Alphas on Top

by Harper Sloan

  The photography had started when my doctor told me I needed to find something to focus on. A hobby. Nothing had interested me whatsoever. One day, while staring at a beautiful building in the heart of the city, I wished I could freeze the image and commit it to memory. The idea to photograph it had come at that moment and I’d been doing it ever since. I’d even taken an online course to learn more about my thrift store camera.

  “Well, Jackie here must be smitten with you. He doesn’t bring around girls. Not since Nadia,” she confided knowingly.

  He stopped her from revealing more, “Mom, Andi doesn’t want to hear about past relationships and neither do I.”

  She frowned but changed the subject. “How’s Jordie? He’s too busy these days running the firm to come see me. Tell him I’m mad that I haven’t seen his precious face in three weeks,” she said, apparently miffed.

  He laughed at her pouty face. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take pleasure in telling him that I’m now your favorite,” he grinned as he teased her.

  After we finished our coffee, Jackson stood up from the table. “Mom, we need to get going. It’s late and I need to take Andi home,” he lied through his teeth. I rolled my eyes at him but stood up and grabbed hold of his hand.

  “Okay, kids, but I want you both over for dinner on Saturday. If you can get your brother to come, please do. Tell him to bring a date,” she winked at Jackson.

  She hugged us both and walked us to the door. “Hold on a sec!” Trish scurried back into the kitchen and came back with a plate covered with foil and a thermos. “Give this to George.” She smiled broadly.

  Jackson laughed and shook his head, taking it from her as we headed out the door.

  The not-so-dark days…

  “Andi, I want you to find a new focus. Now that you’re out of school and are no longer with Bray, what do you do with your time besides work at the café?” Dr. Sweeney asks me.

  I frown because I do absolutely nothing. All I do is replay the events of the last few weeks over and over. When Pepper isn’t busy trying to distract me, it is all I can think about. I can hardly sleep because the thoughts consume me. Even though I am no longer distraught, I still can’t stop them.

  “I don’t know what I would do. There isn’t much I care about besides Pepper,” I tell him honestly.

  “I know, Andi, which is why you need to find something. Try some things out. Yoga, kickboxing, reading, pottery, bunko—anything besides what you’re doing now. You need to do some soul searching. That’s your homework this week. Find something new to think about. I have faith in you that you’ll find something.

  “Andi, I also want you to try and go on a date. You are a young, attractive woman, and I fear you might end up a little jaded. I’m not saying that you need to go out and find a husband. What I’m saying is that you need to have fun and get out—without Pepper. She’s your crutch, and you need to learn to stand on your own again,” he told me.

  I feel nauseous at the idea of dating, but I nod my head to appease Dr. Sweeney. “Good. Now don’t show up next week without a new hobby,” he instructs, smiling at me as we conclude our session.

  When we arrived at the apartment, I made him stay in the car while I ran up to grab my things. Mostly, I wanted to tell the girls about my day without Jackson in earshot.

  I walked in the front door to see Olive reading a novel on the couch and Pepper glaring at her laptop. Tossing my keys and purse on the table by the door, I ran over to Olive and kissed her forehead. She smiled at me and blew me a kiss.

  Making my way to Pepper, I closed her laptop when I plopped down beside her. She huffed in annoyance but couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her face. “What are you so happy about, Andi?” she asked grumpily.

  I hugged her and laughed. “I had the weirdest day today. Jackson is outside waiting in the car. I’m going to spend the night with him tonight.”

  “Hold up. As of yesterday, he was an ass. What’s so different about today?” she demanded.

  Olive chimed in before I could answer. “Andi, I am just blown away by the fact that you’re still seeing the guy and the weekend is over!” She clapped her hands excitedly.

  Pepper and I giggled at her. She was so damn cute. “Well, things were looking up this morning. I was in Man-Killer mode and even left the panties at home,” I explained, winking at Pepper, who just rolled her eyes. Olive gasped at my proclamation.

  I continued my story. “So I got to work and there was a note from Jackson saying we should have lunch in his office again. I was on cloud nine when I went into the conference room to meet the new architect I’ll be assisting. Jordan was his normal happy self. But Jackson—his face lit up when he saw me and I almost melted,” I tell them dreamily.

  “Go on, Jennifer Aniston,” Pepper smarted off to me.

  “Anyway, the other chair turned and it was—”

  Cutting me off, Pepper sneers, “Fucking Brayden.”

  I nod my head and continue. “So Fucking Brayden got up and hugged me, a little too long for comfort. When we pulled apart, Jackson was killing him with death rays that were shooting from his eyes.

  “The meeting was short, but afterwards, Bray stopped at my desk and told me how pretty I was. No surprise there,” I winked at them. “I worked and worked until I realized I had been stood up for lunch by Jackson.”

  “No fucking way. What do you see in that asshole?” Pepper fumed.

  I sighed but continued. “Well, Bray realized that I hadn’t eaten yet by around two and fetched me a sandwich when I nearly fainted. I ended up dropping the lid and he got an accidental view of the goods.” I paused, letting it sink in.

  “Oh,” Olive whispered.

  “God, Andi, you are such a hooch,” Pepper scolds me.

  I laugh again. “He acted all shocked that I wasn’t wearing panties, and Jackson walked up, interrupting his peep show. He looked pissed but then Brayden went off on him for standing me up.”

  Pepper chuckled because, even though she hates Bray, she liked to see Jackson get the short end of the stick too.

  “So he must have felt like an ass because he apologized and disappeared to his office. He called me in there a little while later and fucked me on the credenza.”

  Olive screeched and Pepper cursed at me.

  “And his dick was still in me when Bray knocked on the door. Jackson told him that I’d be right over after we finished up and proceeded to clean me up with Bray on the other side.”

  Pepper was shaking her head at me, muttering under hear breath, and Olive was fifty shades of crimson.

  “So then Fucking Bray decided that he thinks I’m so hot and he wants me so bad. Again, no surprise there. I basically told him to fuck off and bolted from his office.

  “Here’s where it gets good. So Pepper here canceled on our wine date because she lost her main sponsor. I ran and told Jordan so he would call her and take over the spot.”

  Pepper interrupted me. “Hold up, you had a hand in that?” she interrogated, agitation lacing her voice.

  I nodded beaming, completely proud of saving her ass. “Yep. How’d it go?”

  Rolling her eyes, she groaned, “Well, I told him I’d think about it. He’s so damn sure of himself, like he knows I’ll agree to his requests. I’ve been trying all night to email other potential sponsors, but most everyone has already made commitments and can’t agree to such a costly sponsorship so late in the year. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  This time I rolled my eyes, making Olive giggle. “Duh, Pep. You take the Compton Enterprises sponsorship. Really, it’s a no-brainer. Now call him and agree!” I griped at her.

  She huffed, picked up her laptop, and stalked to her room, ignoring me. I shrugged my shoulders and went into my own room. Quickly, I packed all of my things for tomorrow and headed back out into the living room. I waved to Olive and ran back downstairs to Jackson.

  The not-so-dark days…

  The camera costs just fifty bucks so I buy i
t. I begin snapping pictures of whatever I can find just to learn how the thing works. Getting the hang of it, I start taking snapshots of buildings in the early morning sun when I am nearly blinded by the reflection of the windows. I also take pictures of them on gloomy days as the rain saturates their surfaces, giving the buildings a gleaming façade.

  Photography consumes me. I research it on the internet. I borrow books from the library on the subject. And even participate in an online class to learn more about apertures, ISO, f/stops, and natural light.

  Pepper allows me to litter the apartment with photos of the buildings so I can make critiques and choose my favorites. Dr. Sweeney will be so proud. Now, for the whole dating concept…

  When I climbed back into the car, Jackson was sprawled in his seat, scrolling through his phone. He looked so relaxed and content. Tossing my stuff into the floor, I slammed the car door shut and pounced on him.

  He laughed when I started kissing his face all over, trying to be obnoxious. I was in a playful mood this evening. Finally, he palmed my cheeks and held me still so he could kiss my lips. We made out like two teenagers during the short drive to his loft. Helping me out of the car, he grabbed my bags and we practically ran to the elevators. When one opened, he dragged me inside.

  Realizing we were alone, he pinned me to the wall and slid his hand up my skirt. I gasped as he slipped a finger inside of me. His mouth found my neck as he pulled his finger in and out at an agonizingly slow speed. I was moaning and begging him to go faster when the doors to the penthouse opened up.

  Pulling his finger from me, he took my hand and led me into his loft. Immediately, he jerked off my jacket and began pulling off my camisole. I jerked at his belt, efficiently whipped it off of him, and started working at the button on his pants. When I successfully got the zipper down, I yanked down his pants and boxers, freeing his cock.

  Stepping out of them and kicking off his shoes, he reached behind me and slid the zipper to my skirt down, letting it drop to the floor. He also one-handedly unhooked my bra and tossed it away after he pulled it off. We laughed when we realized he was still wearing socks and I still had on my thigh-highs and heels. Kneeling down, he pulled one of the thigh-highs down my leg and off my foot along with my shoe. He repeated his actions on the other side.

  On his knees, he pushed me backwards until my back hit the sofa. He spread my legs apart and situated himself between them. I about came unglued when his tongue licked up between my folds before making contact with my clit. My hands grasped his hair as I shivered from the sporadic movement of his tongue. When I would try to jerk away uncontrollably, he would grip my hips and bring them closer to his mouth.

  My orgasm shattered through me and my eyes rolled shut from the intense pleasure. “Oh God, Jackson. You make me feel so good,” I crooned. Growling, he stood up and turned me around, pushing my top half over the sofa, making my ass point right in the air. I moaned at his sexual roughness. Seeing that I was turned on, he slipped two fingers into me and started stroking my insides. When I started to squirm, he slapped my ass cheek.

  The stinging pain only pushed me closer to my next orgasm. I bucked against him and he slapped it again, this time a little harder.

  “Oh, fuck! Jackson!” I cried out. I tried to reach behind me to grab his cock but my arms weren’t long enough. As he thrusted his fingers harder into me, I started moaning loudly as I felt very near to my release. When his hand slapped me one more time, this time probably leaving a bruise, I screamed and shuddered wildly as my most intense orgasm yet shot through me.

  Completely spent, I collapsed against the sofa. Pulling my wrists behind me, he held them bound together as he poked my entrance with his cock. I nudged him the best I could from my compromised position. Finally, he satisfied us both when he shoved it all the way in. Instinctively, I tried to move my hands but he gripped them tighter as he slammed into me.

  “Oh God, Jackson. I’m going to come again!” I shouted as another orgasm pulsed through me. My pussy was clenching around him as his sweaty body pounded against mine. Instantly, his hot climax throbbed into me and I moaned once more. He thrust a couple more times before stopping shakily.

  Releasing my wrists, he pulled me back up to a standing position. “Andi, you are fucking amazing. You’re like my very own drug. No matter how many times we do this, I can’t get enough of you.” Then he drew himself from me and popped me on the butt once more for good measure.

  I turned around, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply. Leaning away to look him in the eyes, I breathed, “You’re pretty addictive yourself.” We headed for the shower, leaving our clothes in a heaping pile in the entryway.

  After a shower and playing grab ass, we finally crawled into the bed naked. I scooted into the crook of his arm and draped my arm across his chiseled chest. His free hand found its way to my hair and stroked it.

  This day had been amazing considering the ex-fiancé I had almost killed myself over had come to work at my new job. My whole weekend game I played was a thing of the past because now I had Jackson.

  “So it would appear, Miss Dalton, that you like it a little rough, huh?” Jackson teased, chuckling.

  I smiled into his chest. It was the first time I’d ever had a desire to do anything like that but I absolutely loved it. “Mr. Compton, it would appear that you are correct,” I purred back.

  “Hmmm. Well I can certainly see us having some fun with that,” he said in almost a deep whisper.

  “Jackie,” I joked, using his mother’s nickname for him. “But no matter how rough you get, I still have the secret weapon.”

  He chuckled. “And what would that be?”

  I dug my fingers into his side and he rolled out from underneath me and off the bed, escaping my tickling. His boyish laughter boomed across the room. I giggled hysterically at how I could bring Big Bad Jackson to his knees.

  Before I had time to respond, he pounced on me, pinning me under his body. He grabbed my wrists again and held them tight above my head with one hand. I wriggled, trying to get free of him, but it was useless. He tried to tickle me but frowned when I didn’t respond.

  “I’m not ticklish. You’ll have to find a different way to get me,” I sassed.

  Bowing close to my breasts, he kissed one of them softly. I tried to get free but he wouldn’t let up. Dipping again, he tongued a portion of my breast, bringing it between his lips. After sucking hard, just to the point of pain, he finally released it. He grinned, admiring his handiwork.

  “Do you get off on giving me hickeys?” I questioned, feigning annoyance.

  “I’m marking my woman. You’re mine,” he growled as he suckled another area of my breast. He continued doing this to both breasts until he was satisfied.

  Arching an eyebrow at him, I asked, “Are you done yet?”

  Shaking his head no, he scooted up to my neck.

  “Jackson, don’t do it there. Everyone at work will be able to see!” I shrieked, trying to free my wrists again. He laughed and sucked hard, most definitely leaving a hickey. But instead of doing anymore, he pulled away, releasing my wrists.

  He looked down into my eyes and we stared at each other. I could see that his guard was down, and he looked so young. It was like he had stripped himself down for me to see his soul. Whatever hid behind those walls was sad. My eyes misted over for a moment.

  His mouth found mine and he gently kissed me. He slid himself effortlessly into me and began slowly moving himself in and out. We continued kissing softly. My hands found their way to his back and I rubbed him gently as he continued having his way with me. Our kisses stayed sweet as did his thrusts. When the millionth orgasm of the day came over, I sighed happily into his mouth. He came shortly after into me.

  Jackson rested his head against my chest when we were done. “What was that, Andi?” he asked, confused.

  I laughed at him while rubbing my hands through his hair. “I think they call it making love,” I informed him.

&
nbsp; He tensed up and immediately shot off of me. Stalking into the bathroom, he slammed the door behind him.

  I couldn’t help but feel hurt by his actions. A tear escaped from my eye. After about twenty minutes of waiting for him to emerge from the bathroom, I finally gave up and pulled the covers over me. I fell asleep, trying to ignore the ache in my chest.

  The not-so-dark days…

  “I found photography, Dr. Sweeney,” I tell him proudly.

  “That’s great, Andi. I knew you would find something. Have you been able to channel your thoughts toward photography rather than thinking about Brayden?” he asks me.

  “Actually, yes. I haven’t thought about him much at all. I may be slightly obsessing over the photography, but it seems to be working,” I admit.

  “What about the dating?” he asks pointedly.

  I wring my hands in my lap, knowing I failed this exercise. “I don’t even know where to start. This seems really hard for me,” I say honestly.

  “I know, Andi. But listen, just go on a date next week. I want you to tell me how you handled it. You know I have complete faith in you. This is a critical step in moving forward with your life.”

  Sighing, I resign myself to the fact I’ll be going on a date this week. It’s just homework.

  When I woke up this morning, Jackson had already left. I felt completely sick to my stomach about the whole thing. We had made love and there was no denying it. He couldn’t handle that revelation for some reason, and I intended on pulling it out of him if we ever even had a chance at a real relationship.

  After I dressed in another sexy suit, this time wearing panties, I took time straightening my hair and dolling myself up. It seemed that he liked it when I was pretty for him, and I needed him to come back to me.