Almost Easy (Sinister Ascent Book 1)

by Brittany Clark

  “I always thought that Zane and Chloe would have ended up together. But then I came along and she was no competition,” Jessica said with no understanding of how painful her words were.

  I saw Chloe wince and leaned forward to try to comfort her. But Blaze beat me to it. I sat back and watched as his arms went around her and he tugged her closer to his body so that she could rest against him. I took in the scene in front of me and had to admit that they looked good together. And hell Blaze was actually being seen in public with Chloe as he held her. I could never give her that. I kept our intimate relationship tied to the bedroom where all I had ever done was fuck her, and outside the bedroom we were strictly friends. I had never done anything as simple as put my arm around her when we were in public.

  I caught Blaze’s eye over Chloe’s shoulder and if I was a lesser man the look in his eyes would have frozen me in place. But what Blaze didn’t understand was that I was already feeling the chill. Why did I allow myself to treat someone as amazing as Chloe like shit, and keep her on the back burner? She was too good for me. But I wasn’t a generous man, even if I knew that she deserved better than me, I would not give her up and let someone else have her. The awkward silence stretched on around us until Jessica finally realized there was a tense silence going on, and then took it upon herself to break it.

  “What happened? Did I say something wrong?”

  Chloe kept her head resting on Blaze’s chest as she looked over at me and Jessica, “No, I just had to try to keep myself from laughing. The idea that Zane and I could have ever ended up together is fucking absurd,”

  “Any woman would be fucking lucky to end up with me Chloe. I’m good looking, I’m rich, famous and a damn god in bed,” I lashed out in anger. I hated what she said about me. Even if I knew that she was just trying to defend herself, the words still fucking hurt me.

  “Does it hurt your back to kiss your own ass like that?” Chloe responded

  Blaze let out a bark of laughter as he pressed a kiss to her lips, “Holy shit baby that was a fucking good one,”

  Chloe sent him a wink and once again my fists clenched until my nails dug into my skin, the pain helped me keep my mouth shut. I wouldn’t make another remark in anger, something that would hurt her even more. I was tired of hurting her. Also I had to admit that that was a damn good joke of hers. It did sound like I was kissing my own ass.

  “Well I’m the lucky one that snagged him,” Jessica said beaming up at me. I realized that I had been ignoring her most of the night. I might have been a damn asshole, but Jessica had never done anything wrong to be treated that way. Especially if I went through with what I was thinking. I sighed and leaned down to brush my lips against hers, and felt like a scum bag. I just did that in front of Chloe, and for some reason it made me feel like I was cheating on her.

  “Baby,” Blaze whispered in her ear causing her to turn her head. The result was her lips brushing his intimately. That small gesture for some reason hurt me more than all the others that I had saw. “Are you ready to order?” he finished asking her once there lips pulled apart. There was one thing I was damn sure of after this dinner. I was even more confused about what I was feeling. Maybe that promise I made was a good one. Only time would tell.

  CHLOE

  I sat in the fancy restaurant next to Blaze as the candles flickered on the white table cloth. There was music playing in the background that was supposed to enhance the mood. I however had too many nerves flying around in my stomach to feel anything other than nauseous. Blaze was whispering little jokes that he knew into my ear in an attempt to keep me calm. They were beginning to work as I felt a smile slip onto my face. Blaze knew that it was going to be hard on me to hang out with Zane and his wife, and he had been doing everything he could to keep me calm.

  He was blaming himself because he hadn’t thought this double date all the way through and hadn’t realized how much it was going to hurt me. Just as Blaze whispered a joke to me that had me laughing Zane walked in. I knew the moment he did. The air grew thicker and seemed to crackle with sexual tension whenever we were in the same room. Or it did for me, I doubted that Zane felt that. The crackle that went through me alerted my heart that it was about to be split down the band aid that was still there holding it in place from the last time Zane had hurt me.

  “Don’t tense up, Chloe. I’m here for you,” Blaze whispered into my ear. I turned to look at him and the very sight of his eyes calmed me down, “Thata girl,”

  I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his in an appreciative gesture. But as soon as our lips touched it turned into something else. There was something about kissing Blaze that seemed to calm me down and turn me on all at once. His lips stirred my blood in a way that only Zane could make me feel. But it was as if it was Zane just not as powerful or potent. Blaze slowly pulled away and rested his head against mine as he tried to calm himself down.

  “Chloe, I didn’t think this through enough,” he whispered but before I could ask him what he meant, Zane cleared his throat causing the two of us to pull away from each other.

  Blaze sent me a smile and a wink then turned to the two new companions at the table. Zane looked unsure and confused as anger shined out of his eyes, and Jessica looked both bored and oblivious to what was going on around her. I knew I should ask her about her honeymoon, it was the polite and expected thing to do, but that would be like taking a bullet and I wasn’t going to be the one to hold the gun that shoots me, that was Zane’s job recently. As if Blaze could sense my thoughts, he reached out and linked his hand with mine. And just like that I was calm again. But then Jessica made a comment that felt like my heart was ripped out and stomped on. Just like that dinner became awkward.

  By this time I was hurting and wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there. I quickly made some joke that I don’t remember and then changed the subject. Soon we placed our order and the dinner went on. During all of this I couldn’t get Blaze’s comment out of my mind. All I wanted to know was what the hell he had meant by it. But I was afraid to know. What if he wanted something more from me? I couldn’t date Blaze for real, for a few reasons. One because I loved Zane, and the other was I couldn’t be with him when he was good friends with Zane. At the moment we were just pretending, and it might have been just as bad, but it made it easier to convince myself that what we were doing wasn’t wrong. Finally the dinner was over.

  Zane and Jessica walked out of the restaurant behind Blaze and I. We stood silently beside each other as we waited for the valet to get our cars. I reached over to link my hand with Blaze’s to calm myself down and he gave me a reassuring squeeze. Luckily for me the valet brought Blaze’s car first and the awkwardness was finally over. Blaze walked me around and opened the door for me. My chest brushed his as I got into the car and a shiver ran through my body as Blaze’s eyes lit with lust. Before we pulled away I rolled down my window and waved by to the others and was grateful as all hell when we pulled away and got the hell away from there.

  “Well that went better than I thought it would,” Blaze commented

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He’s insane with jealousy already and it’s only been like two days since he found out that we’re dating. Imagine what is going to happen if we keep this up for a while. He will go out of his mind,”

  “I think you’re imagining things Blaze. I’m sure he doesn’t give a shit who I’m with,”

  “Chloe, please tell me you’re joking,” He said shooting eyes in my direction for a second, “You’re not? Jesus, Chloe, did you see the look on his face when us getting married got brought up? That wasn’t the look of a man who didn’t care about who you ended up with. That was the look of someone who couldn’t stand the idea of his woman ending up with another man,”

  “I’m not his woman,”

  “I beg to differ. But let’s stop talking about this for now. I don’t think we will agree on anything when it comes to Zane. I’m telling the truth though,
this is already working,”

  “Whatever you say,” I whispered then I turned in my seat to see his face better, “Can I ask you something?”

  “You just did.”

  “Oh, ha ha you’re so funny. I’m being serious,”

  Blaze chuckled then stopped at a red light and turned to face me, “You want to ask me what I meant before at the restaurant when I said that I didn’t think this through all the way?”

  “Yea, Blaze I don’t think..”

  “Chloe, wait. I didn’t mean that I’m going to develop feelings for you, not that you aren’t someone that I could fall for. But I know that you’re in love with Zane, and that would just end badly for all of us. What I meant was that I’ve always been attracted to you. I’m not sure that I can keep kissing you and all of this touchy shit without getting a hard on and wondering what it would feel like to thrust inside of you,”

  I gasped then blushed earning another laugh from Blaze. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that and luckily I was saved by the car behind us honking at us to drive. Blaze focused back on the road giving me the time I needed to think everything through. Blaze was attracted to me physically, I couldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t attracted to him. I let my eyes scan over his face taking all of him. From his buzz cut hair and hazel eyes, to the dimples in his cheeks and tattoos that covered both of his arms. He was built like crazy, with muscles in all the right places and a hard tone stomach that I wanted to run my nails down. Blaze turned and winked at me. I blushed again knowing that I was caught staring, and that he liked having me check him out.

  “You’re gorgeous, Blaze.” I whispered after a few minutes. He shot me a smile then pulled off the road parking at the curb so that he could turn to me fully.

  “Listen, Chloe, I know that you won’t fall for me, and I won’t fall for you. I know that you would never feel that way about me. And I already have feelings for someone else, but she isn’t available at the moment. So you don’t have to worry about me falling in love with you,”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “I can’t stop myself from wanting you. It’s going to be hard for me to keep my hands off of you now that I know what you taste like. You turn me on Chloe, I want you,”

  I blushed again then brought my bottom lip between my teeth. Blaze groaned then brought his hand up to tug my lip free. I shot him a confused look earning a chuckle from deep within him as his body began to hum with arousal.

  “Chloe, you have an effect on my body. When you chew that sexy plump bottom lip of yours, I can imagine those teeth nibbling on my dick as those lips wrap around me,”

  “Blaze,”

  “I know you don’t want to hear it. But I have to tell you or you’re going to keep doing it,”

  “No, that isn’t what I was going to say,”

  “Oh, then what were you going to say?”

  “I’ve only ever been with Zane,”

  I watched as Blaze’s jaw dropped open as his eyes widened. “Honestly that doesn’t shock me all that much. I mean you’ve been in love with Zane since before the first time you had sex with him, and that was what? Twelve years ago? And we all knew that you were a virgin because Zane freaked out that he hurt you and ran to us for advice,”

  “Yea, well I couldn’t sleep with anyone else. It always felt like I would be being unfaithful to him, even though that sounds ridiculous,”

  “No it doesn’t. You love him and were sleeping with him. You’re the kind of woman who doesn’t just sleep with someone for no reason. To you it was always more than just sex,”

  “It really was. But now that you know that, I don’t know if I can..”

  “Chloe, just wait. I didn’t mean that you and are I going to sleep together, although if it happens I wouldn’t stop it, nor would I regret it. But I wanted you to know that I’m attracted to you,”

  “Do you think something is going to happen?”

  “How about we agree to this, if something starts to happen we will go from there. Just know that I wouldn’t stop it, if anything I would encourage it. For two reason; one I want you. I’ve always wanted to know what it would be like for us, and two, I want you to be able to know what it would be like with someone other than Zane. I know that it would be a long time before you can even think about sleeping with someone else, but you know me, and have known me for a long time. I think that would make it easier for you to sleep with me,”

  I rested my head back on my seat and thought that over. It would make it easier to sleep with someone I knew rather then start trying to get to know someone new. And it was crazy that the only touch that I knew was Zane’s, especially since he was now married to another woman. I shouldn’t be waiting for Zane any longer, it was time for me to move on fully and this would be one big step for me. Even though Blaze thought that this plan of his was working, I was a little more skeptical. But maybe I could move forward with Blaze. And if I was honest with myself I would admit that I was curious about Blaze as well. Hell the man could fucking kiss, and that said a lot about him. Also I knew that we wouldn’t fall for each other. I was in love with another man, and unless I missed my guess he was in love with someone else as well.

  “Okay,” I finally said

  “Okay what?”

  “If it leads somewhere I won’t stop it,”

  “Seriously?” Blaze asked a little shocked

  “Yea, I can’t wait for Zane any longer. He’s married now, and I trust you Blaze. Because I trust you I think that that will make it easier for me. I mean I’m not saying let’s go home right now and fuck. I’m saying we’re pretending to be together for Zane’s sake but tonight it didn’t seem like pretend to me half way through. So if it leads somewhere, then so be it,”

  “Chloe, I agree with everything you just said except for one thing. We wouldn’t be fucking. I know that’s what Zane used to say to you all the time, but if we get that far it wouldn’t be fucking. It would be two people who care a great deal about each other coming together and expressing those feelings. I’m not going to call it making love, because that isn’t what this is either. But it’s not fucking.”

  I nodded then did something without thinking it through. I was so tired of being cautious and not doing things because I was afraid of what would happen in the end. Before Blaze could blink I had my seat belt unbuckled and my lips on his. Blaze grunted in my mouth then brought his hand up to cup my cheek. His tongue darted out and licked over my bottom lip to which I happily granted him entrance and our tongues began moving against each other’s. I brought my hands up to his chest and rubbed up and down, feeling his hard muscles under my hands. I pulled back breathless catching his eyes.

  “You’re buffer than Zane,” Blaze smiled at me, it was clear that the only man I had ever touched was Zane and I was enjoying the feel of Blaze.

  “Yes. I am, is that a problem?”

  “No, I like it,”

  Blaze smirked at me before pressing his lips back to mine. I let my hands run under his shirt to feel his chest and stomach better. I felt his stomach quiver under my fingers and was amazed that I could make a man like this feel this desire for me. I had to admit that his body was amazing and I liked touching him. Blaze was about to let his hands run under my shirt when there was a knock at the window. Blaze pulled away from me and looked out his window to see a very pissed off looking Zane standing there. Blaze took his time in hitting the roll down button.

  “Problem?” Blaze asked with a smile on his face.

  “I was heading home when I saw your car parked here. I thought it might have broken down. I didn’t realize you stopped to make out,” Zane hissed out at us.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t wait until we got to my house,” I said keeping my hands under Blaze’s shirt.

  Zane kept his mouth shut and gave us a quick jerky nod before turning and stomping off. We watched him go with no hint of sympathy for our friend. Blaze rolled up his window and turned back to me.

  “I won’t stop us Chloe,
but I need you to be sure that you want this to go further. I’m not saying that anything is going to happen tonight. I know that it will be a while before anything comes close to happening, but I want you to be sure. If we sleep together there’s no undoing that. So think about it,”

  I nodded as Blaze restarted the car and drove towards my house. I thought over the night and realized that a lot of questions were brought up that I wasn’t anywhere close to answering. I was more confused now than ever .There was one thing however that I was absolutely sure about. I had no reason to worry that Blaze would get hurt over this in the end. It was clear that he wouldn’t gain deeper feelings for me, and I could never love someone the way that I love Zane. Now I just had to decide how far I wanted to go with Blaze. It was time for me to move on, and I knew and trusted Blaze. He would make it amazing for me, and then I would be able to say that I had sex with two people and not just one man who didn’t even want me. Blaze wanted me, not for the long run, but he wanted me. Damn I had a lot to think about.

  7

  ZANE

  I walked into the studio the next day with a scowl on my face. We were working on our next album, so this was going to be a very long day. The night before I had tossed and turned in bed unable to get the image of Chloe and Blaze on the side of the road making out, out of my mind. It did not escape my notice that her hands were under his shirt, and that his were making their way under hers. No one other than me should have the right to touch that amazing body of hers. I was after all her first lover. After what I witnessed last night I was curious to know if they had slept together.

  That thought drove me mad. I did not want to think about Blaze being inside Chloe. Then that opened me up to the next question that was on my mind. Who was better in bed? Maybe I would ask her one day about it. Although I’m sure that would be hitting below the belt with her. But the idea drove me insane. If someone asked me who the best I ever had was, I would say Chloe without a doubt. Especially the first time. That was a night I would never forget, and I knew that she wouldn’t either. I can still remember what it felt like to push inside of her, past the barrier that made her innocent. Her tight wet heat gripped me tighter than anyone ever had before and in that second she owned me. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of Chloe’s laughter. There was nothing better than that sound.