Chapter One
Sadie
“Are you holding out on me?” Amanda meets my gaze through the reflection in the mirror. She’s standing in the open doorway of my bedroom, her dark brows more severe than usual.
“What do you mean?” I ask as I add another coat of mascara.
“You’re taking a lot of care in the makeup department.” She shrugs. “I guess I find it strange you’d go to so much trouble for a guy who cheated on you.” Leaning against the doorjamb, she crosses her arms. “Unless you’ve got a hot date to this thing at your parents’ house you’re not telling me about.”
I hide my nervousness behind a small laugh. “I’ve got a real hot date,” I say, infusing sarcasm into my tone. “I roped Ash into going with me. I thought he could help fend off Jake.” Now, when Ashton shows up at the apartment I share with his sister, I have a valid reason for him picking me up.
Just play it cool, Sadie. She doesn’t need to know just how hot of a date Ash really is.
Her shoulders sag. “Oh. You had me excited there for a second. I thought you were up to something interesting.”
“Nope. Just a boring work-related dinner.”
And the promise of Ashton’s “punishment” hanging over my head, because no way am I going to do what he wants me to do. Standing up to my dad is an inevitability—he’s right about that—but tonight isn’t the time, and a work function isn’t the place.
I’m not the sort of girl who makes waves, especially at work events.
Especially at my parents’ house.
As I twist my hair into a neat up-do, Mandy saunters into the room. “You should wear it down. You’ve got gorgeous hair. I’d kill for it.”
I wrinkle my nose. “It’s a wild mess.”
“I should know better than to argue with you about your hair by now.” She flings my closet open and begins rifling through my clothing. “By the way, Shane, Brett, and I are going out next weekend. Shane would love for you to come along.”
“Who?” I ask, distracted by the curls escaping around my face. After a few seconds of trying to get them to behave, I decide to leave them be.
“Shane…Brett’s brother?” she says, her tone implying I should know who she’s talking about. “The guy has it bad for you. I think he has a thing for redheads.” She winks at me.
Right. The guy from the club she’s trying to strong-arm me into dating.
“I don’t know, Mandy.”
“Why not? We’ll call it a double. We haven’t done that in forever.” She pauses, brows scrunching in thought. “And I don’t think we’ve ever gone out with a pair of hot-as-fuck brothers. It’s just one date, Sadie. You’ve gotta come with next weekend…unless you have plans?”
Knowing Ashton, he’ll keep me plenty busy. A memory flashes through my mind of how his cock filled my mouth as he gazed down at me, biceps bulging as he propped himself up in the shower. God, thinking about the way he took control and came down my throat makes me wet between the legs. I can’t imagine going out with anyone right now—not while feeling this way about a guy I have no business having feelings for in the first place.
And maybe that’s why I need to do it.
“It’ll be fun,” she adds, sliding one…two…three hangers to the right. “And like I said. Brett’s brother is loaded.”
“I don’t care about money, Mandy. You should know me better than that. Last thing I need is some bossy rich guy telling me what to do.” I already have enough people dictating my life.
“He’s not like that. Shane is very down to earth. I think you guys would hit it off. One date, Sadie. Say yes.”
“All right.” I pause, swallowing hard. “But keep this between us, okay?”
I’m not sure how Ash would react if he learned I was going out on a date, and I’m not ready to find out. I rise from the stool in front of my makeshift vanity—an oak desk with a mirror hanging on the wall above it—and watch Amanda raid my closet. “What are you doing in there?”
She casts an assessing look my way. “Finding a dress for you.”
“I am wearing a dress.” I tilt my head down to inspect the dark green number I’d chosen, with its wide spaghetti straps and sweetheart neckline. My father insisted I use his credit card to buy something “appropriate.” So I spent a fortune on it to spite his demand that I attend this dinner. It’s stylish, simple with a hint of sexy, but most of all, it’s safe.
“Just because my brother is taking you to this thing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look good. If you’re going to paint on a killer face, you should dress to kill too. Hit Jake where it’ll hurt the most.” She fingers a plum-colored dress that drapes open in the back. It’s slinky yet classy and barely reaches mid-thigh. “I think this will do the trick.”
It’s most definitely not safe.
Dad will have a fit if I show up in that. But more importantly, one glance at me in that dress, and Ash will lose his fucking mind.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“I can’t wear that,” I finally say, my voice thick with indecision. It was a Christmas gift from Mandy last year, but I haven’t had the guts to wear it yet.
“Oh, yes you can. You can’t let such a sexy dress go to waste.” Decision made, she slides it from the hanger and stalks toward me. “C’mon, let’s see it on you.”
I gulp. My undergarments will be a dead giveaway that I’m out to impress. Mandy and I have never been shy about dressing around each other, so I pull the zipper down and let the material slide to a puddle around my feet.
Mandy whistles. “Are you sure you’re not going on a hot date?”
My cheeks must be as bright as my hair. “Too much?”
I know it’s too much for a work gathering, but I can’t tell her I put on the black balconette bra and matching thong with her brother in mind. I feel my nipples harden in the see-through lace cups.
“Too much? No way, but you’ll have to lose the bra if you’re gonna wear this.” She shoves the dress into my hands. Apparently, I don’t have a choice. With a sigh, I drape the garment over the stool before removing my bra. As I shimmy into the dress, Mandy searches my closet for a pair of shoes.
“Wear these.” She tosses a pair of black stilettos onto my bed. My feet aren’t looking forward to those shoes for the next few hours, but it’s a quarter to six, so I put them on anyway. I reach for my black clutch when someone rings the doorbell.
And that’s when my heart starts pounding with equal amounts of apprehension and excitement.
Apprehension, because I told Jake I wasn’t going with him, but I’m worried he’ll show up anyway. And excitement…because it could be Ashton on our front step. Mandy beats me to the door, and when she pulls it open, my heart skips a thousand beats.
Ashton is standing outside, wearing dark slacks and a gray button-up that makes his ice blue eyes pop. He left the shirt untucked, and the cuffs rolled-up, displaying his rebellious side. His gaze warms my body from head to toe, but with Mandy as our audience, he wipes his appreciation from his face after a couple of seconds.
“We better get going,” he says, holding a hand out to me. “Unless you want to stick around and find out if the douchebag is gonna show?”
“No,” I say, sliding my hand into his. A tingle travels up my arm. “Let’s not and say we did.”
“Works for me.”
“You have her back by ten now,” Mandy teases.
Ashton reaches out and ruffles her sleek dark hair. “Yes, Mom.”
She waves us off, shouting after our retreating forms for us to drive safely.
Ash leads me to his car, his warm hand leaving a tantalizing impression on the small of my back, and as soon as Amanda disappears into the apartment, he pushes me against the passenger side door.
“You’re asking for trouble in that dress.” Cupping my chin in his hand, he steps closer until I’m trapped between his hard body and the car.
“It was Mandy’s idea.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Sawyer. I like it.” His gaze lowers to the plunge of my neckline, and his eyes darken. “But you’ve been forewarned.”
Desire clogs my throat, so I don’t even try to speak. Slowly, he lets go of me, and I step out of the way so he can open the door. Ashton might have a reputation as a manwhore, but he’s a gentleman when it comes to opening doors for women.
Always has been.
“Thank you,” I murmur as I lower into the seat.
Seconds later, he slides in behind the wheel. “Really, Sadie. You’re gorgeous. I could eat you up tonight.”
I’m tempted to let him, which is just stupid.
“You look pretty good yourself.”
What a fucking understatement. As he pulls onto the road, I openly ogle him, from the sexy mussed-up state of his dark hair to the way his clothes hug his body. I can’t help but flirt with the idea of leaning over the console and tearing at his zipper. I’m getting addicted to the sounds he makes in the back of his throat as he’s shoving his cock down mine.
I love the power of knowing I can make him come undone. It’s the most exhilarating feeling in the world.
“In the mood for more practice, Sawyer?” He darts a glance my way, and I don’t miss the teasing curve of his mouth. The nighttime cloaks us in shadow, but it does nothing to dampen the sexual tension flowing between us.
If anything, the darkness only heightens it.
We’re ten minutes from my parents’ house when Ashton pulls onto the side of the highway. He cuts the engine, and the rain tapping out a melody on the windshield seems to match the pulse at my throat.
The throb between my thighs.
The internal alarms going off in my ears.
“What are we doing?” My voice is a breathless whisper, strangled by the urge to be close to him.
Instead of answering, he leans over the console. My eyes adjust to the lack of light, and his blue orbs come into focus. Time suspends as he pulls my hair free of the careful up-do I decided on for the night. Holding my gaze, he settles a palm on my thigh.
And I forget all about my wild, hard-to-tame hair, or the fact that we’re parked on the side of the highway.
“Spread your legs. I need to touch you.”
Jesus. He almost made me come from words alone. I part my thighs, allowing him to wedge a hand underneath my dress. He dips his fingers beneath the scrap of panties providing the only barrier to his touch and slides his digits inside me. His mouth lingers inches away, lips slightly parted as he probes my pussy. Our breaths grow heavier with each second that passes.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful.”
A whimper cuts loose of my throat. Unashamed, I spread my thighs and arch into his touch, wanting…no needing to feel him deeper. Needing to be full of nothing but Ashton.
“You’re making me rock hard, Sawyer.”
I move my hips in a subtle, undulating motion and bite back a moan as he thrusts his fingers in and out of me. His gaze lowers to my mouth, and I lick my lips.
“You want my cock in your mouth, don’t you?”
“Uh-huh…” I can’t verbalize more than that, which is probably a good thing because I want so much more.
I want things I shouldn’t want.
God, I want his cock inside me.
“I love watching you like this,” he says, burying his fingers clear to his knuckles. His touch is driving me higher, and I’m a few caresses away from coming.
“So close,” he says, a note of awe in his voice. He slows his pace to a maddening crawl, and I feel his fingers slip in and out of me in measured, wet strokes. He’s making a mess of my panties.
“My cock wants in here…” He cuts off with a hard swallow. “You’re so wet, Sadie. So tight. I want to fuck you more than I’ve ever wanted to fuck anyone.”
“Ashton—”
“Don’t bother arguing your reasons. Trust me, I’m well aware of them.” He withdraws his fingers, and my traitorous mouth lets my protest be known.
“Take off your panties,” he orders as he settles into the driver’s seat again.
I reach under my dress and pull at my thong. Refusing him doesn’t even cross my mind. In the darkness, I sense the weight of his stare as I work my panties down my thighs, past my trembling knees, and free of my stilettoed feet. I hand him the scrap of lace with jittery fingers.
And I stare at him in stunned silence as he brings the undergarment to his nose and inhales. Without another word, he shoves my panties into his pocket then turns the key in the ignition.
What the fuck just happened?
Is he seriously going to walk into my parents’ house carrying my panties in his pocket?
Jesus. That’s exactly what he’s going to do.
Fuck, I’m in trouble.