by Claire Adams
“Why is your place named Jay’s Pub if your name is Glen?” I’d been wondering the answer to that for months, but had never gotten the story.
“Well, it’s good to hear you’re still breathing, and if you really want to know, it’s because this place used to be the Blue Jay Café. I decided to keep a bit of nostalgia. Regretted it every day since.” He chuckled, and the noise in the background died down. I wondered if he’d walked to the back office.
“I guess you missed me last night. Turns out I did get sore from the wreck. It hit me hard yesterday, so I decided to go to the gym and work out the soreness.”
“You’re a lucky man, and I guess I’ll forgive you for ducking out on me the way you did since you didn’t die on me. But you ever pull another stunt like that one, and I’ll never pour you another one.” I almost felt bad for doing it.
“I guess if that happens, I’ll have to start ordering longnecks.” That got a laugh from him.
“Asshole.” He tacked on the word after a pause and then released a sigh of frustration into the phone. “Well, I wanted to check on my favorite customer and make sure you weren’t back in the hospital.”
“No, but I do have a nurse stopping by.” I gave a sly chuckle. I’d told him about Lexa and how she’d helped me. And, that she was sexy as fuck.
“Nice. I guess I won’t be seeing you tonight, either?”
“If I’m lucky. We’re having lunch, so I doubt it will be an all-nighter.” I heard the gates open and went to the window. “She’s here; I’ll fill you in over drinks soon.” We said a short goodbye, and I hurried to the door. She parked in the circle and then got out looking fresh as a flower on a spring day.
“You look beautiful.” I found my own honesty a surprise, but her smile was worth it.
“Thank you; you look nice, too. How are you healing up?” She walked up and took my chin between her fingers and turned my head to get a good look at the small cut by my eye. “Looking good.” She stepped away, and I waved her into the house.
“I hope you like Mexican food, I-”
“Yes. It smells amazing; I didn’t know you could cook.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “Wow.” I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t correct her. Would it hurt if she thought I cooked the food? I wondered. Technically I did heat it, so I let it slide. Mattie wasn’t around to correct me.
“Have a seat, and I’ll go fix you a drink and check the food.” I led her to the front room to the sofa I’d crashed on too many times to count over the past few months. I was thankful Mattie had shown up when she did and the house was presentable. I hoped she didn’t look up since Mattie had taken my no ladder rule to heart.
“Sure, thanks. Do you mind if I look around?” She had her eye on my mother’s favorite painting, and I extended my arm to show welcome.
“Make yourself at home.”
I hurried into the kitchen hoping the dish hadn’t burned and thankfully the timer was ticking down its last few seconds. I opened the oven to see the enchiladas were bubbling hot and checked the drawers for the oven mitts, which Mattie had put away. I had kept them on the counter for months, but nothing was where I’d left it. I went to the cabinet hoping to find plates and wished I’d set the formal dining room. Here I was with a grand estate and I was serving my date reheated dinner from the night before on our service wares. I could do better.
I ran through the living room, holding up a finger to Lexa as I passed, hoping she’d stay put. When she did, I went to the formal dining room and checked to see if Mattie had cleaned it. Sure enough, it was sparkling clean, and the faint smell of polish hung in the air.
On my way back through, she stood as I passed. “Can I help with anything? I don’t mind, really.”
“Um, sure.” I figured it was better to let her instead of running around like a fool. “Come on, and we’ll get the table set. Dinner’s ready, but I didn’t want us to eat in the kitchen.”
She followed me into the room. “Oh, either table is fine with me. I’m more interested in the company.” I went to the cabinet where mother kept her Limoges service. Lexa’s eyes widened, and she ran her fingers over the pattern. “It’s beautiful.”
“This was my grandmother’s, and it was my mother’s pride, so that’s why I want us at the formal table. You’re a worthy guest.” I couldn’t help but wonder what my mother would think of Lexa. She was always worried about the type of women I liked and rarely approved, but I would bet the bank she’d like her.
Her hand fell upon mine, and she looked up at me with a warm smile. “Thank you.” Was it crazy that those two little words turned me on?
Chapter Ten
Lexa
“I can’t get over these enchiladas. I don’t think I’ve had any this good.” I sipped my wine and then took my last bite.
“Yeah, they’re one of my favorites.” He looked around the dining room, and my eyes followed suit. The room glowed with a soft peach hue as the sun reflected through the window and off the walls. “I can’t remember the last time I had a meal in here.” The weight of his brow told me that it must have been with his family.
“So, what do you do?” The question seemed innocent enough, but it had him frowning. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. Honestly, my life’s been on hold, I guess.” He downed the last of his wine and then poured another glass.
“We all grieve in different ways. Sometimes it takes longer for some people.”
He shook his head and then took another sip. “I finished up law school like my father wanted, but I never took the job he had waiting for me. It was my father’s dream, not mine. I only did it because he pushed me. He was an arrogant ass at times. I had worked myself to death in school and wanted to take some time for myself. I wanted to be a pilot.”
My heart stopped beating in my chest. “So, you were learning to fly?”
“Not as a career, but I had a few classes, like my dad. He lost interest after the newness of owning a private plane wore off and was content to hire a pilot. It was a new dream for me and something I decided on a whim. I had only told my dad about a few weeks before the accident. I felt like I’d finally found something I enjoyed, something I could be excited about, and that made me happy.
“But he thought it was a waste of my time. I think he was afraid I’d be good at it when he wasn’t. He’d said it was nothing more than a hobby and that I had better take the job at the firm instead before he gave it to someone else.”
“So, you missed out on the opportunity?”
“No, it’s still there. As a matter of fact, the entire company is mine. My father owned the entire business. His partner got himself into some gambling debt, and though my father saved his ass, he let him keep his name on the door.” He leaned back in his chair. “No, I had no interest in working for my father and having to do things his way. I had enough of that growing up.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Aiden, but your father’s gone. If the business is yours and you obviously have the qualifications, why not take it and make it your own? There’s nothing holding you back now.” I hoped I hadn’t overstepped my boundaries by making such a point that his father was dead, but instead, a strange smile played around his mouth.
“You get it, don’t you? The problem is I should feel guilty for wanting to take it and make it mine, but I don’t. So, I’ve stayed away. I’ve lost three people in my life, and each one I’ve grieved so different from the next. But with my father, and the way he always treated me, with all the pressure and expectations — it’s been liberating.” He folded his hands behind his head and seemed more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. “Is that bad?”
“No. I mean, I can see why other people might think so, but you’re right. I do get it.” I couldn’t tell him there was a strange part of me that had hoped with my brother gone, I’d stop living in his shadow and how the guilt of that was being punished now with me being invisible to my parents. Even though I had been a daddy’s girl, Shawn had a
lways been the family pride.
“I think by not taking it, I’m still rebelling against him. Of course, I have taken it to new levels with my drinking, the awesome beard, and wrecking on a DUI. I’d never have done something so stupid and reckless with my dad around.”
“I wish you’d been more careful.” I reached over and placed my hand on his knee. It was a friendly gesture, but his eyes met mine with a desire so strong, I warmed in the depths of my core.
He leaned forward, placing his hand upon mine. “I’m glad I wasn’t. I got to have the sexiest nurse. You were so worth the risk.” My face burned with a blush as he stroked my wrist with his thumb and leaned closer. “Have you ever done anything reckless?”
I couldn’t think of anything more reckless than what I was doing with him already, but something inside urged me on, hungry for more. I took his face in my hands and pulled us together, my lips crushing hard against his. His arms came around me, and his chair slid back as he pulled me closer. I shifted into his lap.
His hands searched my body, gripping with a hunger as his lips devoured me. He pulled back and searched my eyes as his hand slipped under my shirt and cupped my breast. “Do you want this?”
“Yes.” I reached for his belt and tugged it to assure him. His next move was to clear the table with a sweep of his muscular arms. His mother’s precious dishes, my wine, his empty glass, and the corked bottle ended up pushed to the center of the long table in a pile. A fork clanked to the tile at his feet as he lifted me up and laid me out like dessert.
“Wonder if you taste as good as you look.” He pushed my skirt up to my waist and then his eyes flashed with a feral burn that sent a lick of heat to my aching core. “Looks like I’m going to have to repay a favor.”
I writhed beneath him, hoping he’d make it quick. I inched forward in anticipation as he grabbed the knife we’d use for dinner. My eyes widened, but I knew what he was up to. “I hope those aren’t your favorite panties.”
I shook my head then glanced down as he slipped the blade between my skin and the strip of lace at my hip. He jerked his hand upward, and the lace broke free. The air hit me down below as he peeled my panties away from my mound and flattened his palm against me. He placed the knife on the table and then lowered himself to my sex to plant a tender kiss. His eyes met mine for a moment, and I lifted my hips to him, wanting more.
“Greedy girl… I like that.” A chill shuddered through me as he leaned down and his beard tickled my thighs. Then his tongue parted my folds, slipping inside until it hit the apex. I shuddered and gripped him with my legs, urging him closer.
I wanted to feel him inside me, I needed something to fill me, and as if he read my mind, two fingers found my mouth. I sucked them until they were supple and slick, and then he wasted no time pushing them deep into me. He worked my clit and stroked me fast, his fingers curling up against my most tender spot, quenching the need that had built in me like a fire.
“Come for me,” he whispered against my mound. As if his command meant everything to me, I obliged. My toes curled, and I realized I’d somewhere in the act I’d kicked off my shoes and what was left of my panties. The wave of pleasure rolled through me, and he didn’t relent; he worked me straight through it, quickening his pace and lapping at me as I fell apart around him.
He gave a soft chuckle, and then his lips and fingers were gone. I opened my eyes as he stood upright and then held out his hand. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I hoped it wasn’t far.
I glanced to his thick erection and another wave of need shot through me. I wanted on it. I felt an ache in my center at his absence and wobbled on weak knees as he led me out of the dining room and upstairs. I stopped halfway, my knees buckling like a fawn. It had been a while since I’d had such a powerful orgasm, and the anticipation for his cock was so much greater than I’d expected.
“Am I going to have to carry you?” He slipped his arm around me to hold me up, and when we reached the top, he scooped me into his arms.
I squeaked as my feet left the floor, and he stopped in his tracks to kiss me. My hand snaked down to grip his cock, and his breath hitched. Then he hurried to his bed where he dumped me onto his white cotton duvet, and we stripped off what was left of our clothes.
He reached into the side table and pulled out a small foil packet and tossed it on my tummy. Then he crawled up on his knees and waited. “You want to do the honors?” He stroked his cock, and as I watched it weep a pearly tear, my mouth watered.
“When I’m ready,” I said, rising to my knees. “Lay down.” I pushed at his chest, and he crawled to where I’d been and lay back, looking up at me with hungry eyes as he stroked.
I slapped his hand away, earning a chuckle, and then I took him into my hands. As I leaned forward, my long, straight hair fell around me, spilling across his hips. His hand pulled it back and gathered it behind my head as I licked his tip and then swirled my tongue around his bell.
He sucked a deep breath through his teeth, and his hips inched forward to urge me. I locked my lips around him and then lowered myself as close to his base as I could get. He was much more than a mouthful for me, and I was finding it hard to take the whole of him without gagging. His hand held my hair as pulled me forward, and his cock hit the back of my throat, closing off my air. I pulled off quickly and gasped and flattened my palm around his sac, cupping the weight of them and kneading them with my fingertips.
“Fuck, it’s so good, Lexa.” Hearing him say my name made me proud, and I wanted to do better for him. I took a few deep breaths and then relaxed my throat, taking him much deeper. I bobbed my head a few times before I tight-lipped my way off, milking another tiny pearl of his pleasure. It hit my tongue with the taste of salt, and then I pulled away, not wanting things to end before I got him inside me.
The need there had me soaked. His fingers slid into my pussy, and then he spread the nectar on his cock.
I made quick work of sheathing him. He took my arm and pulled me down beside him where he kissed me and cupped my breast to play with my nipple. His thumb caressed it softly as he rose to his knees, positioning himself at my entrance. He nudged it slowly, and I winced as he pushed deeper, spreading me to my limits.
Then he pumped inside of me slow for a moment, and I moaned beneath him, grinding myself against him. He lifted me up and lay back so that I straddled his lap. He held me close and then gripped my hips while I rode him steady until my release burst forth in delicious waves of ecstasy which milked his cock until his own release followed. His cock twitched deep inside of me as he pulsed in my depths, and then he let out a deep breath and wiped his brow.
“Fucking amazing.” His lips found mine, and he rolled me off to settle beside him, taking my hand, where he planted a soft kiss.
A playful giggle sounded from my lips. “Yes, it was.”
He stroked my hand softly. “I have a confession, Lexa. I haven’t been completely honest with you, but I want to be.”
Guilt wrapped around me like a wet blanket. I hadn’t been honest with him either, and though I wanted to be too, I couldn’t. I braced myself for his next words. Was it something terrible?
“I didn’t make the enchiladas. My maid, Mattie, she did.” I met his eyes, and he seemed so sincere that I didn’t quite know what to say. “I’m sorry I wasn’t honest, I know it’s stupid, but you were so impressed and-”
“No need to explain; it’s fine, really.”
He smiled and kissed me again. The guilt burned greater than my desire had until I thought it would consume me and burn me away to nothing.
I hung around as long as I could without being rude, but then I gathered my clothes, got dressed, and bailed. I’d given in to desire, but I couldn’t let that happen again. This whole thing with him had been crazy, and I knew in my heart it had to end.
Chapter Eleven
Aiden
I stepped out of the shower, threw on a towel, and hurried for my phone, hoping it was Lexa. I didn’t want to m
iss her if she called, and my throbbing erection could use a little more help than I was giving it under the showerhead. I had been thinking about her all morning, and I hadn’t heard from her since Saturday. She’d seemed a little strange when she left, and I hoped I hadn’t ruined things with my little white lie.
The phone showed me the call was from Layne, and wouldn’t you know; it killed my hard on. “What?” I put the phone on speaker and placed it on my bed as I dried off.
“I need you to get here as soon as possible, Aiden. It’s not good news.” He sounded desperate and out of breath.
“Tell me now.”
“No, get your ass down here. I’m not having this conversation over the phone. It’s about the Pattersons’ suit.” Layne had always had a flair for the dramatic, but something about his tone, the way he sounded like he could puke at any moment, worried me.
“I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and got myself dressed in the first thing I found, which was a pair of loose jeans and a plain white tee. I grabbed a pair of socks and shoes and headed out to my truck.
I didn’t want to deal with this shit, but this family seemed hell bent on taking my fortune. And if I planned to fuck off the rest of my life, this could greatly affect that.
I thought of Lexa’s question and curiosity about what I did for a living. I hated the answer I’d given her and wished I could say I was doing something worthwhile. Maybe my days of fucking off were behind me. She could surely encourage it again with her tight body sliding on my cock. She’d been amazing, and I couldn’t wait to hear from her again.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled into the office parking garage. Since I wasn’t on my bike, I decided to take my father’s reserved space, where no one ever parked out of respect…until today, apparently. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Layne’s Corvette, which barely won him points. Instead, it was someone’s SUV. I decided to block them in and hurried up to Layne’s office.
“This had better be important.” I plopped down in one of his matching leather chairs in front of his desk.