by Paris Hansen
✽✽✽
Andi
“What are we doing in here, Braeden?”
“I just want to talk. I’ve been trying to get you to talk to me for weeks, but you’ve been too busy. Figured now was as good a time as any since you were standing at the bar by yourself.”
She hated the fact that she’d been left behind by her date. She hated even more that Braeden noticed she’d been abandoned. When Matthew had invited her to his company’s Christmas party, she’d been excited. To her, the gesture proved he was interested in moving forward even though she kept putting off moving forward physically.
When he picked her up, he’d been attentive and complimentary. Fifteen minutes into being at the party, he hadn’t introduced her to anyone. Thirty minutes into the party, she was standing alone at the bar enjoying a free glass of wine. Now nearly two hours into the party, Andi found herself in Braeden’s office not having laid eyes on her date in over an hour.
To say she was pissed was an understatement. Honestly, she wanted to leave and never look back. It pissed her off that Matthew was making her look like a fool. Braeden witnessing the entire thing was just shitty icing on her shitty cake.
“I told you that guy was a dickhead.”
“Really? That’s why you pulled me in here so you could say I told you so? I’m not in the mood for your bullshit tonight.”
Braeden let out a loud sigh as he ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. He massaged the back of his neck with one hand as he looked over at her, anger and regret burning bright in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t ask you up here to say I told you so. That was a bit of a dick move, but that guy drives me fucking crazy. Seeing you with him drives me fucking crazy. When I saw you guys at Arrow, I wanted to rip his arms off and beat him with them every single time he touched you. He makes me completely irrational. He is quite literally my mortal enemy.”
“I don’t know what to say to that Braeden. I had no idea you guys worked together or that you hated each other so much.”
“Would it have stopped you from dating him?”
It was Andi’s turn to sigh. “I don’t know. We haven’t been friends for a long time. Why would I give up an opportunity at happiness just because you hate the guy?”
“I’m supposed to be your chance at happiness. It’s supposed to finally be me and you, not you and that asshat.”
“What are you talking about?” Andi asked even though it was a stupid question.
Her palms started to sweat, her heart beating faster than usual. For years, she’d both hoped for and feared this moment. Her legs felt unsteady, her head swimming with everything she knew he was going to say. She leaned back against his desk, her butt resting on the solid oak that was now keeping her from landing on the floor.
“I told you six years ago this would happen someday. That we would finally get a chance to be together the way we should’ve been all these years. I told you one day we’d make this right between us and I fucking meant it. That’s why I’ve been trying to get a hold of you and why I asked you up here tonight. I was finally going to ask you to give us a chance.”
“Why now? Why not a year ago or two years ago?” She couldn’t stop herself from asking the question even though she knew she should be discouraging the conversation not opening the door to it.
Andi knew she shouldn’t be alone with Braeden; shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of them being together. It was all sorts of wrong, but Andi couldn’t have walked away if she tried. Braeden was her first love, and if she was honest with herself, she still loved him. They just had incredibly shitty timing.
“I needed to make sure all was right with your brother and Erin first. I knew they were always going to be your priority. I also knew I needed to clear the air with Declan before we could be together. I talked to him the day after Oliver and Meghan’s party. I told him I’ve been in love with you for more than half my life and I was finally going to do something about it.”
“Seriously? Did he hit you? Wait...did you tell him we were together back in high school?”
“I told him everything, Andi. Well maybe not everything, but enough for him to know that I’m serious. And no...he didn’t hit me, but I’m certain he sure as hell wanted to; mostly for defiling you when we were in high school.”
“Shit, shit, shit…” Andi muttered as she fought the urge to start pacing around the room.
“You’ve seen your brother in the last month. If he didn’t say anything to you yet, he’s not going to, so stop worrying.”
“Are you sure?” Andi asked.
She was suddenly aware of the fact that Braeden had taken a few steps closer to her while he was speaking. Her panic over her brother learning she’d kept something monumental from him the only reason she hadn’t noticed his movements sooner.
He continued to walk toward her until she was pinned between him and the desk. It had been years since they’d been so close and everything about it felt right even though it was wrong. Andi hated herself for wanting to reach out and pull Braeden closer. She was dating someone else. She shouldn’t want to run her hands up Braeden’s chiseled chest or brush her lips against ones that she knew fit perfectly against hers.
“I’m sure. You have nothing to worry about. We’ve got his blessing. Now we need to get on the same page,” Braeden said, his voice husky with desire, his body incredibly close to hers.
Leaning back on her hands, she tried to put some space between them, but he leaned in to bridge the gap. She met his gaze, saw the fire burning there and knew without a doubt that it was reflected in her own eyes. Andi wanted Braeden to touch her more than she’d wanted anything else in a very long time.
Braeden didn’t make her wait long to get what she wanted. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her so she was sitting on his desk. With a hand on each knee, he pushed her legs apart, then stepped between them until his body was flush against her core. The heat of his growing erection burned through his suit pants and her flimsy dress. Desire pooled between her legs as he pushed against her. The friction against her sensitive clit had her letting out an embarrassingly loud moan.
“Guess I’m gonna have to keep that mouth of yours busy so you don’t give us away,” Braeden said a smirk gracing his beautiful lips.
Before she could respond Braeden’s mouth was on hers, and her world was suddenly shifting on its axis. They kissed as if no time had passed since the last time they found themselves in this position. They kissed like they were starved for each other.
They kissed like this was the last time it would ever happen.
With every brush of their lips or sweep of their tongues, Andi felt herself falling deeper under Braeden’s spell. Everything about them fit. The hurt they caused each other didn’t matter. Not when two people were meant to be together the way she was meant to be with Braeden.
Her tongue tangled with his as she ran her hands over his abdomen and around his back. The ridges of his abs were evident even through his clothes which made Andi wish they weren’t doing this in his office, but instead in his bedroom. She wanted the opportunity to explore the new-to-her version of Braeden’s body. The version that was all man and none of the boy she’d last seen naked. She let out another moan at the thought of seeing Braeden naked. This time the sound of her excitement was swallowed up by Braden who had yet to come up for air.
Loving the way he felt against her, Andi grabbed onto his ass, pulling him against her roughly. It had been far too long since she’d last been so turned on. She needed a release, and he was going to give it to her. She didn’t care if her first orgasm in months came from dry humping her ex-boyfriend. Not when it felt so damn good.
Andi writhed against him causing them both to moan. She couldn’t get close enough to him. If the way he grabbed at her was any indication, he couldn’t get close enough to her either. Her brain seemed to short out as Braeden’s hand moved north from her knee. As it skated under the hem of her skirt, she thrust her hips u
p, impatience flowing through her veins. When he started to trace a finger along the edge of her panties, she nearly lept out of her clothes and laid herself out on his desk for the taking.
Their breathing became labored as they became more frantic until finally, Braeden broke away so they could catch their breath. He dropped his head to her shoulder, as his hand continued to move toward its goal. Now that she was no longer lost in his kiss, the fog of desire started to clear. What they were doing was wrong. She wasn’t a cheater, and Braeden didn’t deserve to be the other man. Not to mention poor Matthew, even if he was starting to look more and more like a jerk.
Pushing against his chest, Andi tried to shake free from the haze of lust that had overtaken her the minute Braeden’s body came in contact with hers. It had always been like that for them. Even before they were intimate, whenever they were together, no one else seemed to exist. But someone else did exist, and he didn’t deserve their callous behavior. It didn’t matter how badly she wanted Braeden, Andi knew she had to deal with Matthew first.
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Why not? I love you, Andi. What more do we need?”
“Damn it, Braeden. You can’t just spring this on me then expect it means we’re together. I’m seeing someone else. He doesn’t deserve this. Hell, we don’t deserve this. A quick fuck in your office, where I’m cheating on the person I’m with, cheapens what you’re trying to accomplish here. Why would you want that?”
“I don’t give a fuck about Price. To hell with that guy and his feelings. All I want is you. He doesn’t deserve your consideration. I do.”
Anger coursed through her. Why couldn’t he see what they were doing was wrong? It didn’t matter if he hated Matthew or if he was his best friend, it wasn’t fair to any of them for her and Braeden to start something while she was still technically dating someone else. Hell, she was technically on a date with the man at the very moment she was rubbing wantonly against another man. Who did that?
“I can’t do this with you until I end things with Matthew. If you can’t wait for that to happen, then maybe we aren’t meant to be.”
“I’ll wait. Go ahead and go back to the party and tell him it’s over.”
“Come on, Braeden. I’m not a bitch. I’m not going to dump the man in front of his co-workers and his boss. How could you even ask me to do that? I know you hate him, but do you think that little of me too?”
Braeden took a step back, running a hand through his hair as he started to pace. “I’m just tired of waiting, Andi. I want you to be mine like you were always meant to be.”
“I want that too. More than anything I want to be with you, but I have to do this the right way. When he drops me off after the party, I will let him know it’s over. I won’t do it any sooner than that and I sure and the hell won’t be doing it here. Take it or leave it; it’s your only option.”
“Of course I’m going to take it. I’ll do whatever it takes to have you by my side, Andi. But I’m not gonna stick around and wait for it to happen. I can’t stand by and watch him parade you around this party like you’re his.”
“Not that he was doing much parading before you pulled me up here.”
“That’s not the point,” he growled. “I’m gonna head out. Call me the minute you get home, and I’ll come over.”
“Fine. I’ll wait here for a bit, then head back to the party. I’m sorry this isn’t going quite the way you want, but it’s a start. That’s what matters right?”
Braeden smiled over at her but didn’t make a move to come any closer. It was probably for the best given what they’d almost done. He nodded once, then turned toward the door. She couldn’t miss the hint of sadness in his eyes before he’d turned. He was worried she’d change her mind or that something might happen to keep them apart again and she couldn’t blame him. But she was going to do everything she could to make sure that didn’t happen.
As he walked out of the room, her heart clenched. They weren’t even officially together, and already the intensity of her feelings for Braeden was taking over. It had always been like that. From the moment she realized she loved him, she felt like she couldn’t breathe without him. He was meant for her, which meant he could break her if given the chance and here she was about to give him that chance...again. It was like she was a glutton for punishment, but there was no other choice. Matthew was great, but he didn’t make her heart sing the way Braeden did.
Matthew was good looking, sweet, and successful. Up until that night, he’d treated her well. He was attentive and patient. He understood that she wasn’t ready to take things to the next level, but was more than happy to ease her into things. Although he could get distracted by his work, which was obviously the case since they’d gotten to the party, he seemed like a great guy. He was the kind of guy she should fall in love with, easy and free from baggage. He was the kind of guy that any woman would be lucky to have. The type of guy that wouldn’t hurt her, couldn’t hurt her because he’d never reach her the way Braeden did.
Matthew was the safe bet.
Yet, every time she was with him, she felt like she was cheating on someone else. No matter how hard she tried. No matter how badly she wanted to. Her heart wasn’t hers to give. It hadn’t been since she was thirteen years old.
Andi tried to lie to herself for years, but she’d never stopped loving Braeden. She’d never stopped wanting him to be the one. Now that she had a shot at that very dream, she was scared shitless. He had too much power over her. He could crush her with one word, one deed. She wasn’t sure she had it in her to try, but she was going to, even if it ended up killing her in the end.
Matthew was the safe bet because he couldn’t hurt her. He would never have all of her no matter how far she took their relationship. She could fake it if she tried hard enough. Part of her desperately wanted to, but the rest of her knew it wasn’t fair to him. He deserved so much better than a half-assed relationship with someone who was using him to keep her heart safe.
She knew she needed to come clean with him. He’d been patient with her while she slowly waded back into dating. Most guys would have been irritated that she hadn’t let him take their relationship further. They hadn’t done more than kiss goodnight twice over half a dozen dates. That was well past the three date rule her friends had told her about. But instead of pushing her, Matthew told her he was willing to wait as long as she needed him to.
And here she was dry humping her ex-boyfriend a few doors down from her current boyfriend's office. She must have lost her mind thinking it was okay to go to Braeden’s office with him so they could talk. Nothing good ever came from them talking. Okay, well maybe something good came of it, but it usually ended in trouble.
As she walked back toward the elevator, Andi was surprised to hear voices coming from Matthew’s office. Shame coursed through her as she remembered what she’d done and thought about the possibility that Matthew could have seen her. She walked toward his open door but stopped when she heard her name.
“Things are going great with Andi. She doesn’t suspect a thing,” Matthew said, the words piquing her interest. “She’s a bit of a prude, but I’ll wear her down soon enough. I’m just not sure she’s worth wasting my time.”
“I promise you. Clarke is obsessed with her. Seeing you with her is going to throw him off his game. If you want that shot at partner, you’re going to keep seeing her. Having her on your arm will kill two birds with one stone. Clients like it when our partners give off the family vibe, but more importantly, you’ll be sticking it to Clarke.”
Andi’s blood boiled as what she was hearing registered in her brain. The guy she thought was a safe bet was actually a lying asshole who was using her to hurt Braeden. How the hell did that even happen? How did he even know who she was?
She wanted to walk away, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to wait and see what else Matthew and whoever he was talking to was going to say so she could tell Braeden. He deserved to know what was g
oing on.
“I like the sticking it to Clarke part, but I still don’t understand why having a significant other is important to the clients. Why the hell do they care who we fuck?”
“They don’t care who we fuck. They just care that their wives think we’re a family-oriented firm. For some reason, if we’re good boys, they assume their husbands are good boys. The fact that we’re, their husbands included, spending our free-time fucking anything that moves, completely goes over their heads.”
“Women can be so fucking stupid. I mean case in point, Andi thinks I’m being understanding giving her time. In reality, I’m fucking your secretary and a couple of the other girls, not sitting around waiting for her to be ready.”
Andi clenched her fists at her sides. She was pissed. Hell, she was beyond pissed. She wanted to march into his office and punch Matthew Price in his pretty face. Instead, she stayed glued where she was while she continued to listen to the vile bullshit being spewed by Matthew and whoever he was talking to.
“That they can. Now look, don’t fuck this up. We’re only adding one senior partner next year. It’s between you and Clarke. Of course, I’d rather have my guy win the damn race, but it’s not only up to me. There’s five of us that get to vote. You know Archer will be voting for Clarke, so you’ve got to get the other three on your side. Archer’s gotten soft, and he’s been dragging the others down with him. If we don’t win that seat, I don’t know what will happen to this firm, but I can guarantee you the things you’ve been enjoying on a regular basis will dry up real quick.”
Well shit. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the other person in the office was. Alexander Quinn, the other managing partner of Archer, Quinn, and Associates. If Richard Archer was an asshole of epic proportions, Alexander Quinn was the king of all assholes. She’d only met him twice over the years, but it wasn’t hard to figure out that he was a misogynistic, egotistical, piece of shit. And now it turned out that he was the mentor of the boyfriend she’d felt bad about leading on.