I’m quick to silence her, turning her head to me and pressing my lips to hers. I pull back, but leave my face close to hers, our hot breath combining and heating with the intensity I feel between us.
She moans my name as her head thrashes.
I slam my dick into her, all the way to the hilt, feeling her lush ass jiggle as I pump my hips over and over again. My breathing comes in frantically as I feel her tighten around my length. Yes! Cum for me again. I need to feel her get off and watch her as she’s consumed with pleasure.
Leaning in closer to her, I whisper in her ear, “Give it to me,” and slam into her again, her body jolting against the wall as her faces scrunches and her mouth parts with a small gasp. “Cum for me,” I breathe against her slender neck, her body shuddering with a chill and then bury myself deep inside of her.
Her eyes open as her pussy flutters and her fingernails dig into my hand. She lets out a silent scream, her head falling back against my shoulder as her orgasm rips through her.
It’s all I needed. I race for my own release, thrusting my hips and riding through her pleasure. A rough groan low in my throat leaves me as I pound into her tight pussy over and over until a wave of pleasure rocks through me, curling my toes and leaving me out of breath. My dick pulses as I shove myself as deep as I can inside of her, nearly picking her up off the floor.
She whimpers, and I open my eyes as thick spurts of cum fill her, but there’s only pleasure on her face.
I want to keep her, so I’ll give her what she wants. Something to tie her to me.
A baby.
Chapter 25
Grace
It’s quiet in the area at work as I sit by myself, my head in the clouds. I’m peeling a tangerine, but not really paying any attention to it.
My mind is on Charlie. More specifically, on the deal we had. I fulfilled my end, playing Charlie’s pretty girlfriend. And Charlie…
Well, let’s just say that his end of the bargain was met when he made me orgasm three times in a row. I blush just thinking about it.
So I guess that since we've both held up our ends of the bargain, it’s over even though he did ask me to stay a little longer for appearances. I don’t want to play games anymore, and that’s all this is to him.
Showing up at the bar, waiting for him to call it quits is just torture, stringing me along like that. I sit back and sigh. I don’t want it to be over. I want anything but that, really. I want a commitment. I want more with him.
But facing him and asking for more is only going to leave me alone and brokenhearted. I can play along for a little while, but that only makes me feel that much more pathetic.
As I stand up, rolling my eyes, I throw the half-peeled tangerine in the trash. It’s time to quit moping over things I can’t change and do some work instead.
Sarah, my immediate boss, sticks her head in the break room. She’s redheaded like me and big-boned, but she always dresses like she’s on an Italian runway. Today she’s wearing a black boatneck dress that looks like it cost a million dollars from the way it flatters her frame.
“Hey, Grace.” She’s cheery like she always is as she steps into the room.
“Hey,” I say with a forced smile. I shouldn’t feel bad for my afternoon break, everyone takes them. Still, I feel the need to defend myself. “I’m just on my way back to work.”
“Do you have a minute? Jack and I would like to talk to you in his office.”
I stare at her. Jack Holt is one of the partners at our firm. I’ve literally only talked to him at Christmas, when he’s handing out holiday bonus checks. My heartbeat picks up at the thought of having a meeting with him.
I rack my brain to figure out what he could possibly want to talk to me about. A new project? But no, he isn’t usually involved on that level.
This is looking really, really bad. I swallow the lump in my throat, searching Sarah’s face for a clue, but there’s nothing there.
“Uhh… sure.” I smile lightly.
“It’s nothing bad. Stop looking like I’m taking you to see the grim reaper,” Sarah jokes. “Come on.”
Does being fired count as bad? I wonder, trying to calm down.
I follow Sarah across the main room where everybody works. Unlike me, most of the employees don’t put their heads down while they work, so a few eyes follow me across the room. I glimpse Diane trying to make eye contact with me, but I avoid it. I haven’t talked to her since the wedding… which she didn’t attend.
Sarah leads me to a corner office, where she pauses to knock on the door. I fidget, gripping the hem of my shirt and trying to stay calm. Sarah wouldn’t lie to me.
“Come in!” Jack calls through the door.
We enter, my legs feeling like jello. Sarah shuts the door behind me, increasing my paranoia that I’m about to be fired.
“Grace, hi,” Jack says, standing up from behind his large espresso desk that’s littered with paperwork. He’s in his fifties, well dressed, and brown as a nut from tanning on his yacht. “Please sit,” he gestures to one of two chairs in front of me.
I glance at Sarah and pick a chair. Sarah sits in the other one, crossing her legs and smiling. Jack settles himself, looking serious.
My heart begins to thump wildly. I’ve never been fired before. My hands are clammy and I try to think of something to say, but I don’t trust my voice.
“So Grace, I asked Sarah to recommend someone to run the art desk, keep the designers on task. She recommended you.”
I stare at him for a second, processing his words, then look at Sarah. “She did?”
“Apparently you… let’s see here,” he says, picking up a piece of paper off his desk. He starts to read. “Quote - She works ten times harder than anyone else. If everyone was as dedicated to customer satisfaction and producing great artwork, we would be far more successful.”
“I… I don’t know what to say,” I manage, my cheeks turning pink. I look at Sarah, feeling a sting in the back of my eyes. I didn’t think anyone noticed. I manage to answer Jack, although my throat feels tight. “Thank you for noticing.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank Sarah,” Jack says. “Now the promotion comes with a big bump in pay, and ten people working directly below you. Can you handle that?”
“I… yes,” I say, nodding vigorously. “Absolutely.”
“Alright! Well, Sarah will see that the paperwork is on your desk by Monday. Thank you for your hard work,” Jack says, standing and offering me a handshake.
I stand and shake his hand, trying not to let him see that I’m trembling. Sarah smiles at me on the way out. I don’t know how I’m even walking, I’m so stunned. Once the door is closed behind us, I let out a breath.
“Oh man. I really thought you were going to fire me,” I confess to Sarah.
She laughs. “I told you it was nothing bad!”
I reach out and almost grab her hand, but instead I clasp mine in front of me, feeling so grateful and overwhelmed. “Thanks so much, Sarah. Really.”
“Well, I just wanted you to realize that I see how hard you work. I see all the nights you’re here late, and all the crap you put up with from the salespeople.”
“You won’t regret this. I promise,” I say, giddy, the shock starting to wear off.
“I’d better not,” she says, winking.
We part ways, Sarah back to her office and me back to my cubicle. I’m smiling so hard that it hurts as I return to my seat. Immediately, Diane’s head pops up over the cubicle walls.
“What was that all about?” she asks. “It looked serious.”
“I… I actually got a promotion,” I say. “It’s weird to say it out loud.”
“What?” she asks, standing straighter. “Promotion to what?”
“They need someone to manage the art desk,” I answer her, turning in my chair to face her.
“No way! I thought Melanie was going to run the art desk.”
She looks and sounds… pissed. I swallow, feeling the high die d
own and answer her, “Well, apparently not.”
“Congrats! Seriously, that’s awesome.” Although her words are kind, her expression and tone are still off.
“Thanks.” I smile and try to shrug it off.
“We should go celebrate later! Go out, grab some drinks.” Her giddy fun side comes back, and for a second I think I imagined her original reaction.
I think about it, then decide what the hell.
“Sure. Maybe we could go to that bar with the awesome Mexican food?” I offer.
“Sarita’s? Yeah, girl. And then we can make our way to Mac’s.”
I go silent, pulling a face. Charlie said he wants me to come for appearances, but I don’t know if I can bring myself to do it. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to play games anymore.
“What?” Diane asks. “You don’t want to go to Mac’s?”
“Not especially,” I say but it’s hard to admit. My heart hurts just thinking about it.
“Is it because of Charlie? Oh my God, did you two break up?”
“Jesus, Diane!” I say, lowering my voice and looking around. “Not everything is about Charlie.”
“You did! You totally broke up,” Diane says, a hint of glee evident in her expression.
“For your information, everything between me and Charlie was fake. We were just trying to fool his family,” I snap. “Which we did. Now we’re done.” I wish I could reach out and snatch my words back. It hurts to say it out loud.
“Oh,” she says. It’s hard to read what she’s really thinking. “Well, alright. Let’s go to the bar with the Mexican food, then.”
“Fine,” I say, on edge. I’d rather be angry than anything else. So I cling to that emotion although I think I’m only angry at myself. “I have a lot of work I need to finish first.”
“I guess that’s why you got the promotion,” she says, with a smile. “I’ll be back at six to bug you, though.”
She disappears behind her side of the wall. I’m left trying to decide if I should feel bad for snapping at her. I feel like she had it coming… actually, she had a lot more than that coming.
I slip on my headphones and sink into my work, refusing to think about any of this shit anymore.
Chapter 26
Charlie
I’m about two seconds away from texting Grace when she walks through the front door of the bar. About fucking time.
I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning, the morning after the wedding.
She’s still in her work clothes, but her hair is down and swishing around her shoulders as she walks in.
A feminine screech echoes through the bar behind her, and she turns to look over her shoulder.
“We’re finally here!” Diane’s with her, and my expression falls. I don’t understand how the two of them are friends. I stay behind the bar and move to the far left, right where Grace sits and where the dishwasher is. My eyes flicker up and I watch the two of them as I get to work. Diane stumbles slightly and talks a bit too loud. A few customers turn to watch them walk in, but then they go right back to what they were doing before.
“I love this place,” Diane says, dragging Grace by the hand. Grace lets her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and seemingly not wanting to come over to me. I don’t like it, and I don’t understand it in the least.
Diane’s quick to sit on the barstool at the far end. Grace’s stool.
I don’t pay her any attention, waiting for Grace to finally look at me. When she does, I can see the worry there that was on her face at the wedding. That sick feeling of anxiety washes through me. What the hell do I need to do to make her happy?
Make it official.
I grab a glass and wipe it down with a drying cloth as Grace takes a seat.
“Hey there,” I speak up, waiting for her eyes to look back at me.
“Hey,” her voice is soft. She desperately needs more. She needs a label. My body heats at the thought, but if that’s what it takes, I’ll give it to her. I’ll make it real and let the world know. Ever since the wedding, they’ve all been pushing me anyway.
I open my mouth to say something to put her at ease, but Diane speaks up, leaning forward and tapping the bar.
“We’re getting wasted tonight,” she says, already far more drunk than Grace. I cock a brow at her.
“Is that so?” My eyes dart back to Grace as she sets her purse down on the bar.
“Can we have two drink specials, please?” Diane asks, taking my attention again.
“That what you want, sweetheart?” I ask Grace. I hold those doe eyes when she finally looks back at me. “Whatever you want, it’s yours.” I don’t think I’ve ever said truer words.
“Yeah,” she says absently. I watch her swallow as she looks down at her clutch. It’s awkward, and I don’t like it. I don’t know what happened between yesterday and today. Whatever it is, I need to fix it.
“Thank you!” Diane practically yells, bouncing in her seat. It takes me a moment to realize she’s talking about the beers. Right.
I scratch the back of my head as I head to the cooler and get their drinks. I could fucking use one about now, too.
I grab two beers with one hand, the glass clinking as the bottles hit and quickly pop the tops off.
“Charlie!” a customer calls out to me. I wave back, giving them a tight smile but then walk up to James and brush my shoulder against his.
“Take care of them,” I instruct, and he follows my eyes to the customer.
“You got it,” he says, already moving.
I know I have a rep with these customers. All of them really. But right now, I need time with Grace. Something’s not right and I’m not waiting on closing time to put that smile on her face.
I pass Diane the beer and then set Grace’s in front of her, but I don’t let go. When she tries to grab it, I pull it away, making her tilt her head and smile softly.
I let her take it the second time. “How’s work?” I ask her, and she finally lightens up some.
“I got a promotion,” she answers me with a bit of happiness that makes the nerves settle.
“That’s fucking fantastic,” I tell her as I toss the caps to the beer in the trash can. “Congrats, sweetheart.”
She takes a sip of her beer, still looking a bit nervous.
“You okay-” I start to ask her, but Diane chips in.
“It’s really crazy, too. We were sure one of our other coworkers was going to take that job,” Diane shakes her head, a look of bewilderment on her face before taking a drink.
I look back to Grace, who’s watching Diane with a small frown.
“I gotta go to the bathroom real quick,” Grace doesn’t look me in the eyes as she slips off the stool. The air between us is thick and it makes my stomach stir with unease. I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but I’ll find out tonight once everyone leaves. Whatever it is, I’ll make it better for her. A sick feeling in my gut is telling me that it’s me. Us. But I ignore it. We’re going to be fine.
I pick up one of the tumblers from the rack and wipe it down before setting it in the clean section and moving to the next glass as Diane switches seats, moving to Grace’s spot.
My eyes flick up to her, and I give her a tight smile. I think about asking her if everything’s alright with Grace, but I keep my mouth shut, just listening to the sounds of the busy bar.
“So what are you doing tonight?” Diane asks, twirling her hair around her finger. She gives me a seductive smile, and I’m not sure where it’s coming from. She knows I’m with Grace. My brows pinch as I think about what to tell her.
Grace. My intentions are to be doing Grace tonight. All night long, if I have any say in the matter.
“Just going home,” I answer her tightly. I'm deciding to stay neutral and I assume it’s because Diane’s drunk that she’s acting like this.
“You need company?” she asks.
“I have Grace,” I bite out the response and make a move to leave, not liking
that I’m in this position at all, but she grabs my hand.
“Not anymore,” she says and her answer makes my heart pound. I turn to look at her, not saying a damn thing or changing my expression.
“I mean, she told me it was all fake and she was never really into you like that,” Diane says in a low voice, her hand at the neck of the bottle, tilting it on the bar top. She whispers, leaning in closer. “I get it. You got what you needed from her, and she went slumming for a minute.” She pulls back to take a swig of her beer.
My heart feels like a knife’s gone through it, slowly twisting and then being pulled out. She was never into me. That’s all I keep thinking.
I move slowly, grabbing a rag from under the bar and wiping down the lacquered wood mindlessly.
“So I was thinking, if you’re looking for something tonight-”
“I’m good,” my words come out hard and maybe harsh. I don’t care though. Diane says something else, but I can’t hear anything over the sound of the blood rushing in my ears as I walk away, right to the back of the bar.
My heart’s hammering, my blood’s boiling. I feel tense and ready to break.
It was fake.
She never wanted me.
I’m a fucking fool.
Chapter 27
Grace
I slip onto the barstool next to Diane, deciding to woman up. I want Charlie, and at the very least I can put my heart on the line. Diane looks at me as I right myself, giving me a half smile.
“Hey,” I say. I should thank her for convincing me to come although I’m sure she really does just want to get wasted. The booze here is way cheaper than anywhere else around.
“Hey yourself.” She sips amber liquid from a rocks glass. Guess she finished her beer already.
Putting my clutch on the bar, I look for Charlie, but the bar’s empty.
“Where’d Charlie go?” I ask Diane. I can still feel the awkward tension between us. I just need to spit it out.
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