by JA Low
His other hand tucks himself back into his briefs before he grabs my hand and pulls me to stand, so I’m in front of him. “I’m one lucky bastard to be married to you,” he tells me.
Wow! That blow job must have been good if it’s making Anderson thank his lucky stars.
“Every single man downstairs wants you, and you could have easily taken any one of them home tonight.”
I raise a brow in his direction. “Why would I when I have you right here.” I place a hand on his hard chest.
“That’s because you have to.” He smirks, giving me a condescending eye roll.
“True.” My candor catches him off guard. “But…” my fingers dig into his tuxedo shirt, “… none of them compare to you.”
Ah, there’s that cocky grin again.
“It’s because I have a big dick, isn’t it?” he questions me with a chuckle. My hand slips down and cups his open tuxedo pants, my fingers wrapping themselves around his bulge.
“Of course. That’s the main reason.” Grinning at him, I hold his life in my hands. “You’re hot, too.”
“Want to get out of here and go home?” Anderson asks.
Looking down at my watch, it’s late. Everyone’s having a great time, and I am sure they won’t miss me in the slightest.
“Yeah, let’s go home.”
30
Anderson
We spent the night after Chloe’s birthday fucking each other all over my apartment. I think we have well and truly christened it, and it was so much fun.
We lazily stayed in all weekend.
Emma sent a text checking in with Chloe and apologizing over our bailing. Chloe said that she was otherwise occupied, and they would catch up later and talk about it. That’s code for girl talk.
We watch movies in between working and fucking.
It’s pretty much a perfect weekend.
Urgh, listen to me.
My ideal weekend used to be either heading to The Paradise Club or picking up some hot chick somewhere and having some fun.
Why does that guy seem a million lifetimes away now? I don’t think I would recognize him if I even saw him. I sound like a douche, and I chuckle to myself. Now I’m the happiest when Emma walks through the doors of the apartment, kicks off her heels, grumbles about her day as I hand her a glass of red wine. She then kisses me thoroughly and continues about some designer or model being a diva. We sit down at the dining table for dinner prepared by Mel, our chef, and talk. Of course, talking leads to fucking, and we end up in bed together, just like every other night. Then Emma falls asleep in my arms curled into my side, both of us thoroughly sated and exhausted.
For three months, we have fallen into this routine, and if I’m honest, I don’t want it to stop. You still have nine months to go. Usually, a thought like that would fill me with dread, or the claws of suffocation would begin to tightly bind around my neck, but I don’t feel any of that. I mean, I’ve stopped going to The Paradise Club, and I know Emma hasn’t been in a while because the alerts registered to my account have stopped.
Have Emma and I slowly slipped into monogamy and not realized it?
I wait for the panic to hit me—it doesn’t.
Hmm, okay. That’s a new feeling. Is that contentment? Fuck, no.
Cursing myself as I hit the button on the elevator for The Stone Group offices a little harder than I anticipated, I can’t even talk to the boys about it. Maybe we should tell our friends about what has happened between us. I know I could use their perspective on things. Who am I kidding? Logan will be a moody bastard, and Noah will be a chick and think it’s fantastic. Maybe I should talk to EJ instead. Yeah, most definitely EJ, he’s the closest to me in the type of relationships I have had. He’ll probably just tell me I’m an idiot for even thinking about monogamy when Emma lets me mess around with other chicks. Urgh, I never used to have women or relationship problems before getting married.
Stepping out of the elevator, I pass Lenna and Chloe, who look lost in their own worlds. As I round the corner, I can hear raised voices coming from Logan’s office. What on earth is going on? Not bothering to knock, I push open the door and find Logan and Noah physically fighting.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Watching the two of them go at it, I continue, “You do realize you’re at fucking work? So act fucking professional, will you!” Really fucking pissed at what I’m seeing before me, they let go of each other and straighten themselves up. “Now what the hell are you two ladies fighting about? Did Logan piss in your Wheaties?” Looking between the two of them, they both just glare back at me. “I can sit here all day, ladies. I have nowhere I need to be.” As I take a seat opposite them and cross my arms, I dare one of them to say otherwise.
“Chloe and I are together.” Noah’s the first to speak. Good for him, I’m happy that he and Chloe have finally gotten together. It’s been months of built-up frustration between the two of them.
Logan grumbles something under his breath about it.
“Well, no shock there.” I grin at Noah. “Why are you so angry?” Looking over at Logan, he seems as if he’s seething from their earlier fight.
“Because he isn’t seeing clearly. I’m trying to protect our business,” Logan tries to defend himself.
“You think Chloe’s after the business?” I don’t get gold digger vibes from Chloe. I mean, she left Super Bowl champion Walker Randoff at the altar. If she was a real gold digger, she would have forgiven him for knocking up her best friend and married him.
“No,” Logan answers. “But—”
I stop him, holding my finger up. “There’s no but. You’ve been on the whole Noah and Chloe ride all year. She’s a brilliant employee. She’s kept her distance from Noah for the sake of the business,” I remind him, even though the world can see they have the hots for each other.
“How do you know all this?” Noah questions me.
“Spousal privilege.” The word is out before I realize what I’ve said.
The boys look at each other, scratching their heads in confusion.
“Spousal… as in marriage?” Logan asks the burning question.
“Yeah, exactly that.” Shrugging my shoulders, I act as if it’s no big deal.
“Are you high?” Noah asks.
“I’m a professional unlike you two.” Narrowing my eyes at them. “I don’t bring that shit to work.”
“Who are you married to?” Logan presses.
“You’re not the only one with women problems. I’m not a pussy like you two. I keep it to myself. I don’t need to talk about my feelings with every single person who crosses my damn path.”
“Who the fuck did you marry, dickhead?” Noah loses his patience with me.
“Emma, of course.” Honestly, like who else would it be?
“What the fuck?” Logan and Noah raise their voices.
“How? When? I didn’t even know you two were seeing each other?” Noah peppers me with questions as fast as he can get them out.
“We weren’t,” I tell him.
“But how did you get married?” I can see Noah trying to work out how the hell I’m married to Emma when I wasn’t dating her.
“Lots of tequila and Vegas,” I tell them.
“As in months ago… EJ’s launch… our Vegas trip?” Logan asks in a disbelieving tone.
“You’ve kept it a secret from us?” Noah sounds a little hurt by my silence.
“What? You want to come over and braid each other’s hair while we gossip about our lives?”
“You’re a dick. Our best mate got married, and he never told us. We have a right to be pissed off,” Noah states.
He’s right. I’d be pissed if the roles were reversed.
“Honestly, I can’t believe I am,” I tell them the truth.
“She refusing to let go? Is she after your money?” Of course, Logan goes straight there. He can be the biggest asshole, sometimes.
“Not every woman is a gold digger, fucker.” My blood begins to
boil. I won’t have him think poorly of Emma like that. She doesn’t deserve it. “Emma doesn’t want any of my money. She won’t take the black credit card I gave her, the new car, the exotic vacation, the diamond… actually, she took nothing.” It’s the truth, over the months we have been together, Emma has said no too pretty much everything outside of my dick that I give her willingly.
“Then why are you still married?” Noah asks.
“My fucking sister told my parents.”
“I didn’t know she was in Vegas?” Logan questions.
“Yeah, she came late, she had some industry thing.” I let out a long sigh. “It’s actually her fault.”
Noah and Logan nod in agreement. They both know my sister and our pranks between one another. “Emma and Elise already knew each other.” Logan and Noah look at each other—I know, a small world. “Emma had no idea that Elise was my sister because she goes by Mom’s maiden name as her actor name.
They, of course, began partying together like old times. A couple of tequilas and Emma and I get flirty.” Shrugging my shoulders because, let’s be honest, it was a hell of a lot more than just flirting.
Then I explain to them precisely what happened with Elise’s prank. How she sent a photograph to Mom of Emma and me married while we were drunk. How Mom put her foot down and made me feel like shit for getting married and getting her hopes and dreams up.
You know, the biggest guilt trip of my life.
I then explained how my family wanted to help Emma’s business and explained how Mom convinced us to stay married for a year.
Now that I’m explaining it out loud, it sounds pretty farfetched.
“They want you to stay married to Emma?” Noah asks.
“So much so, they threatened to disinherit me and give it all to Elise if I divorce her.”
“But you have your own money?” Logan states.
“No shit, Logan. I can read my bank statement. I don’t care about their money. They also said they would give Emma twelve million dollars if she stays married to me for the year, but there must be no scandals.”
“Can’t you just give Emma the money? Twelve million is a drop in the ocean for you,” Logan states.
Again, no shit!
The room falls silent.
“You don’t want to, right?” Noah’s face lights up as a broad smile stretches across his face. “You like being married to Emma.” I knew Noah would understand.
“Of course, I do. She’s hot, intelligent, driven. She likes to have a good time. She’s wild in bed… like we’re talking freak in the sheets. I can’t keep up.”
“Never thought I’d see the day you went all monogamous on us.” Logan chuckles.
“We’re not monogamous. Oh, no. We’re allowed to sleep with other people.”
But we both don’t want to anymore, but I don’t tell them that.
Then I explain, in depth, about the loopholes I presented to Emma at the beginning of our relationship. How we both enjoyed our time with other people at The Paradise Club. I’m letting them believe that what’s happening between Emma and me isn’t anything more than a little bit of fun. I’m still trying to process where things changed between us and if I’m okay with that.
“You’re living together?” Logan asks.
“Yeah.” Shrugging my shoulders, I act as if it’s no big deal.
“She’s packed up her life and moved in with you?”
“Yep.”
“Separate beds?” Logan asks.
“No, we have to make it believable for my parents.”
“So, you’re sleeping together?” Noah questions.
“Like I said, she’s a cool chick. She understands the deal. If either of us has an itch to scratch, then we use each other.”
“Unless you’re at your secret club,” Logan adds, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Don’t use that tone with me. It works for us. I knew you two wouldn’t understand. You…” pointing at Noah, “… you’re seconds away from proposing to Chloe. And you…” I point to Logan, “… you’re fucked in the head when it comes to relationships. You’re going to die a lonely old man if you keep going the way you are.”
“Hey,” Logan reacts. “Least I’m not cowering to Mommy and Daddy.”
I stand abruptly. I don’t want to hear Logan’s pessimistic outlook on life. “Emma’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I will not have you disrespecting her or our relationship, you hear me?” I warn them both.
Logan glares back at Noah, and I have a shit-eating grin.
“Good. Now can we start the fucking meeting we should have had hours ago instead of kumbayaing like a pack of little girls.”
After the meeting, Noah and I leave Logan’s office and head into his. He closes the door and takes a seat behind his desk. I accept the seat in front of him because I can tell he’s about to grill me about Emma.
“So, you and Chloe, hey?” I wiggle my brows in his direction.
“Don’t try and change the subject with me.” He grins. “You and Emma, hey?”
“Yes. Emma and me. Just like you and Chloe,” I add.
“But Chloe and I aren’t married,” he tells me.
“Not yet, you’re not.” Raising a brow at him, I wait for him to prove me wrong.
“True.” He smiles. “I’ve never felt the way I do about someone like I do about Chloe.” I can hear it in his voice that he’s happy and in love.
Am I supposed to sound like that? But you’re not in love, Anderson. There’s a difference.
“She’s moving in with me.” Okay, that’s fast, I think. Hypocritical much there, Anderson.
“I’m happy for you both. There was something about the two of you from the moment you guys met on that island.” Noah grins happily.
“Same with you and Emma, too,” he adds.
“That was just sex.”
Noah raises a brow. “I know my brother can be a dick when it comes to women and relationships, but you know you can talk to me about it. Don’t you?”
This shit’s getting a little too much like a girl talk for me.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Noah. And I’m glad you and Chloe are together, but what’s happening between Emma and me isn’t the same.”
“You don’t have feelings for her?” he pushes.
My eyes flick up at him. His arms are crossed, and his fingers are tapping impatiently against his arms.
“I’m not in love with her.” But saying that out loud feels like a betrayal toward Emma, and I don’t know why.
“Maybe not yet, but there’s something there.” Noah grins.
Fucker.
“It’s nice coming home to someone. I’m used to the company now.” I lean back in my chair, getting comfortable.
“You like the company, huh?” I can see the wheels turning in Noah’s head.
“We have a deal. One year and then we divorce. Both of us are well aware of what our relationship is all about.”
“When was the last time you slept with someone else?”
Dammit! He’s calling me out.
“That doesn’t mean anything.” I raise my voice defensively. “I’ve been busy.”
Noah bursts out laughing at my poor excuse. I mean, even as I said it out loud, it sounded pathetic.
Getting up off my chair rather abruptly, I tell him, “I’ve got shit to do.” Turning my back on Noah, who I can hear laughing behind my back, I look over my shoulder and say, “Fuck you very much.”
I open his office door and slam it shut behind me.
31
Emma
“Your husband is here to see you, Miss Banks,” Hailey tells me when she pops her head into my office as I look up from my computer to where she’s standing in the doorway.
“Oh, okay. Send him in, please.”
Wondering what Anderson is doing popping in today, it’s not like he doesn’t pop in from time to time, but usually, he gives me a heads-up before he does. A couple of moments later, Ande
rson walks through my office door, then he closes and locks it behind him.
He has a rather strange look on his face.
“Get on the desk, Mrs. West,” he commands.
What on earth has gotten into him?
“Now.” His voice raises.
My eyes narrow, but I do as I’m told, moving around to the desk’s edge and sitting back against it.
“Lift up your dress.”
Thank goodness I decided on a cute summer dress this morning and not my jeans as I had planned. Lifting the hem of my dress and widening my legs a little for him, I show off my white lace G-string underneath.
Anderson stalks toward me like a predator that has their prey firmly in their sights, while a shiver slides down my spine. I watch in fascination as he falls to his knees before me, then he shakes off his suit jacket and throws it to the side.
His strong hands grab the sides of my thighs and open them to him. The next thing I know, he’s disappeared beneath my dress’s hem, and his nose is pressed against my panties.
Anderson takes in a deep breath as his fingers dig into my flesh before his nose moves the delicate fabric to the side. He doesn’t give me a chance to ready myself before his tongue is lapping at my folds. He greedily tastes me, hunger taking over as he devours me.
My hands let go of the material as his tongue finds my clit. I need the support against his hunger as my hands fall against my desk to steady me. Closing my eyes as I enjoy my afternoon delight, his tongue is relentless against me, and it doesn’t take me long to be pushed over the edge.
Wow. That was…
Moments later, he’s standing and unzipping himself as he holds his hard cock in his hand. Anderson steps forward and thrusts hard into me, both of us hissing at the force he uses. He wraps his strong arm around my back to steady me as he fucks me. His mouth whispers in my ear all the dirty things he’s going to do to me when I get home.
This is so frickin hot. He fucks me hard against my desk, pens and paperwork fall from the shaking and end up all over the floor.