Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2) (16 page)

“I’m not sure I
want a blindfold when we’re doing angry sex.”

He exhaled
heavily, and then his body covered mine, hard and strong. His lips sealed over
mine. They weren’t gentle but neither were they punishing. It was as if he was
trying to pour out his feelings in that kiss, and then he was down, down. Holy
wow, his mouth was completely devouring my center.

“I’ll never get
enough of your sweet cunt.”

I’d never heard
that word in the bedroom before, but the way he said it had been hot instead of
crude. “You said we’d—Oh—”

His tongue
flicked over my clit while his fingers kept me open for his assault. My hips
moved of their own volition, arching up into his mouth. His hands held me
still, not allowing my movement. While he gripped my ass, holding me up at an
angle, his tongue plunged into me. My hypersensitive nub was tortured by his
thumb drawing circles. My body strained against the ties as my release hit me
hard and fast. I screamed his name with the pleasure that overwhelmed me.

“And now we’ll
fuck, but first I needed to level the playing field.”

Ah, I was
starting to understand. But before I could verbalize anything, my arms and legs
were untied. I was unceremoniously being turned over and put onto my knees with
my ass up into the air.

“Your ass is
perfect.” His hands rubbed and squeezed the cheeks.

I wiggled,
trying to find his body by moving back.

“Not yet,” he
teased.

His weight departed,
and I listened for him to come back. It didn’t take long before his heat returned
behind me, but this time his hands were massaging some kind of oil over my
backside. Before I could ask him what it was, he thrust deep inside of me.

He held himself
to the hilt, and his fingers massaged my each cheek as well as my lower back. My
skin, where touched, started to heat up with a slight tingle. Those same magic
fingers reached around, rubbing over my sensitized clit. I moved my hips back, practically
pleading for him to move.

“I need—” I
didn’t know what I needed.

“Patience, honey,”
he purred. His finger gently grazed my previously forbidden entrance.

“Brian, I—”

He leaned over
me and kissed my lower back. “Don’t worry, not yet. But I will have your ass.
We’ll work you into it. Just think of being filled both ways.”

It was too much.
I tried to push back into him to end the sweet torture.

He grabbed my
hips and started to move. His thrusts were measured, delivering pleasure with
each stroke. His finger circled my pucker and when it slid slowly inside, I
came harder than I ever had before. He grunted and buried himself on one final
push, spilling into me.

He removed the
blindfold and pulled out. I winced at the loss of contact, but he quickly
tucked me into his chest. I enjoyed the warmth of his nude body pressed against
mine.

“Here,” he
offered, grabbing one of the blankets and pulling it up over us.

“Thanks,” I
mumbled, feeling sleepy.

His breathing
evened out, the rise and fall of his chest slowing. “I didn’t like your refusal
to let me pleasure you after you sucked me off in the hall.”

Not only was I
not used to this way of talking, I wasn’t accustomed to a man who got more
pleasure from giving than receiving. “Considering we’re at, like, a two-to-one
ratio for orgasms, I don’t know why. You get pleasure from pleasing me, I get
it, but the same goes. I simply wanted to surprise and indulge you, too.”

He chuckled and
rubbed my back. “You did surprise me, and you definitely pleased me. Those lips
of yours are the most erotic fantasy ever.”

“Are they still
your favorite thing, with my ass being second?”

“They are.
Although I’m also a big fan of your tight pussy.”

My cheeks flamed
with heat.

He pulled away
to look down at my face. “I love that I can make you blush.”

“Hmm, let’s get
back to what pissed you off. I think you’ll need to deal with sometimes taking
pleasure without giving it.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I might
want to do that again sometime. Maybe in your car while you’re driving or
something.” Had I really said that? Give Ms. Never-do-anything-spontaneous a
feel for great sex, and suddenly I was thinking up all sorts of adventurous
things.

“The thought of
your mouth on me while I drive ...” He shivered. “That’s definitely going up
there on the bucket list.”

Huh, evidently I
needed a bucket list now, too. “Bri, the point is that I’m not keeping a tally
of orgasms. I don’t think you should see it as me owing or you owing.”

“Okay, upon
occasion I can handle it, but only when I know I can devour your sweet pu—”

I held a finger
to his lips and shook my head. “I get it.”

He chuckled.
“You don’t like it when I talk dirty?”

I shrugged. “If
I’m being honest, it turns me on when you do it, but I’m not sure words like
that will ever come out of my mouth.”

“I like that.
You’re adorable when you turn pink. And I think I get why ex-boyfriend Eric
wanted to meet up with you if you were giving blow jobs like that in high
school.”

“Is that a way
of trying to ask me if I do that with every guy?”

“I keep telling
myself that I don’t want to know.”

“Normally I’m
not a fan of swallowing, let alone having a man come in my mouth.”

“Why did you
with me?”

“You make me
feel like you’d do anything to please me sexually. Plus you didn’t expect it. I
liked that you obviously didn’t think I would.”

“You don’t have
to swallow again if you didn’t like it.”

I propped up and
looked him in the eyes. “I was so crazy for the taste of you that I couldn’t
get enough. I enjoyed it, but I did brush my teeth when I turned in the car.”

He laughed and
kissed me on the nose. “We need to go to the store, but maybe we could go out
for a late lunch first.”

“Are you okay
with going out in public? I thought about it on my way to the rental car return.
What if someone we know sees us?”

He shrugged,
getting out of the bed and leading me by the hand into the bathroom. “We used
to meet up for dinner all the time and I don’t care enough about someone seeing
us. We could refrain from kissing and touching in public if you want, though.”

“Are you able
to?” I challenged.

He turned on the
shower, letting the water get hot and then pulled me in, shutting the door.
“I’m already having an issue with it. Let’s take a quick shower before we end
up spending the whole day here and starving to death.”

I giggled at the
image. Death by sex.

By the time we
actually got out of the house, it was late. We drove straight to the restaurant
for a lunch. I was smiling, and we were playful getting out of the car. Then it
hit me: Brian’s first rule had in fact resolved the issue a hell of a lot
faster than arguing about it.

His wink made me
realize I didn’t have to admit it. It was as though he already knew what I’d
been thinking.

After getting
lunch on Saturday and stocking up on food, we didn’t leave the house again for the
remainder of the weekend. Matter of fact, we hadn’t bothered with much in the
way of clothing, either. Now on Sunday afternoon, it felt strange to have Brian
drop me off at the airport.

Curbside, he
leaned across the car, cupped the back of my head, and kissed me like he
already missed me. His thumb rubbed my bottom lip while his forehead rested
against mine. “Safe flight, okay?” His voice was gruff, and there was longing
reflected in his eyes.

“I’ll see you
again in two weeks?”

“What if I told
you it would be sooner?”

My heart beat
faster since I knew I’d have had a hard time waiting another two weeks before
seeing him again. “How soon?”

“We both need to
meet with Josh on Thursday before your mock pitch on Friday. I figured I’d do
that in person rather than via video.”

“And you’re only
mentioning this now? Does this meeting have the potential to change the pitch?”

He shook his
head. “I told him last week who was on your team. There won’t be any changes to
that, and the mock remains set for Friday. The meeting with Josh is to discuss
other details, maybe go over the presentation itself. This is a big account,
and he wants us all on the same page.”

“Same page how?”
I was caught off guard, and that put me on edge.

“Ensuring that
every detail is thought of.”

He was being
vague and I didn’t like it. “To include my involvement?”

His eyes
softened. “Of course not. You’re the lead, Sasha. No one does a pitch better
than you do.”

I was placated
with his compliment. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you later this week, then.”

He kissed me one
last time. “Will you text me when you get in?”

“Sure.” I was a
grown woman who traveled frequently and independently, yet the thought of
having someone ask for a check-in, like my father always requested, sent a warm
feeling through me.

***

It was Thursday
afternoon and my meeting with Josh was set for two o’clock. I sat at my desk pouring
over the pitch deck one last time. Of course I’d already emailed a copy to Josh
yesterday as a pre-read, but that didn’t keep me from searching for ways to improve
it. I’d half expected Brian to come by last night, but he hadn’t. I reasoned it
was just as well. It might be easier if we kept things separate considering our
appointment later today.

It would be our
first professional meeting since starting our sexual arrangement, and I was
trying to quell my anxieties. I didn’t want to walk into Josh’s office, look at
Brian, and blush. The thought of making our relationship obvious in front of
the owner of the company was unnerving at best. It didn’t help that, aside from
texting him on Sunday night when I arrived home, I hadn’t spoken with him this
week. We’d emailed a couple work-related items, but hadn’t held a conversation.

Of course I
could have called him just as easily as he could have called me. My stomach
growled reminding me it was lunch time. It was tempting to order something in,
but I knew the fresh air would do me good. I spent enough time at my desk as it
was. I was about to step out when my assistant, Nancy, buzzed in.

“Sasha, Brian
Carpenter is here for you.”

“Uh, send him in.
Thank you, Nancy.” My pulse raced.

“Good luck to
your son with his basketball tournament this weekend, Nancy,” Brian chatted
with her while coming through my door.

I narrowed my
eyes when the door shut. How the hell did he know these things? “You make me
look bad when you remember shit like that,” I mumbled.

He laughed,
taking a seat across from my desk. “What can I say? It’s a gift. How’s the mock
coming along?”

I was relieved
that there wasn’t the awkwardness I’d been expecting. Matter of fact, we were
starting out much like we had previous to the change in our relationship. “It’s
good.”

“Great.”

My relief had
come too soon. Dead space and awkwardness.

Finally, I broke
the ice. “How was your week? We didn’t talk, so…”

He arched a brow.
“The phone works both ways, and I knew you’d be busy this week preparing.”

He was right. I
had been working late nights. “When did you fly in?”

He raised a
brow. “This morning. Why? Would you rather I’d come in last night?”

“If I said it
didn’t matter, would you believe me?”

He leaned
forward. “I wouldn’t. But I figured today might be uncomfortable enough without
the thought of me having been inside of you first thing this morning on your
mind.”

My cheeks heated.
“Well, thanks for not making it uncomfortable, Bri.”

His eyes lit up
with amusement. “Do you want to get some lunch and then head over to Josh’s
office?”

I stood up,
grabbing my coat and laptop. “Lunch would be good.”

Sharing a meal
with Brian before a meeting was typical. It was what we’d done a thousand times
before. So why was I worked up and wanting to rip off his clothes because of
the simple touch of his hand on the small of my back? Swallowing hard, I
squared my shoulders and smiled toward Nancy while letting her know where we’d
be.

***

Lunch had proven
that Brian was able to remain on good behavior and keep the two worlds separate,
at least for a couple of hours. I’d worried about how I’d be able to balance
the personal and professional when we were working, especially when we were
alone. But over lunch we chatted about the mock pitch, Juliette, and other
office things, allowing me finally to relax.

Upon arriving at
Josh’s office across town, the headquarters for Gamble Enterprises, we took his
private elevator to the penthouse and were shown right into his spacious
office. As I mused that the last time I’d seen Josh was at his wedding, I realized
that I was surrounded by personal and professional worlds colliding on multiple
levels.

“Sasha, nice to
see you. Brian, how was the flight up?” Josh welcomed.

We made small
talk and then got down to business. I’d emailed Josh the mock pitch deck ahead
of time and was prepared to take notes. Taking out my laptop, I assumed he’d
have some changes.

“I read through
your presentation and have to say it’s solid. I don’t have any changes at this
point,” Josh commented.

I was somewhat
surprised. “Okay. Thank you.”

If he didn’t
have any changes to my pitch deck, then what did he want to talk about? My
confusion turned to trepidation quickly when he and Brian shared a look.
Sighing, I decided to state the obvious. “I’m assuming by the glance you two
just shared that there’s something you’re reluctant to discuss with me?”

Josh nodded, amusement
flashing in his eyes. “Yes, specifically I want to talk to you about Vanessa,
the client contact for Tryon. I’m assuming Brian provided you a brief
overview?”

“He mentioned
she’s difficult,” I returned.

“That’s putting
it mildly. One of my colleagues worked with her at a previous job. He gave me a
little background or, for lack of a better term, a ‘warning’ about her.”

Terrific.
Because I was such a people person as it was. “Okay, what do I need to know?”

“I’m told you
have Charlie and Logan on the team presenting with you?”

“Yes, it’s the
three of us on the pitch. I plan on bringing Carly in to observe as well.”

Josh threw
another look toward Brian.

“It would be
better if you left Carly out of this one,” Brian suggested.

I narrowed my
eyes. “It would be helpful to know why. It’s common practice to bring a junior
person to carry the boards and get a feel for what a pitch is like.”

Both men appeared
uncomfortable. Finally, Josh put it out there. “Vanessa is threatened by women.
Especially younger women. I don’t know what Carly looks like, but if she’s like
most younger ladies in the advertising industry, then she’s attractive, and
that could be an issue for her.”

What. The. Hell?
They weren’t seriously discriminating who could be in this pitch based on
looks. It wasn’t in my nature to make this easy on them. “I take it that I’m
not a threat with either my looks or my age, then?”

As predicted, neither
man knew how to answer that question without insulting me. I’d be lying if I
said I didn’t enjoy their discomfort.

Brian finally
decided to try his hand. “Look, Sasha. Like I said, you have this pitch. This
is your client, and we both know that you’re going to do a terrific job. But we
need to give it the best chance we can, which may mean dictating who attends
and what is worn.”

I’d always
understood that business came first. Hell, if they didn’t want Carly there
because Vanessa got her nose out of joint with a younger woman, fine.
Advertising 101 dictated that the pitch was about the client, not about us. But
I didn’t like the direction this was heading. “Is this the point where you tell
me how I should dress?”

Brian cleared
his voice. “Actually, we hired a company to do that for us.”

Josh handed us
each a document. “This is an uncomfortable conversation, but I know that you’re
a professional, and our goal is the same, which is to win the business.” His
voice didn’t leave any room for argument.

As much as it
absolutely pained me to do so, I had to ask, “If you’re that concerned about it
and think that we may lose the account because I’m a woman, then why not pull
me from it?”

Josh shook his
head. “Because you’re the best pitch person, hands down, and there’s a board of
directors who needs to be impressed, too. We hired a company that specializes
in profiling and does the analysis regarding the best things to wear. It’s all
there on that paper. You aren’t the only one, either. There are specifics on
both Charlie and Logan, too. And the company confirmed it would be a good mix
to have the all-male board more focused on you while Vanessa gets attention
from Brian and the two other men on the team.”

I skimmed the
document that had everything from tie color to the type of clothes I should
wear. My pride was stuck in my throat, but I’d learn to swallow it. This was
business. “I’ll look this over and ensure that Logan and Charlie have the
specifics as well.”

“Good. I know
Charlie. He’ll be good in the pitch. How’s Logan?” Josh queried.

Looking up from
the document, I was candid. “He’s young, eager, and very attractive. He should
do quite well with Vanessa.” I glanced at both men and was rewarded with the
flash of irritation in Brian’s eyes before I turned my attention back to Josh.

“Will you be
attending the mock pitch tomorrow?” I asked him.

“Yes, but via
video conference as I’m heading up to Connecticut first thing in the morning.
Haylee’s last test will be over, and we’re baby shopping this weekend.” Josh’s
entire face lit up at the mention of his wife.

I wasn’t as
smooth with slipping from business to personal, especially since I was currently
irritated with the document I was holding, but I was happy for them. “Uh, tell
her hello.”

“I will. I won’t
take up any more of your time. I’ll see you tomorrow via video.”

I nodded and
rose to leave, surprised when Brian got up, too.

“I’ll see you
out. Be back up, Josh,” he indicated and then walked quietly beside me to the
elevator.

Once behind the
closed elevator doors, he started the placating. “It’s only business, Sasha,
and this is a large account.”

His tone
reminded me of a kindergarten teacher who had endless patience and needed to
explain that children couldn’t always get their own way. But instead of having
a calming effect, it irritated the hell out of me. “I get it, and I’ll get over
it.”

“I have dinner
plans with Josh this evening, but afterwards I can come by.”

“I’m going to be
working late on the mock.” I started digging in my purse.

His jaw
clenched. “Am I to assume that’s a way of saying you don’t want my company
tonight?”

Finally finding
what I was after, I pulled out my keys and peeled one off the ring. “That’s not
what I’m saying. Here, you can let yourself in.” I handed him the key and
witnessed the priceless look of shock on his face.

“You’re giving
me a key?” His tone was a mix of apprehension and astonishment.

“Don’t get weird
about it. It’ll be late by the time I get there.”

We hit the
ground floor, and the elevator doors opened.

He swallowed. “I
had thought maybe—You know what? Never mind.”

He’d obviously
assumed I’d be pissed off enough about the clothing specifications that I
wouldn’t want to see him later. Maybe having terrific sex was softening me.
“Hmm. Yeah, well, sometimes I even surprise myself. See you later.”

The sound of his
chuckle followed me out the elevator doors.