High Strung (Power Station Book 1) (16 page)

Waking up in a
girl’s bed was not new to me. I’m not a complete asshole. Not going to lie, I prefer to leave after the fucking has taken place but I understand that’s not cool so I usually suck it up and stay. This was different. It was the second time I had woken up in Ashlyn’s bed, neither time, had there been any actual fucking. The first time, I really had no business being there, but I didn’t feel like leaving and if no one was going to kick me out, then I’d just as soon stay in her bed. I hadn’t really done that before, actually
slept
with a woman. I mean, what was the point? But after putting her drunk ass to bed there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Last night was different. She had pocket dialed me or some shit, and hung up before I had a chance to answer. I had been home, asleep. Probably the first time in a long time I hadn’t gone out on a Saturday night. Not something I planned but when Troy asked if I wanted to hang out, I told him to come over and we’d just play some poker or something. We threw a few hands and drank a few beers and it was actually a good time. Just shooting the breeze, no fucking distractions, paparazzi, or groupies. We called it a night around midnight with Troy giving me some fucking weird-ass look like I’d fucked his sister when I’d said I was heading to bed. So that’s where I was when I heard my cell. When I saw the missed call I was pissed. Not that Ashlyn had woken me, but because I didn’t get a chance to talk to her. Did she need something? She hadn’t even left me a voicemail. I didn’t even think about it, I just called her back.

I could have spoken to her for hours, the subject of conversation meant nothing and everything at the same time. So after hearing her stomach making a noise like a dying fucking bear, I jumped in the car, grabbed some food and took the drive over the bridge. Gray’s was open twenty-four/seven and who didn’t like hot dogs. I didn’t even think about it, I just did it. I didn’t even consider the fact she might not want to see me or that she wouldn’t let me in. To me it was simple. I wanted to bring her something to eat, so I did.

When she opened the door holding a baseball bat and wearing more fucking attitude than actual clothes, I wanted to laugh my ass off. There was no way I was just dropping off the food and leaving, and I wasn’t even thinking with my dick. There was something about this girl and I couldn’t get enough. She wasn’t like the ones I usually met, she didn’t give a shit about me being Dan Evans and she sure as hell wasn’t shy about telling me. I don’t know why I felt the way I did but I just didn’t want to go.

The kiss had been something else. I ain’t going lie, the minute we were in bed and her body moved up against me, I got hard. I couldn’t help that though, I was in bed with a sexy woman; my dick was just doing what he had been trained to do. I wasn’t going to do anything about it though. Fine, I touched her ass but that was a reflex, like breathing. I mean, how could I not touch it? It was so fucking perfect. The point is, even though I was packing a hard-on that could have drilled through metal and I had briefly touched her ass, I fully intended to just curl up beside her and go to sleep. I guess she had other plans. Plans I was happy to get on the same page with.

Kissing her was intense. Like being kicked in the balls intense. You can’t think straight, you can’t breath and all you can do is concentrate on what is happening right then. I could tell she was turned on. The little noises she made when I moved my tongue in and out of her mouth, the way her body moved up against me. It was killing me not to take off those fucking pajama pants and get inside of her but this wasn’t about me. I wanted to get her off, to hear her pant and know it was because of what I had done to her. I had pulled her on top of me, positioned her so that my cock could hit her right where she needed it and made sure I didn’t stop until her eyes rolled back and her legs shook. It was fucking beautiful and if I hadn’t jerked off a few hours before, I would have spewed my load the minute her pussy came anywhere near my junk. The hand job had been unexpected. Who’d have thought I would get so fucking excited dry humping and getting jacked off by Ashlyn over actual sex? She had skills too, seemed like all that time pulling beers meant she was more than conditioned to handle me. I held out for as long as I could but when she looked at me with her hand wrapped tightly around my cock, it was game over.

I didn’t want to wake her this morning but there was no way I was leaving without saying goodbye. She had this adorable dopey, sleep face and mumbled it was too early, while I explained I had to go but I would call her later. There was nothing I wanted to do more than to stay in the bed with her, having her tucked up tightly against me, but there was something I needed to do.

So without giving it too much thought, I jumped into my Benz and hightailed it back into the city. I didn’t even stop for breakfast. I was focused on what I needed to do and I didn’t want anyone talking me out of it, least of all not Ashlyn. Actually it was better if she didn’t find out at all. It’s not like it would make a difference; it was just useless information.

I hit the buzzer on the external door. There was no getting in unless you had a pass or were escorted in. Security was tight but I understood the why of it.

“Yeah,” DarNell’s voice boomed from the box fixed to the front outside wall.

“Yo, D. It’s Dan. Let me up.”

“A little early for you isn’t it, sunshine? Your latest conquest turn into a pumpkin or she sober up and kick you out?”

“Yeah, something like that. Open up, will you. I’m starting to freeze my balls off.”

The door hummed and then clicked, allowing me to open the gate and getting me into the building. Getting up to the Penthouse was another story. D would meet in the foyer, which was our usual drill unless he was in a mood and then he’d make me sweat it out. Lucky for me today he wasn’t on his period and we can go about our business.

“Dan.” Darnell gave me a once over, stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer.

“Hey D, we good to go up?” I stepped toward the big bastard and put out my hand. Six foot seven and as big as a linebacker from the NFL, he was pushing at least two hundred sixty pounds of pure muscle, with a big-ass bald head, and a stare that was as intimidating as fuck. I missed DarNell. Sure he used to ride my ass but he had been part of our security detail for years until last year, when he moved on to a private job. I understood things were different now and he had other responsibilities, but still, it was good to see him.

“Yeah, you’re clear to go up but next time, maybe call ahead. You hear me?” And there was that stare that usually made the uninitiated piss their pants.

“I hear you. You need me to take a piss test or you relaxing the security measures?” I laughed as we walked side by side into the elevator, D inserting a key and hitting the access to the Penthouse.

“Keep your dick in your pants. I’ve seen enough of it to last me a lifetime, thanks buddy. As for security measures, you know why they are in place. Let’s just get this over with. I’m imagining this is not a social call and pretty sure whatever is about to happen, while it might be highly amusing for me, is probably going to suck for you.” His big-ass grin widened, showing his pearly white grill. He always was such a wise-ass.

“Yeah, no doubt,” I agreed, knowing he was probably right, not that it was going to change my mind. It wasn’t the first time I’d been torn a new asshole at the hands of Lexi Reed.

The elevator doors opened into the large entranceway of the Stone Penthouse. This place was mint, huge by regular standards, but in Manhattan real estate terms, it was a fucking palace.

Alex was waiting at the door, wearing a stupid grin on his face like he usually did when he was around his hot fucking wife. “Dan, to what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?”

“Not here for you, asswipe, here for your Mrs.” I gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder.

“Really?” Alex’s shit-eating grin got wider as we walked inside the apartment. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Yeah, yeah. You and D knock yourselves out with your merriment. Where’s your wife?” I looked around the room noticing Lexi wasn’t around. It was ten a.m. on a Sunday, so surely she wasn’t too far.

“She’s feeding Grace. You’re going to have to wait.” Alex pointed at the couch, clueing me in he wanted me to take a seat. I wasn’t in the mood to sit and wait.

“I can talk while she’s feeding Grace. I’ll watch my mouth with the cussing. Where is she?”

“You’ll wait, Dan.” Alex leveled me with a stare. It seemed he and D had been spending too much time together; Stone had the don’t-fuck-with-me look down pat. “Lexi’s breastfeeding, there is not even a shadow of a chance you are getting anywhere near my wife. So sit your ass down and wait.” He pushed me down on the couch. Touchy motherfucker. He had become so fucking territorial lately. Still, looking at what he had to come home to, I can’t say I blamed him.

“So is that kind of hot?” It’s not like I hadn’t seen a woman pull out a tit and feed her kid before but I had to wonder if it was your own woman, if maybe that didn’t turn you on. And don’t think I hadn’t noticed Lexi’s tits had gotten bigger since being knocked up and having the baby. That shit right there was proof god was a dude.

“You did not just ask me that right now.” Alex shook his head as he took a seat beside me. I couldn’t believe the bastard was holding out on me.

“C’mon, dude. She can’t hear us.” I have to admit, I was kind of curious. “Tell it to me straight. Have you tasted it?”

“Tasted what?” Lexi walked in, her hand tapping little Grace’s back who happened to be perched up on her shoulder.

“Nothing,” Stone and I both answered in stereo. Good to know he was smart enough not to repeat it.

“Hey, Lex.” I walked over to Lexi and kissed Grace’s forehead. “How’s my number one girl?” Man, that kid was something else. I think they must put some kind of crack in baby powder or something ’cause whenever I saw that little face, she could ask me for the pink slip of my car and I’d sign it over.

“She had a bad night. None of us got much sleep.” Lexi continued to pat Grace’s back as she took a seat in the armchair opposite us. “She’s got a good set of lungs on her that’s for sure.”

“Well, looks like daddy’s going to have to teach her guitar to back up those pipes.” I couldn’t help but grin as I sunk back into my seat. With her mother’s looks and attitude and her father’s talent, Grace Stone would be unstoppable. Of course she’d have her Uncle Dan’s advice too so she wouldn’t sell out and sing bullshit manufactured pop crap. She’d write her own stuff for sure.

“So, Dan.” Lexi wasted no time cutting to the chase. Good to see not much has changed. “I didn’t see any photos of you last night nor did I have any calls about your questionable behavior. Being that it was a Saturday night that can only mean two things. You were either in jail or you were laying in a ditch somewhere. Both are going to be a headache for me so you might as well come clean now.”

“Geez, Lexi. I wasn’t in jail or a ditch last night. I was home, I didn’t go out.” Really, this was just like old times. Lexi always assumed the worst, so it made me a little sentimental. At least I knew she cared.

“You were home? On a Saturday night? Are you feeling okay?” She stopped patting baby Grace and gave me a funny look.

“Yes, I’m feeling okay. I just didn’t feel like going out. Troy came over we had a few beers and played a few hands of poker. That was my night.”

Alex and Lexi looked at each other then back to me like I’d grown another head. Was it so hard to believe that I hadn’t gone out? Sure I usually was at a club most nights during the week, especially on the weekends, but it’s not like I had never spent the night at home. Shit. When
was
the last Saturday night I had spent at home?

“Look last night isn’t important. I was home, that’s all that matters. Why I’m here is I need a favor.” I moved around in my seat, this crap was making me uncomfortable.

“What kind of favor? Dan, this better not be about Sydney. She’s not interested,” Lexi warned. Yeah I knew where Sydney stood on the dating issue, she’d made herself clear. Truth is, now,
I
was no longer interested.

“It’s not about Sydney. I know she isn’t interested. I’m fine with that. I’ve moved on.”

“Well, good.” Lexi looked relieved but unconvinced. “So what is it that you need?”

“I need you to hire Ashlyn Murphy as your assistant. Please.”

“Ashlyn Murphy? The broker? Dan, while she’s probably capable, she’s not exactly suitable. She has no industry experience, she has never worked as a PA, and would probably hand in her resignation as soon as she got offered a job on Wall Street. I need someone qualified and reliable. I have three potentials and Ashlyn didn’t even make my short list. Why are you asking?”

“I met her. I know she can do the job and she will stick around. In case you haven’t noticed, there aren’t a lot of jobs going on Wall Street right now.”

“You’ve met her? You had an altercation with her in my reception area and from that one interaction you have surmised she is the correct person for the job? Is she threatening a harassment lawsuit? Did you promise her the job if she blew you or something?”

“Fuck, Lexi, why does it always have to be something shady? No, I did not ask her to blow me in exchange for a job and there is no lawsuit. Look, it’s a long story but I got to know a little bit about her and I know she
needs
this job.”