Late Nights

by Marie Rochelle

  “Please…” she begged, softly making his cock jump.

  His body’s reaction to the sweet sound of Sasha’s voice constantly surprised him. He never got this hard for another woman in his life. Sasha had some kind of hold over him.

  “Please…what, Sasha? What do you want me to do to you?”

  “I want you to make love to me like you have done in my dreams every night.”

  That was all Sterling needed to hear. He started thrusting in and out of Sasha—not too fast, not too hard—but at the perfect pace both of them could enjoy.

  “Sterling…” Sasha closed her eyes, tossing her head back on the pillow.

  Her low whimper urged him to thrust harder. Lowering his mouth, he sucked Sasha’s hard nipple into his mouth, biting down gently to draw another reaction from her.

  “I need…more!” she screamed, sliding her fingers through his damp hair.

  Sterling fucked Sasha harder, causing the headboard to bang against the wall behind him. He could feel his cock sliding in and out of her as Sasha’s body grew wetter and wetter from his movements.

  Her body squeezed his cock harder as her orgasm hit hard. Sasha opened her mouth, but no words came out. The sight of her caught up in her pleasure finally sent Sterling over the edge.

  Tossing his head back, Sterling hollered his release as he held Sasha’s body closer to his. His orgasm continued to rake through his body until he couldn’t do anything else but collapse on top of her.

  Minutes ticked by until he felt Sasha finally stir underneath him. As much as Sterling wanted to stay like this with Sasha, he knew he was too heavy for her. He rolled to the side and removed the condom, tossing it into a trashcan he spotted at the side of the bed.

  Pulling Sasha against him, Sterling covered them with a sheet and then kissed the back of her head. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “Yes,” she answered softly.

  “I wasn’t too rough. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Turning Sasha around, he placed a finger under her chin, making her look him in the eye.

  “No. Everything was perfect. I’m fine. I swear.”

  Sterling released a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. It would have torn him up inside if he had hurt Sasha in any way, shape, or form. He cared…no loved her way too much for that.

  “Do you know how much I love you?”

  Leaning back, Sasha’s eyes grew wider at his words like she still didn’t believe him. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “My heart wants to believe you, but it’s in a battle with my head because of everything that has happened,” Sasha admitted, placing her hand in the middle of his chest. “It just seems like─”

  “How about you just let me love you and everything else will work out for itself?” Sterling suggested as he tugged Sasha back to him. He wasn’t going to lose her. In time, Sasha would realize he was telling her the truth. It was just going to take a little work on his part.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “I’m surprised to still find you here. I thought you would have left hours ago. Isn’t your sister back home from her honeymoon?”

  Genise glanced away from the order book on her desk and stared at Noah in front of her.

  His baby blue eyes had lost their usual shine since his girlfriend of two years cheated on him with another man. He wasn’t the same fun-loving man, and it broke her heart that he was taking the breakup so hard. She had offered her help more than once, but each time she invited him out to dinner as friends Noah turned her down. All of his rejections wore down her self-confidence. Maybe she should just let him hideaway like he had been doing for the past six months and move on.

  Rachelle was married now and so happy with Cash. Sasha seemed to be getting along better with Sterling, so they would probably be a couple sooner rather and later. Why should she keep holding out for something Noah might not be able to give her because he was just too broken to do it.

  “Yeah, I decided to come in to get a little work done after the party. I let myself in through the back door. I didn’t think you would be here either,” she answered, watching Noah take a seat in front of her.

  Something was up because Noah never sat down to talk to her unless it dealt with the company, so what did he need from her? It was already past ten o’clock and she should have been home over an hour ago.

  “Nothing is waiting for me at home, so I decided to come in and get a head start on the work for tomorrow. I couldn’t stay in the house knowing Taylour is out having fun and forgetting all about me. I gave so much to her and she just threw it all back in my face. She wouldn’t even give me a chance to win her back.”

  Sighing, Genise snapped the book closed. She was so fucking tired of hearing Noah go on and on about Taylour. If he had ever opened his eyes once while she was around, he might have noticed she was never truly with him. She was always looking for a way to better herself and it didn’t involve helping him with any of his creations.

  Taylour Barnett cared about only one person in this world and it was herself. She wouldn’t be surprised if Noah’s ex-girlfriend had already dumped her newest boyfriend and was with someone else. She wasn’t the type of woman who liked to struggle. She would get rid of the problem that was causing it without shedding one single tear.

  “Noah, I don’t know what to tell you about Taylour. She’s out of your life and has been for a while. Why don’t you try moving on from her? I knew there are a lot of single women who would love to go out with you on a date.

  “I mean, you’re nice-looking enough and can hold a pretty good conversation when every other sentence doesn’t begin with Taylour this and Taylour that. Just stay focused and you might actually win over another woman before you need to start using A Touch of Gray.”

  Leaning forward, Noah stared directly into her eyes. “Are you hoping you would be that woman?” he asked. “Haven’t I told you that I’m not ready to jump back out there into the dating field? Taylour might not have loved me, but I was madly in love with her. We had been together since our senior year in college. Sure, we might have broken up when she took that modeling job in Hawaii, but we got back together when she came back here.”

  Sighing, Genise shook her head as she listened to Noah. How was it possible for such a handsome man to be so stuck in the past? Did he really think if he waited long enough, Taylour was going to show up and beg him to take her back? He must be out of his mind, and she didn’t have a problem telling him.

  “God, will you just let it go?” she demanded harshly. “Your precious Taylour is gone and she isn’t coming back to you. She only used you for as long as she could until someone better came in her sights.”

  Noah’s eyes narrowed on her as he slowly stood up from the chair. “Why did I even think I could talk to you? You haven’t been the biggest fan of my ex-girlfriend anyway. One time Taylour mentioned you were jealous of her but I didn’t believe it until now.

  “I shouldn’t have seen it before now but I was blinded by your talents, but you can bet I won’t let my judgment be compromised again by you. How about you just work the hours when I’m not here, so we don’t have to run into each other as much as we usually do?”

  Jumping up from her own seat, Genise grabbed her purse off the back of the chair. “Hell, I think that’s a very good idea. I’m always needed at Luxury and the less I see of you the better. So, since you want to be alone, you can lock up and I will leave you all by yourself.”

  She stormed around the side of her desk and out the door. In the hallway, Genise blinked back the sudden tears burning her eyes. She was determined not to cry while she was still in the building.

  Noah might have won this round with her, but she promised herself here and now things were going to be different between them. She wasn’t going to spend all of her extra time here anymore. Noah didn’t realize what a friend and partner he just lost in her, but when he did it would be too damn late for him to do anything about it.

  Chapter Twent
y-Five

  Four days later…

  “I’m so glad that you could finally get the night off from Luxury. I’m dying for you to meet Holden,” Sterling said after he opened the car door for Sasha.

  He had thought long and hard about introducing his girlfriend to his best friend, but he couldn’t put it off any longer. Holden was asking him why he hadn’t been invited out for drinks with him and Sasha yet.

  Grabbing her by the hand, he helped Sasha out of the car and then slammed the door closed behind them. “I can’t keep you to myself any longer. I just had to make sure you were into me before bringing the two of you together.”

  “I’m very excited about meeting Holden,” Sasha admitted. “You’ve talked about him so much that I already feel like I know him, but I’m positive he won’t hold a candle to you.”

  Sasha’s words warmed his heart, but he still knew his best friend. “Let me warn you, my buddy is a born flirt. I’ve warned him about you. So, he had better listen to me or else.”

  “Sounds like you’re jealous I might like Holden flirting with me,” she teased.

  Spinning Sasha around, he backed her up against the side of his car. “Of course, I’ll get jealous of any man who spends too much time looking at my woman. I’m the only child. I didn’t have to share anything when I was growing up. I only learned to do it after I got older, but it doesn’t include you.”

  Sasha brushed the tip of her fingers down the side of his face. “Sweetheart, when are you going to open up to me about your childhood, especially your father? I’ve heard rumors about him being a tyrant, but I want to hear the truth from you.”

  Sterling moved Sasha’s soft hand from his face and placed it against his chest over his heart. He didn’t doubt whispers about his father had gotten back to Sasha. He was still having a hard time unlocking that part of his past for her, but he would soon.

  However, tonight wasn’t the time or place for it. He had gotten over his father’s treatment of him a long time ago, but it still stung a little to talk about the old man. Sometimes, the past was best left in the past.

  “I think we better make our way to Holden’s house. He told me he was going to fix his famous chicken casserole. I believe it was his mother’s recipe.”

  “Oh, I feel so special that Holden is cooking a home cooked meal for me.”

  “For us,” Sterling corrected his voice, a tad bit deeper.

  “What?” Sasha asked, confused.

  “Holden isn’t cooking you a special dinner. He’s cooking it for us and that’s it. Remember, I told him not to flirt with you at all. He doesn’t need any more women in his famous little black book.”

  “Sterling, you are too cute when you’re jealous. You know that I don’t want any other man but you.”

  “I know you do, but Holden has done it for so long. I don’t think he can have a conversation with a woman without it coming out naturally.

  “Come on. Let’s go. Holden doesn’t like it when I’m late.” Linking their fingers together, he escorted Sasha towards Holden’s front door. He secretly hoped they hit it off well. He couldn’t have his best friend and girlfriend hating each other.

  ****

  “I see why Sterling wanted to keep you to himself for so long,” Holden joked with her after dinner as he passed her a slice of cheesecake. “I’m just a tiny bit pissed that I didn’t see you first. I know I wouldn’t have waited as long as Sterling did to make my move.”

  Sasha was pretty sure that Holden didn’t have a problem attracting women with his dark blond hair and ocean blue eyes. He was the poster boy for all surfing magazines and oozed enough charm to make any woman melt if he glanced in her direction.

  “Holden, that’s enough,” Sterling warned.

  Holden’s blue eyes left hers for a moment to look over at Sterling. “Oh, calm down. I’m not going to steal Sasha away from you unless she wants me to.”

  “I’m not going to tell you again, Holden.”

  Wow. She couldn’t believe Sterling was taking his best friend’s flirting seriously. He was actually jealous. She thought it was so cute. She knew Holden was only teasing with her. She could tell the difference between harmless fun and a man actually stepping over the line with her.

  Did Sterling actually think his best friend was trying to steal her away from him?

  “Sterling, I’m not taking Holden seriously. I’m sure he has plenty of women after him. He doesn’t want or need me.”

  Holden’s smile grew even wider as he looked back and forth between her and Sterling. “No, I’m single. Do you know of anyone who’s looking for a date with a reasonably attractive man? I’m not picky at all.”

  Sasha fought against laughing out loud at Holden. God, he was too much. It was going to take a special woman to make this guy settle down.

  “Well, my sisters are single, but I don’t know if they would be too happy if I tried to set them up. However, if you happen to stop by my hotel I would be happy to introduce to them.”

  “Great,” Holden told her.

  “Are the two of you done?” Sterling asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I’m thinking I better get my girlfriend home before I get any more jealous.”

  Leaning across the chair, Sasha whispered in Sterling’s ear. “I promise to make your jealousy go away once you get me back to your house.”

  Sasha gasped when Sterling jumped up from his chair and pulled her with him. “Holden, sorry about dessert, but Sasha and I need to leave.”

  His best friend looked back at Sterling and then her with a knowing grin. “I thought you mentioned on the phone you wanted to discuss a design you wanted me to do for you.”

  “Damn it,” Sterling cursed next to her. “I forgot all about the flyers. I left them at home on my desk. I guess there has to be a change of plans. I’ll email you the details either later on tonight or early in the morning,” Sterling said as he tugged her towards the front door.

  “Holden, it was so nice to meet you. I had a great time,” Sasha said just as Sterling’s hand touched the doorknob.

  “You too, beautiful,” Holden told her. “Hopefully, you and I can have dinner again real soon.”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it. If you have dinner with Sasha, I will be in the chair next to hers,” Sterling mumbled under his breath before opening the door. He quickly ushered her out into the warm night air, closing the door behind them.

  “God, you sure got me out of Holden’s house in a hurry,” Sasha laughed, walking to the car with Sterling. “I thought your best friend was too entertaining. I can’t believe he’s still single. He’s so hot and funny. Guys like him usually get snatched up pretty fast.”

  Stopping in his tracks, Sterling tugged her to his body. “I hate that I’m jealous, but I am. I know you’re into me and not my buddy. But, I hated the way you got along with Holden so easily. I wished there wouldn’t be any problems, and damn it there wasn’t.”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re still upset about the fun I was having with Holden?” Sasha questioned.

  “What if I am?” he tossed back. Sterling hated this feeling. He had never experienced it before and it scared the hell out of him. He never knew love could feel this away…so all consuming.

  “I think it might be best if you took me back to my house instead of yours. I don’t want to deal with you and the mood you’re in. I don’t have time for it at all.” Placing her hands on his chest, Sasha pushed him away from her.

  Fuck! He didn’t want their night to end because of a stupid argument, which was entirely his fault because it was caused by his insecurity.

  “Sasha, wait!” Sterling grabbed her by the arm, but Sasha shook off his touch. “Let me apologize.”

  “Don’t. You wanted me to hit it off with your friend and when we did you got jealous for no apparent reason. I just want to go home, take a long bath, and crawl into bed. I don’t have to work tomorrow and I want to sleep late.” Sasha continued to his parked car without
another word to him.

  Shit! What had he done? Sterling watched Sasha get into the passenger side of the car and then close the door.

  Sasha wasn’t scheduled to work at either place tomorrow and he was going to surprise her with a horseback riding trip. He knew how much she loved horses, but never got the chance to ride them as much as she wanted. Now, after the dumb way he acted, he wasn’t going to be able to do any of that with her.

  Shoving his fingers through his hair, Sterling slowly walked over to his car. He wasn’t even going to try to convince Sasha into coming to his house. He could tell from the way her head was facing the passenger side window that Sasha wasn’t too interested in anything he had to tell her, least of all an apology. He would let her have tonight, but bright and early tomorrow morning he was going to be at her door bearing gifts.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The following morning, Sterling stood out on Sasha’s porch wondering why in the hell she wasn’t answering her front door. It was too early for her to be up and out for the day. Anyway, it was her day off which meant she would want to sleep a little later than usual. He really needed to apologize to her for acting like such a jerk at Holden’s house.

  Last night when they arrived back at her house, Sasha got out of the car and slammed the door shut. She made it inside her house before he even got out of the car. He should have known he was in trouble, because she didn’t speak two words to him during the entire trip. He called Holden when he got back home and apologized to him for acting like a jealous asshole.

  Thankfully, he and Holden had been friends for so long that his buddy laughed off his behavior and then congratulated him for finally working up enough courage to ask Sasha out on a real date. In addition, Holden also warned him not to wait too long to put a ring on Sasha’s finger.

  Oh, he wasn’t going to wait much longer to make Sasha his wife, but first he had to get her to open the door for him. He knocked again, hoping that she would come this time.

  “God, what is it?” Sasha snapped as soon as the front door swung open.