Chapter Five
Ashton
Life just loved playing cruel tricks on me lately.
First there was the bullshit with Steve that I didn’t see coming. Maybe that was my own fault, as the universe gave me sign after sign showing me that Steve was a complete dickhead. All the times he ditched me to hang with his friends, hardly hearing from him when he left on “business,” blowing me off when he was home, and always coming up with some excuse to get out of spending time with me. But now it looked like the universe decided to take it a step further and bring another douchebag into my life as my roommate.
And a very sexy douche at that. Ugh.
I sat at the kitchen island with a bag of grapes, popping a couple in my mouth as I tapped my nails against the counter. There was only an hour before I was scheduled to take calls, but it would be a bit awkward doing it with O’Shea in the apartment. Sure, I’d told him not to disturb me while I worked, but who was to say that asshole wouldn’t stand outside my bedroom door listening to me?
“That’s probably something he would do,” I muttered to myself, taking a few more grapes into my mouth.
“Something who would do?” he asked, standing in the kitchen. His sweatpants from earlier were replaced by a pair of dark blue, deliciously fitting jeans and a snug grey, deep V-neck shirt. Jesus. The man was absolutely gorgeous. His shirt fit as if it were body paint, molding the muscles in his chest and shoulders. His pants encased his strong thighs, which slightly flexed as he turned in different angles to show me his outfit.
“Don’t drown yourself in drool, girl. I’m not too familiar with CPR,” he joked, his hazel eyes twinkling in amusement.
I blinked and focused my gaze on his smug expression. Even though I did think he looked damn good, he’d never know about it, the cocky bastard.
“Trust me, no one’s drowning,” I scoffed, plucking a few more grapes from the bag.
He chuckled. “Hey, I can read body language, baby. You got that ‘fuck me’ stare going on.”
“First, I’m not your baby. Second, as fucking if,” I said, bringing my eyes to the bag of grapes. I wouldn’t necessarily say I wanted him to fuck me, but…the thought wasn’t too far off.
“Seriously though, what do you think? Too casual for a bar? Not casual enough? Too tight looking?”
I snorted. “Oh, it’s tight enough.”
“So too tight?”
“Eh, it’s fine.”
“Fine?” He groaned. “Fine isn’t good enough. Now I need to go change.” He turned and headed toward his room.
“God, and I thought I was a diva,” I teased. He turned and looked at me, a slight frown settling on his full lips.
“What’s wrong with wanting to look good, Satan?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t take you to be the particular type,” I replied with a smirk.
“Well, I like to look good, especially when going to places for the first time.”
“Fair enough,” I replied. “Then it looks good, Mr. Diva.”
He grinned. “Like sexy good or ‘it’s fine’ good?” he asked, ignoring the nickname I gave him.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be so obvious in fishing for compliments.”
“Just a simple question.”
“Fine. Sexy good. Now go away.”
His grin turned into a full smile. “So you think I’m sexy then?”
I scowled. Of course he’d try to twist the meaning of my words. “Your outfit, yes. You? Still questionable.” Though it wasn’t questionable. We both knew he looked good, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
He tsked and shook his head. “You’re ice cold, A.”
“Glad we established that early,” I said and turned back to my grapes.
He smirked. “Anyway, not sure when I’ll be back, so do you have a house key or something I can use? I don’t want to wake you,” he said.
“Oh shit. I knew I forgot something,” I muttered mostly to myself. “You can borrow mine and I’ll get you one made tomorrow.”
“Sounds legit, Satan.”
“It’s Ashton.”
“You got it, Satan,” he said with a wink, turning to walk away and then pausing again. “One more question. What are the rules about company?”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Uh, company. You know, having people over. What do you mean what?” he asked, making a sarcastic look of confusion.
I shrugged. “You’re paying bills just like I am here. All I ask is that you aren’t loud or making messes—”
“Cool. See ya!” he exclaimed, throwing up a peace sign as he walked away. I ground my teeth and closed the bag of grapes, getting off the bar stool to return the fruit to the refrigerator. This was going to be a long two-month trial. One month and thirty days to go…
∞∞∞
Once O’Shea finally left the apartment around 8 p.m., I turned on my line and began taking calls.
“Thank you for calling Erotic Fantasies. This is Natasha, what’s your fantasy tonight?” I asked as I paced at the foot of my bed.
“It’s a beautiful evening to be alive, my sister! Tonight is the night you repent for your harlot ways and give your life to Christ!” a voice boomed from the other end.
Tonight would be interesting.
Before I could say anything, he continued. “Evil people will not inherit the kingdom of the Lord! I know you’re a lost soul, my child, and God sent me here to spread the message of his love to save your soul.”
“Um, thanks?” I said, unsure of what to say.
“Avoid the devil’s tricks! He’s doing nothing but using you to lead young men into lust! Phone sex is another form of sin and fornication! The end of times is nearing! You must repent and give your life to Christ!”
He continued rattling off bible verses in various loud tones, becoming so loud that I eventually had to take the phone from my ear. I literally couldn’t afford to hang up, but the longer he went on, the greater the desire grew to end the call. Before I knew it, the call ended in the middle of his rant. I glanced down at the small screen at the time. Guess he could only afford a five-minute sermon, I mused with a small shrug.
Calls were steady for the next couple of hours. Although the other calls were thankfully nothing like the first one, I was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t heard back from that caller who excited me the other night. Ever since I’d spoke with him, other callers seemed boring in comparison.
“Thank you for calling Erotic Fantasies. This is Natasha; what’s your fantasy tonight?” I rattled off as I sat on my bed, painting my toenails.
“Hey there, sexy mama,” a young voice said on the other end. I paused in my nail painting and raised a brow. This guy sounded like he’d just hit puberty. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were sixteen, which meant I needed to tread carefully until I learned his actual age.
“Hey there, yourself. What’s your name, darling?”
“Uh, Cody. What clothes do you have on? I want you to touch your boobs.”
“First, how old are you, stud muffin?” I asked, a smirk pulling at my lips as I continued my nails.
“I just turned 18 yesterday.”
I snorted, quickly coughing to disguise it. There was no way this guy was 18 yet. “Well, happy belated birthday, love—”
“JASON! YOU HAVE SCHOOL IN THE MORNING! YOU SHOULDN’T BE ON THE PHONE AT THIS HOUR!” a female voice yelled in the background.
“God, mom!” he exclaimed before hanging up.
“Tonight is wild,” I giggled to myself. Commotion sounded from the living room, followed by O’Shea laughing. I rolled my eyes when I woman’s laugh followed him. I guess that’s what he meant by company.
The phone rang again, distracting me from my roommate. On the plus side, at least he’d be occupied long enough for me to finish working without being paranoid about him listening to me on the other side of the door.
“Thank you for calling Erotic Fantasies. This is Natasha; what’s your fantasy tonight?” I asked, trying to ignore the laughing and thumping around coming down the hall as O’Shea and his one-night stand made their way to his room.
“Hi, Natasha. I’m Dylan.”
“Nice to meet you, honey. You’re right on time; I’m soaking wet for you.”
He was quiet for a moment. “My girlfriend broke up with me.”
Well then.
“Oh,” I said. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Dylan.”
He sighed. “I should’ve seen it coming, you know? I’m so bad with women,” he said. What the hell was I supposed to say to something like that? I was supposed to be talking about sex; I didn’t know what to say to a guy dealing with a broken heart when I was still dealing with my own.
“People can be weird, you know? I don’t think you should blame yourself or think you’re bad with women—”
“She left me because she says I don’t last long enough for her. Even called me a fucking minute man, the bitch,” he said, his tone bitter.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sure you’re far for a minute man. In fact, I’m already imagining you pounding my sweet pussy,” I said, trying to put this conversation on track. No sooner than the sentence left my mouth, a loud moan came from O’Shea’s room. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
“Oh yeah? That’s hot. Tell me what else you’re imagining then, sexy,” he said, his voice sounding lighter than it did when he talked about his ex.
“Um,” I stammered, becoming distracted with the sounds coming from O’Shea’s room. I’d never noticed how thin the walls were since it was only me, but even with a bathroom separating our rooms, I could still hear his date as if he were right next door. I’d definitely have to talk to him about that in the morning. “I’m sure you feel amazing. I bet you could make me scream your name as you fuck me.”
“Hell yeah, I’d make you scream, baby. What are you wearing?”
“I’m wearing a sexy lace nightie with no panties,” I purred, getting off my bed and moving to my full-length mirror. I wish I could afford to get some of the things I tell these men I wore, I thought with a sigh as I examined my tank top and shorts.
“That’s so sexy. I wonder what that pussy of yours tastes like,” he murmured, his breathing becoming a little quicker.
“I bet it would taste amazing after you fuck me and make me come,” I replied.
“OH YES! YES! FUCK ME!” I heard from down the hall. I ground my teeth and tried to focus on my call.
“Oh yeah, baby. I want you to sit on my face and let me get all those juices on my—”
“Please wait,” the operator said when the caller’s prepaid time ran out. After a few seconds, the line went completely dead, indicating that he didn’t pay for more time.
“Thank God that wasn’t Avery,” I muttered to myself. I decided to turn my line off for the night. It wasn’t like I could concentrate anyway with my roommate going to town on his new conquest down the hall. I crept out of my room and made sure the front door was locked before going back to my room and settling down in bed. As O’Shea’s rendezvous went on, my mind went back to Avery. His voice gave me goose bumps and made my core clench with need with the simplest words. Our conversation was still fresh in my mind, imagining everything he said he’d do to my nipples and how he’d fuck me so hard and make me come multiple times. A tingling sensation settled between my legs. God, how pathetic had my life become? I’m fantasizing about a man that was probably in a relationship and lived God knows where in this country. I rolled over on my side with a sigh, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to block out the noise from my roommate.
One month and thirty days…
∞∞∞
My eyes snapped open the moment I heard him whistling in the hallway the next morning. I scowled as I jumped out of bed, grabbing my robe from the back of my door before opening it. Following the sound of the whistling, I found him in the kitchen, bent down to look in the refrigerator.
“Yeah, hey. I’m Ashton, you know, your roommate?” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest.
He lifted his head and nodded. “Uh, yeah. We met yesterday,” he said, turning back to the contents of the refrigerator. I continued staring at him in disbelief. The nerve of this cocky son of a bitch.
“So one thing I can tell you is that hearing you with your conquest of the night is the last thing I want to do when I’m trying to sleep,” I finally said.
“She was hella loud, right?” he asked as he took a juice carton out of the fridge and placed it on the counter. “I thought I was going to go fucking deaf—”
“I’m not joking, O’Shea.”
“Neither am I. My damn ears are still ringing,” he said, grabbing a glass from the drain basket on the counter. He was dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit stained with a few dark grease stains and black sneakers.
I huffed. “You don’t take anything seriously, do you?”
“No one should take life too seriously. You should loosen up a bit,” he said, pouring juice in the glass.
“I should loosen up? You—” I paused mid sentence, watching him as he drank what I now noticed was the last of my apple juice. “Dude, are you serious right now?” I damn near shrieked.
He cocked an eyebrow and swallowed. “What’s that?”
“Do you not see that huge A on that carton?”
He picked up the carton and furrowed his eyebrows as he squinted at it. “Huh. I guess that is an A. I thought that was just up here since apple juice starts with an A. My bad,” he said, tossing the empty carton in the trash and finishing off his juice. “Well, off to work. See ya, Satan.” He gave me a salute and left me fuming in the kitchen, long after he’d exited the apartment.
I had no idea how I was going to last until his trial period was over, granted that I didn’t strangle him first if he kept up with his antics.
After making an omelet, I settled down at the island and called Alex. “Hey-o!” she exclaimed when she answered.
“Come save me,” I pleaded, stuffing a piece of omelet into my mouth.
“Um, why?”
“Because this man is driving me up the wall,” I muttered.
“I bet you’re being a drama queen. What’s he doing?”
“It’s like he does the tiniest things to get under my skin. Like yesterday, he used my body wash after I specifically told him not to—”
“Body wash, Ashton? You act like you can’t get another bottle of it. If you’re that strapped for cash, I’ll buy you another bottle,” she joked.
I swallowed hard, pushing a stray piece of egg around my plate. There was no way I could tell her that Steve bought me that body wash. I hardly even used it, knowing that once it was gone and I threw the bottle away, I’d be accepting that he’d thrown us away. Now that he was engaged to Clarissa and expecting a baby, I guess keeping that body wash wouldn’t make the process happen any slower.
“Ashton?” Alex called.
“Yeah, sorry. It’s just a special body wash that I didn’t want him using and he didn’t listen.”
“Okay, and what else did he do?”
“Then he came in last night with some random woman who was a screamer,” I muttered, memories of their noise filtering through my head.
“Hell, if she was loud, it must mean he’s good. You should’ve joined them.”
“Alex!”
“Don’t Alex me, you tight wad. You probably need to get laid yourself to get Steve out of your system,” she said. I rolled my eyes and took another forkful of food into my mouth without a word. “Anyway, just give him a chance. You guys have only lived with each other for about 24 hours. It’s going to take some time to get used to each other.”
“It feels like it’s been eternity already,” I mumbled.
“Well, at least he’s nice to look at,” Alex reminded me.
“And while that’s true, he ruins the view the moment he opens is cocky asshole mouth.”
“Ha, imagine when you guys eventually have sex. It’s going to be explosive hate sex—”
“I’m never fucking having sex with him.”
“Never say never, my dear friend! I’m rooting for you to!”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. I have to get ready to take some calls since he’s out of the house. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay then. Later, babes!” she said and hung up. I shook my head and laughed to myself. What little faith Alex must’ve had in me to actually think I’d consider having a roll in the sack with him. Sure, he was incredibly handsome and had the circumstances been different and he wasn’t a complete ass, I probably would’ve given him a shot. Alex was right; as loud as his lady friend was last night, I wouldn’t doubt that he was good in bed.
“Guess I’ll never know,” I mused to myself as I finished the last of my breakfast and put my plate in the sink. Enough with thinking about my roommate. There were horny men waiting for me on the phone.
∞∞∞
The morning was relatively quiet for calls, the phone not ringing until around lunchtime. I’d just poured myself a cup of coffee when the phone rang. “Thank you for calling Erotic Fantasies; I’m Natasha. What’s your fantasy this afternoon?” I drawled, stifling a yawn. I could really use a nap right now.
“Natasha, Natasha. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” a husky voice murmured into the phone. I raised an eyebrow as I grabbed the creamer, pouring a little into my cup as an amused smirk touched my lips.
“You have, huh? That’s sexy. May I ask the name of my secret admirer?”
“I’m no secret admirer. I’m sure it’s hard to forget a person who made you come during a call,” he said, his voice having a playful air to it.
I froze in mid stir. It was Avery! Of course I couldn’t let this strange man know that I’d thought about him since our last conversation. The last thing I wanted to do was appear weird or desperate.
“Ah, you’re so right. Of course I couldn’t forget about you…um…” I trailed, pretending to forget his name.
“I’ll spare you this time since you’re a busy woman, but it’s Avery. And you’ll remember it after tonight,” he said.
I almost had to laugh at myself. Maybe Alex was right again; maybe I did need to get laid. The only action I really got was from when I worked, and that was only when Avery called. This guy could be some creep spanking his monkey in his parents’ basement for all I knew. Either way, he excited me and was able to seduce my body with his words alone.
“You sound pretty confident. I mean you said so yourself that it would be hard for me to remember you since I’m so busy. How do you plan on standing out, Mr. Avery?” I asked, taking my coffee to the living room. He chuckled.
“You’ll see, sex kitten. What do you have on for me this afternoon?”
I glanced down at my cut off denim shorts and fitting white tank top, cursing myself for truly not wearing sexy attire for him.
“I’m only wearing crotchless panties right now, I answered.
“Mmm…easy access to that sweet pussy of yours,” he growled. “I want you to imagine my tongue flicking against your nipples, making them nice and hard.”
I bit my lip to stop the audible gasp that was bound to escape. My nipples pushed against my tank top as a dull throb started at my core. After a failed attempt of trying to giggle seductively, I cleared my throat.
“I’m already so wet for you—”
“Shh…don’t say a word. I just want you to lay back and allow me to make you come,” he nearly whispered. I was in no condition to object. I needed an orgasm after the week I’d had with Steve and now O’Shea.
“Are you comfortable, Ms. Natasha?” His voice soothed me as he spoke. I nodded, and then realized he couldn’t see me.
“Yes,” I said in a throaty confirmation. His light laugh sent a chill down my spine, causing me to tremble a bit from anticipation of the unknown. Even though I’d never met the man, he did things to me that Steve hadn’t been able to do without physically touching me. They always said that when someone took away one of your senses, your remaining ones would be enhanced. He proved that theory in every way with this phone call. His voice alone stirred things within me that I’d wanted to remain dormant, things I vowed I wouldn’t utilize for a long time: desire, lust, wanting to be loved and wanted. It made me a bit uncomfortable, which was bound to turn me off from this whole situation. Get it together, Ash. He’s just a random caller.
“I’m so wet for you, Avery,” I whispered, closing my eyes as I unbuttoned my shorts and slipped my hand inside my panties. I bit my lip as I ran my finger up and down my wet slit.
“That’s good to hear, baby. You’d be even wetter if my mouth was around that sensitive clit of yours,” he said softly. The intensity of the throbbing between my legs increased as his words sunk in. I allowed my mind to wander, imagining a bearded, muscular guy with his head buried between my legs, sucking and lapping at my wetness. The thought caused me to grin. Maybe it wasn’t a bad thing that I didn’t know what he looked like. That allowed me endless possibilities of imagining whoever I wanted him to be. In my mind, he could always be the incredibly hot sex god instead of that living-in-his-parents’-basement creep that’d crossed my mind earlier.
His voice broke through my thoughts once more. “I want you to put two fingers inside yourself,” he murmured. I obeyed without hesitation, moaning in pleasure at the penetration. He growled, indicating the pleasure he got out of hearing me satisfy myself.
“That’s it, baby. Go a little faster,” he whispered. I followed every command he gave me.
Faster.
Slow and deep.
Fast and hard.
Nice and slow.
“I’m almost there,” I breathed, my back arching as I fingered myself near the edge.
“I want you to imagine coming all over my hard cock, baby,” he hissed. My breaths turned into needy pants as I neared the edge. “When you come, I want you to scream my name.”
As if it were second nature, I obliged as soon as I crested over the hill and into orgasmic bliss. “Fuck! Avery!” I screamed as my body convulsed on the couch. The pleasure the overwhelmed me was so intense I felt as if I would burst. My body jerked and trembled for nearly a minute as I whimpered his name until my orgasm passed. He groaned just as I calmed down, reaching his own release. We both sat on our respective ends of the phone in silence for a few moments, slightly panting to gain our composures.
“Wow,” I finally croaked.
He let out a satisfied sigh. “You okay?” he asked.
“I…I’m great,” I stammered, slowly sitting up on the couch. There was another awkward pause.
“As many times as you’ve said my name this afternoon, I’m sure you won’t forget it,” he teased. I smiled and shook my head.
“There’s no way I can ever forget it, Avery.”
“It’s sexy when you say it,” he whispered. There goes that odd feeling again, I thought as my stomach fluttered. It was definitely time to end the call. I cleared my throat.
“Well, thank you for calling Erotic Fantasies. Enjoy the rest of your day, Avery.”
“Thanks for your time, my little sex kitten,” he said and hung up. If I thought I could use a nap before, it was no match for the fatigue I felt now. I grabbed my cup of coffee from the table and took a sip, nearly spitting it out.
“Cold coffee is fucking gross,” I muttered to myself as I stood and made my way back to the kitchen. I poured the coffee into the sink with a yawn. “Fuck it. It wouldn’t kill me to take a nap.” Putting the cup into the sink, I headed to my room ready for a little dream rendezvous I was bound to have with my sex god.
∞∞∞
“You don’t know how long I’ve fantasized about this night,” he said, easing me back onto the bed.
“Did you always know you were going to marry some chick you met on a phone sex line?” I teased. A deep chuckle resonated around me.
“I knew it the moment I made you come for the first time with only a few words,” he said, planting gentle kisses along my jawline. The world was dark around me, hidden behind the silk material of the blindfold covering my eyes. His body heat comforted me as he hovered over me, the smell of his original Hugo cologne clouding my thoughts.
He ran a finger up and down my throbbing core as his tongue drew circles around my nipple, eliciting a soft groan from my lips. My body trembled at his touch, craving for more. A sweet ache pulsed between my legs, needing to feel him buried deep inside me. Impatient, I grabbed his wrist and tried to speed up the motion of his hand, but he interfered.
“No touching what’s mine,” he whispered in my ear as he pinned my hands above my head with one hand. The teasing and foreplay became too much. He rubbed the tip of his cock up and down my wetness, torturing me endlessly as chills rolled throughout my body.
“Please, just fuck me,” I whimpered, feeling as if I would spontaneously explode from sexual tension. He settled between my thighs and locked his lips with mine, swallowing my cry as he plunged deep inside of me in one stroke. A growl vibrated from within him as he paused and released his hold on my hands. “Can I take the blindfold off yet?”
He pulled out and slammed into me again. “Not until you come, baby.”
Each delicious, deep stroke he put inside me brought me closer and closer to the edge. This time felt different though. It wasn’t just regular sex with my boyfriend after a hard day of work. It was the first time we were making love as husband and wife. Tonight was the first night of the rest of our lives, which made this moment even more beautiful.
“I love you,” I panted, feeling up his body until my hands rested on his cheeks. He moved his head little and kissed the palm of my hand, slowing down his pace.
“My beautiful wife…I love you more than anything,” he murmured. I held him close to me as his strokes turned from hard and rough to sweet and passionate, almost bringing tears to my eyes. Being with Avery made me aware of everything I’d missed out on while I was with Steve. Everything was always about Steve and what he wanted. I’d always put myself second to him, but it was different with Avery. Avery took my wounded heart and self-esteem and healed it with his love, attention, and patience. The love we shared was so overwhelming that the mere thought of it made my heart swell.
“Avery,” I whispered as a tingling sensation crept over me.
“I always love it when you say my name,” he said softly, kissing my lips.
“I’m almost there, baby,” I moaned, moving my hips to urge him to go faster. He picked up the tempo, pounding into me harder and faster. The tingling became more and more intense as I came closer to my climax, feeling as if I could burst.
“Avery!” I screamed, practically levitating off the bed as I crashed into my orgasm. He moaned as he quickly pumped a few more times, finally reaching his own release. His fingers caressed my cheek as he placed tender kisses on the corner of my mouth as I panted below him.
“Do you think you could handle this for the rest of your life?” he asked between kisses, amusement lacing his voice.
I let out a content sigh and nodded. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He was silent for a moment before propping himself up on his elbows above me.
“Ready to remove the blindfold?” he asked. I nodded without a word, trembling in anticipation as he grabbed the top of the blindfold and pulled it up. I blinked a few times and looked around the room. Burning red candles surrounded us and the lights in the hotel room were dim. I turned and looked at the large floor-to-ceiling windows and marveled at the twinkling city lights.
“Wow…it still doesn’t feel real,” I whispered as tears burned my eyes.
“It’s very real. I love you, Ashton,” he said, turning my face back to his and kissing me. I caressed his face as his tongue explored my mouth, finding comfort in his closeness. My eyes closed, I finally felt him break the kiss, grinning when he whispered he loved me once more. I opened my eyes.
“I love you—”
I shot up in bed, disgust and terror running rampant through me.
Fucking ew.
Why would I dream about him? How could my brain play such a horrible trick by having asshole O’Shea depict Avery in my dream?
I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. I needed to get a grip on myself.
Fast.