he lets go of me, I can focus on undoing his pants, and I free his cock. It’s hard and eager, and I want it inside of me.

  Wes hikes up my leg and holds it up, pressing me against the cushioning wall of coats. His other hand is on my breast, massaging me through the material.

  “We don’t have much time,” he says in a throaty growl.

  “Best do it quick then,” I say. I’m already breathing hard. The thrill has me on the edge already, and Wes is so hot and demanding I love it.

  He pushes himself into me without much ceremony and I’m so wet he slides right in. I gasp. I’ll never get used to the size and the feel of him.

  He starts pumping into me, fucking me hard. I moan, and he lets go of my breast, clamping a hand over my mouth to keep me quiet, instead.

  It’s hot. He’s pinning me against the coats with his hand over my mouth, and I can’t help but want more domination. I want him to take me.

  As if he knows what I’m thinking he fucks me as hard as he wants to, slamming into me. I am so close to the edge it’s driving me crazy. He grunts and groans softly as he pounds into me. He was right when he said he didn’t need a lot of time. In no time at all, he pushes me over the edge, and I orgasm. It’s hot and heavy, washing over me, blinding me for a moment. His hand is firmly in place over my mouth, and I gasp through my nose. My orgasm kickstarts his, and he empties himself out inside me, pumping and jerking. He shudders when he’s done, and slowly he uncovers my mouth. We’re both breathing hard.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Wes says. “I want to take you in every position I can, and we don’t have time for that, here.”

  I nod. He pulls out of me and lets me go. I’m unsteady on my feet. I bend down and pull my underwear back on. I don’t have time to clean up, but I don’t mind the wet mess in my panties. We’re going home, and I’m getting more of that.

  Wes pops his head out of the closet and pulls me with him a moment later. The coat check girl looks smug as if she’s happy with her end of the bargain. Wes and I walk hand in hand out of the restaurant and back to the car.

  There’s never a dull moment with him, and I’m sure we’re going to keep having this kind of fun. I lift my hand and look at the ring that sparkles in the dim lighting.

  I can’t wait for the rest of our lives together.

  Hard Luck

  Come first. Kiss later.

  You were my best friend's little sister

  You gave me your virginity.

  But then you asked for my heart.

  And I broke your soul.

  Ten years later, I'm the King of Vegas.

  Billionaire bad boy able to get any woman he wants.

  I think I'm tough. A player.

  But then you turn up on my casino floor.

  Uninvited.

  And I can't fight it.

  Everything comes rushing back.

  The press of your body.

  The feel of your lips.

  The smell of your hair.

  Will you give me a second chance?

  You can forget. But can you forgive?

  You give me thirty days.

  But if you knew how much I felt about you...

  All you'd need is one.

  Sienna

  I take a handful of my thick, long golden hair and twist it tight, securing it in place with pins.

  Then I ease on the wig and adjust the glossy black bangs so they sit at the top of my brow. I make sure the part is straight, as if it were made by a knife. I smooth down the hair around my face, moving my head from one side to the other.

  I’m assessing myself, critiquing my reflection.

  My new hair shines under the overhead light of the hotel’s dressing room. The cut hits under my chin, a dramatic frame for my face.

  My gaze moves down, taking in how the soft gold silk dress I’m wearing hugs my hips and falls around my legs, rippling when I move. I look as if I’ve been dipped in honeyed ambrosia.

  The dress has turned my hazel eyes to gold.

  I planned my look this evening especially carefully. I want to walk out of this room onto the casino floor and into my new life as part of Roger’s Inner Sanctum, the elite escort service I’ll be working with from now on, and to exude power and mystery.

  Of course, it’s my bad luck that my debut has to take place in the back rooms of the Alchema, the sleek and elegant hotel and casino owned by none other than Leo fucking Asher.

  Leo’s come a long way from the boy who raced around the grounds of my father’s estate.

  His father worked for us; his mother lost a battle to cancer when he was a toddler. Growing up, Leo and my brother, Jax, would spend their days teasing me and racing around the grounds of our California ranch.

  We grew older.

 
Jax went east to boarding school; Leo won a scholarship and followed.

  I stayed behind.

  When the boys came home on holidays, Jax’s teasing turned into sharp jabs at my expense. His friendship with Leo had cooled significantly.

  Maybe it was simply a case of growing older and growing apart, but I don’t know what happened. Jax would get annoyed when I’d ask and Leo would ignore the question completely.

  By the time they went to college, neither one was speaking to the other, so Leo turned his attention to me. He would call me Golden, because of my hair and eyes. We would talk or sit together quietly for hours.

  Then, ten years ago, he left California and transferred to Harvard. He only came home to visit once. It was the summer I turned eighteen.

  Three months before my father had to shutter the mines that made the Reids the prominent family we were.

  Five months before the beginning of the legal wrangling that left my family broke.

  We lost everything.

  Meanwhile, Leo made a name for himself in New York. Opening bars and then clubs, he had the golden touch because every establishment he worked on was a wild success.

  Now, at 30, Leo Asher is a hotel and casino magnate. He not only owns the 55-story Alchema Hotel in Vegas, but the Nocturne in Monaco.

  If I see Leo, I want to be the opposite of the girl he must remember: she was young, gentle, eager, shameless, and curious.

  I try to assure myself that I won’t see him because otherwise I won’t maintain my calm.

  Ten years ago, when I was eighteen and hungry to explore the things he made me feel, Leo ran his finger across my jaw one afternoon.

  I let him see me shudder.

  He called me Golden, and I opened myself to him.

  Gave myself to him.

  Gave him everything.

  The memory quickens my pulse. I can see the flush on my cheeks reflected back to me in the mirror, feel the heat on my skin as it reddens before me.

  My nipples harden under my dress, the fabric feeling suddenly restrictive, invasive, and giving me attention I don’t want because I memories I can’t forget.