FOURTEEN

EMBYR

I feel saddened as I leave Casen’s house this morning. We’ve spent close to every day together this week and now I am leaving for three days to New York for the Event’s Conference. The past five days have been emotional, to say the least. Casen and I are working on getting over all the bullshit we’ve gone through, and even though sometimes I feel as though he may not have forgiven me completely just yet, I know we are making progress. We’ve spent every evening eating dinner together when he isn’t at the station and every night in bed. It’s been a whirlwind considering that just two weeks ago I was pretty sure I would never get to be near him again. I’m so thankful that he was willing to start over.

As I walk into work to meet Derrick before we take a town car to the airport, I smile thinking about Casen and my conversation the other night. He still thinks about marriage and kids with me. I was honest when I told him I never thought about having them until he mentioned it. Maybe I didn’t think I was worthy. That seems dark, but it’s how my mind functioned for the past ten years. Now that we’re together, and I’ve made the necessary changes to better my life, I feel strongly enough that I can have that happily ever after. I crave it now more than I ever have before. It’s a crazy thing to transition from an angry, jaded girl to a mature, future driven woman. It has been a long time since I’ve felt happy.

“Embyr.” Derrick greets, walking into my office while I set up my away message for email. “You ready for a weekend, just the two of us.”

I pause, mid-type, on my email. “I’m excited to visit New York and learn a few new things on how to make our events better.”

“Hmm.” He ponders it for a moment before tapping my doorframe twice with his fist. “Well, the car will be here in fifteen minutes. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

He leaves me to finish up. I set up my voicemail and then punch Casen’s number in.

It rings twice before he answers. “Hey, sexy.”

My teeth secure my lip as I try not to smile. “Hey.”

I hear the city streets in the background. “Getting ready to leave?”

“Yeah, I just came into the office to do a few things before I head out to the airport with Derrick.”

I can hear the sigh Casen emits. I know he isn’t excited that it’s just my boss and me, and I haven’t brought it up all week. “I wish it wasn’t just the two of you.”

The receptionist is at my door. “Town car is here.”

I look at my watch, noticing it’s early, and I nod to her.

“I know, Casen. I’m not either but it’s for my job and you have nothing to worry about.” I collect my purse and shut off my computer but need to hang up since we’re on my office phone. “I forwarded all my travel information to your email if you need it, and I’ll call you once I land.”

“Okay. I’ll just go home and be miserable on my weekend off without you.” He tries to gain sympathy.

“Okay, think of me.” I smile. “In the shower.”

“Embyr.” He warns. “I’m walking home from the station, not the time to get me riled up. I didn’t even get to see you last night to get one more fuck before you left.”

“On my knees.” I continue. “Unzipping your pants.”

“Fuck.” He groans, and I envision him sliding his hand down his face. “I’m going to come to your work and bend you over your desk.”

“Can’t!” I laugh. “I gotta go.”

“Tease!”

I giggle harder. “You love it!”

Two and a half hours, an upgrade to first class, and six inappropriate texts from Casen later, I am in my seat ready to take off for New York. I’m glad this is a direct flight but flying first class isn’t a bad gig.

“I thought the company only allowed business class for flight travel.” I question as we begin to taxi on the runway. Derrick is in the aisle seat, allowing me the window, which I prefer. I love to watch the world beneath me float away.

“I splurged on the upgrade for us.” He takes the last few inches between our hands and obliterates them by intertwining our fingers.

Jolted, I pull back from him, pretending that didn’t just happen and look out the window. “Thank you.” I half-heartedly thank him.

That one small move has turned the entire atmosphere of the trip. It went from a nice weekend, learning new ideas for my career to the possibility of having to fend off my boss – again. He is nowhere near the kind of dirtbag Patrick was, but I still feel very tense. So much so that my fists have white knuckles and because this is a work trip I can’t ask the flight attendant for a drink. If it comes down to it, I’m going to have to shut down Derrick. I thought our talk after Trin’s party would have done the trick. I guess not.

God Casen would lose his shit if I told him.

No, he will lose his shit because I’m not hiding anything from him anymore. I’ll have to tell him once I get back.

The rest of the flight goes without another incident. I hope that Derrick got the hint. I hadn’t spoken more than a few words to him since takeoff and now we are collecting our luggage at the carousel. He grabs my bags, along with his, and leads us outside to the waiting line of cabs. He gives our cabbie the address to the hotel and slinks back into his seat.

“When is the first panel again?” I ask, trying to relieve some of the tension that is clouding the air. If I have to spend all weekend with him, I prefer not to do it without speaking.

A quick glance at his watch and he answers, “The panels start tomorrow, tonight is the meet and greet dinner.”

I nod, but he can’t see it. He is looking out the other window. I take the time to turn on my cell phone and message Casen.

Me: I’m here.

Casen: Thank you for letting me know. I miss you already.

Me: I miss you too.

Casen: and your fucking hot body.

I blush, glancing over to see Derrick still not looking my way, before deciding to join in.

Me: I miss riding your face, Casen. I want to smother you with my pussy.

Casen: That’s enough.

Me: Can dish it out but can’t take it. You know what I can take? Your whole cock in my mouth.

Casen: I’m warning you, Embyr. I’m going to spank your ass.

Me: Don’t tease me. Just imagining your red handprint on my ass has me soaking wet.

Casen: You can type it all you want but tonight we’ve got a phone sex date.

My body tingles with excitement. I’ve never had phone sex but I know that just hearing Casen’s voice may just take me over the edge. My sexual appetite has been at its peak since I started dating him. Besides the time we were apart, I don’t think Casen and I have gone for more than a day without some sort of release. Even when I’m out of commission, on my monthly visitor, I still crave giving him a release.

The hotel is beautiful. From the street, it looks like it was built in the early nineteen hundreds but inside it’s all been updated and modern. The marble floor leads to a granite check-in desk, dark wood surrounds the lobby. Red drapes fall from the tops of the two story ceiling. I don’t think I’d ever be able to afford one night in the place let alone three.

“Checking in,” Derrick tells the petite brunette woman at the counter. “Quinn and Masters.”

She types a few keys before looking closely at the screen. She hands us the keys. “Thank you, Mr. Masters. Here are your room keys. You’re in room 654 and Ms. Quinn is in 656. Adjoining rooms, like you requested.”

I stand there stunned as Derrick’s face turns a dark shade of red. He says nothing as we enter the elevators, and he hits the sixth floor button.

Deciding to get it over with I ask, “Why did you ask for adjoining rooms?”

He looks dejectedly at me. “It’ll just be easier to open the door that goes between both rooms than to go through my door than yours.”

“But why would we need to do that?”

“Embyr, we’re at a conference. There is a lot to be learned. We will have much to talk about.” His blond hair falls onto his face, and he brushes it over with his fingers.

I nod but still feel uneasy.

We agree to meet at five o’clock. I enter my room, immediately going to the door that connects to his. I secure the lock and make sure there are no peepholes to look through.

The room is a decent size and matches the lobby almost exactly. Dark wood panels line the wall and red drapes are hung over the windows. A queen size bed lies between two nightstands and a small couch, desk, and chair is on the far side of the room. I walk into the bathroom and gasp. The tub is huge with a separate shower and toilet behind its own door. I can’t imagine the cost of this hotel but this is where the conference is and so this is where they’d like us to stay.

Smiling I strip out of my clothes and start to draw up a bath, knowing I have three hours to get myself ready for tonight.

The meet and greet was phenomenal and the open bar helped my nerves very much. I am usually good at meeting new people but Derrick has been glued to my side, touching me any chance he can, and it made for a long night of thwarting his advances. He and I are going to have a talk. The doors to the elevator open to our floor and we walk along the soft, dark red carpet down to the end of the long hallway. When we reach our doors I turn to him.

“Derrick, I need to say something.”

He steps closer, my senses going on high alert. “Don’t.” He commands, just before he grabs my neck and crashes our lips together. I fight. I push, but he continues. He sneaks his tongue into my unwilling mouth, and I can taste the bourbon he had been drinking all night. I make one more attempt to push him off. This time he gets the point.

His chest heaves up and down as if he’s run a marathon and my foot is itching to kick him straight in his balls. I wipe my mouth. “What the fuck, Derrick?”

His eyes widen. I’ve never uttered a curse word in his presence but he fucking deserves it. His head shakes side to side as though he can’t believe he just did that. “I’m so sorry.” He apologizes, pulling his card out and disappearing into his room.

Slowly, I enter mine and rid myself of my dress, putting on a tank top and shorts. I think about what just happened as I wash my face and brush my teeth. I would understand him maybe getting the wrong idea but I clearly was pushing him away. Now I have to spend the next forty-eight hours with him.

I crawl into bed at ten thirty, my phone lighting up with a message from Casen asking if I’m back at the room yet. Instead of responding, I hit the call button.

“Hey,” he answers seductively and I start to tingle.

“Hi.”

“Are you back?”

I scoot lower into my bed, torn at how I’m supposed to tell him what happened tonight. This isn’t something I can keep to myself until Monday. “I am. Listen, Casen…”

He interrupts. “Are you naked?” His voice is lower, intimidating.

My nipples harden and my hands come up to brush over them. “I’m not but I can be.”

“Take off whatever you have on, Embyr, and get on top of the covers. I want to imagine you completely bare.”

I comply, sliding out of the bed and out of my clothes. There is a chill in the room but I do as he asks and lie on top of the comforter. It’s dark and the windows are closed, so no one will see, but I know I’ll have to be quiet, Derrick is in the other room.

“Okay,” I tell him. “I’m ready.”

“Are you wet?” he asks. “Reach down and tell me.”

My fingers snake down my body, dipping into my pussy. It’s slick. “Yes.” I breathe out a moan.

“I’m fucking rock hard, Em. I want to bury my cock so fucking deep inside you. I can’t stand it. Stick two fingers inside yourself.”

I don’t verbally respond but add my middle finger to my pointer, making sure my thumb grazes my clit. His voice, the cold – it ignites me. I moan louder.

“Work it in, baby. Fast. I want to hear you come on your fingers. Talk to me. Tell me what you’re doing.”

“Oh God,” I whisper. “I’m finger fucking myself, Casen. I’m so damn wet just from your voice. Are you jerking yourself off?”

“No. Not yet. I want to hear you come first.” His breathing is heavy and quiet. “Finger fuck your pussy faster, Embyr.”

I do, feeling my slickness coat each digit thoroughly. “I’m going to come.” I feel a tingling start in my toes. They curl, and it radiates up into my spine.

“Circle your clit, baby. Think about riding my face.”

I do, and the vision shoots me over the edge. I don’t give a shit who is next door. I cry out, my knees falling to the side as I ride out the aftershocks of my orgasm.

“That’s my girl.” He purrs. “So fucking loud.”

I can feel my face burn with embarrassment. I can only imagine how much of that Derrick heard and my heart jumps as someone knocks on the door.

“Shit!” I whisper harshly. “Someone’s at the door.”

“Open it.”

“No! I’m naked, Casen, and embarrassed.” I groan.

Three more knocks. “Open it, Embyr.” Casen commands. “I want to see you. Don’t put anything on. Just open it.”

I freeze, paralyzed with the thought Casen might be here and hoping like hell I’m not getting my hopes up. I keep the phone at my ear and tiptoe to the door. Taking a peek through the peephole I find it’s blocked. “Is that you? Are you here?”

“I want you to open the door. Open it fucking wide, Embyr, and you better be naked. Your hands better be soaked with your orgasm because I want to lick it off them. Open. The. Fucking. Door.”

My throat constricts as I unlatch the security bar and slide the door handle down. I take a deep breath and throw the door all the way open, placing my trust in Casen and hoping like hell it’s him on the other side.

It is.

“What are you doing here?”

He eyes my naked form up and down. “I wanted to be here with you so that during your off time you’d have someone to do.” He winks.

All six feet of him takes over the doorway as he pushes me in, turning on the soft light of the entryway, and moves me to the bed. He drops his stuff onto the floor and grabs my right hand. He places it in his mouth, licking between each finger. “Fuck, Embyr. Lay down. I want to lick the rest of this up from between your legs.”

He shoves my shoulders, essentially pushing me to the soft blanket and lifts my legs over his shoulders. His fingers spread my lips apart and his tongue begins to soak up the remnants of my self-induced orgasm.

When he’s finished, he quickly stands up, ridding himself of all his clothes. My jaw drops. Even though I’ve seen him naked dozens of times I still am in shock of how well kept his body his. The tight lines of his muscles make me want to run my tongue along every crevice. His knee comes up onto the bed and the sound of a notification coming from my phone distracts his purpose. He picks it up, and his brow furrows.

“Why is your boss texting you right now and apologizing?” he asks, angrily.

I sit up, taking the phone from him and read the message.

Derrick Masters: I’m so sorry, Embyr. I’d like to talk about it in the morning.

I sit up, forcing him to sit up as well, ready to extinguish this heat. “I was going to tell you before we started our little phone session.”

Telling Casen face to face, with the perpetrator on the other side of the wall, is much harder than I would have imagined. He stills. “Tell me what?”

Both of us are sitting here naked and I feel as though we need to get dressed. I almost suggest we do but I don’t want to prolong this. “He kissed me tonight.”

It’s eerie. The calm he exudes right now. He doesn’t turn red. He doesn’t start breathing heavy. He doesn’t storm off. He just quietly asks, “Did you kiss him back?”

I shake my head. “No, absolutely not. I pushed him away immediately.”

He bites the side of his cheek. “Where is his room?” He doesn’t stand up. Doesn’t move to put any clothes.

Hesitantly, I point to the wall. “Right next to us.”

He shakes the bed, the headboard hitting the wall, and then crawls up my body, compelling me to lie down.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

A devious smile plays over his lips. “Claiming you.”

I’m going to have a lot to explain to Derrick in the morning. Like why, despite my attempts, I was yelling out Casen’s name as the headboard banged into our neighboring wall.

***

The next morning, Casen and I find Derrick at the breakfast buffet. Derrick eyes us skeptically but soon, recognition registers, and then fear.

Casen walks straight to him, extending a hand. “Casen Parker, Embyr’s boyfriend.”

Derricks eyes grow wide as he looks from Casen, to me, then back to Casen. “Derrick Masters. Embyr’s boss.”

Their hands drop.

“Nice to meet you,” Casen tells him. “If you could keep your hands and your lips off my girlfriend I’d appreciate it.”

“I…I didn’t know sh…she.” Derrick stutters. It’s the first time I’ve seen him rattled and I’m embarrassed for the both of us.

“I know you didn’t. Now you do. Next time I won’t be so civil.” Casen walks over, kisses me on the cheek and says, “I’ll be upstairs if you want a break between your sessions.” Then lowers his voice. “Then we can have a few of our own.”

I blush, and he leaves me to Derrick. “Morning.”

“Listen, Embyr. I’m so sorry.”

I nod. “It’s okay. We’re good now. Let’s just forget it happened.”

“Done,” he says, picking up some fruit and placing it on his plate. “Let’s get fueled up for the day.”

I grab some food and we take a seat at a table for two in the corner. I’m amazed at how easily that all just went.

“He must really love you.” He comments. “To come all this way only to spend a little time with you.”

“I hope so.”