Into The Fire (18 page)

“I’m not?” he asked in surprise. “Hey, I took
care of you when you were sick. I even took you to the hospital.
You owe me some sugar now that mucous isn’t spilling out
of…everywhere.”

I sighed then set the bills aside. “I’m
obviously not going to get anything done with you here…”

He rubbed his palms together greedily. “Okay,
I’m going to get the lube.”

“Lube?” I asked. “When have I ever not been
soaked for you?” Sometimes I was embarrassed by how strongly my
body reacted to him. There was no way for me to hide how much I
wanted him.

“For anal,” he said. “You need lube for that.
Saliva isn’t going to cut it.”

I threw my checkbook at him.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“I said no. And I know I said no.”

“Give me one good reason why you don’t want
to try it out.” He picked the checkbook off the floor and set it on
the table.

“Because I’m a woman and like it in the
correct hole.”

“Dude, it’s good the other way. Trust
me.”

“Maybe for you,” I argued.

He leaned over the table. “Baby, when have we
ever done something that you didn’t enjoy immensely?”

I was drawing a blank.

“We’ve done a lot of things you’ve never done
before, and you’ve loved all of it. Trust me, I’m a pro when it
comes to this stuff. You will love it. Scouts honor.”

“You were in the scouts?” I asked in
surprise.

“Yeah…it was a long time ago. Long
story.”

I didn’t want the short version or the long
version.

“Just give it a chance and see how you like
it,” he said. “If you hate it, then we’ll never do it again.
Problem solved.”

I couldn’t believe I was considering this.
But Ash was so experienced and he never let me down. Not once did
we have sex and he finished first. He always pleased me before
letting himself go. “I guess…”

He broke out in a smile. “Excellent.”

***

Ash picked me up the following night.

“Holy Toledo, you look hot.” He put two
fingers in his mouth and whistled.

“Thanks…” I tried to act like his compliments
didn’t mean anything but they did.

He stepped further inside the apartment then
walked around me so he could get a good look. “And your ass looks
great.”

“I’m sure your parents will appreciate
that.”

He chuckled. “I think they will.”

I turned to the table and grabbed my clutch.
“So, where are we—”

Ash bent me over the table and held me down.
One hand yanked my dress up and pulled my panties aside.

“What are you—”

He thrust himself hard inside me from behind.
“So tight…” He gripped one shoulder then gathered my hair in his
other hand. “I’ll make this quick. I can’t go out unless I get this
done.”

I wanted to protest but he felt so good
inside me. I gripped the table and arched my back so he’d have a
better view of my ass.

He pounded into me hard, shaking the table
slightly. Sometimes it would skid across the floor a few inches
because he packed so much power into his thrusts. His thick cock
stretched me every time it moved inside me.

Now I didn’t give a damn if we were
late.

He breathed hard and panted from behind me,
giving me everything he had. Feeling the aggressive way he took me
made my legs burn. I clenched them tightly together so my channel
would be even more constricted.

Ash noticed. “Fuck.” He tightened his grip on
my shoulder.

I reached one hand behind me and grabbed his
hip. I pulled him into me harder, wanting everything and a lot
more. I moaned and couldn’t stop. Every time we screwed, I couldn’t
hold on. Then I exploded down below, making my legs shake and my
throat hurt from my screams.

Ash moved even harder when he realized I
reached my climax. Then he stilled and released inside me. He
filled me, and I could feel the warmth of his seed. He quickly
backed out of me then pulled up his pants. “Alright. Let’s go.”

I stood up straight and my muscles screamed
in protest. Then I adjusted my clothes and hair so it wouldn’t be
obvious I just got rammed by a bull. I cleaned up then grabbed my
clutch before I headed to the door. “Ready?”

He smoothed out his shirt then adjusted his
watch. He acted like nothing just happened. “Yep.” He walked out
and waited for me to shut the door and lock it.

He and I left the building then walked down
the sidewalk to the restaurant. Ash kept his hands in his pockets
as he walked beside me. He seemed a little tired from our
rendezvous.

I was too.

“I didn’t hurt you, right?” he asked.

“Nope.”

He grabbed my hand and interlocked our
fingers. “Good. Sorry I sprung on you like that. Honestly, I wasn’t
really thinking.”

“I could tell. And I didn’t mind.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I could tell.” He pulled
me closer into his eyes.

Ash didn’t show me affection outside closed
doors unless his parents were present. But now he did it like it
was natural. His thumb brushed across my knuckles. His hand was
much larger than mine so sometimes handholding was difficult. “So,
what did you do today?”

“Just worked.”

“Any decent clients?”

I shrugged. “They’re all the same.”

“Meaning?”

“They need the approval of others when all
that really matters is their own.”

“That sounds shitty,” he said.

I shot him an incredulous look. “You’re doing
the exact same thing.”

“Uh, no,” he snapped. “I’m trying to get my
money. The second I have it, I’ll go back to being myself. Opinions
are irrelevant to me. Couldn’t care less.”

I faced forward and continued walking.

“All they all losers?”

“Loser is a strong word.”

“Well, if they have to pay for your time,
then they aren’t cool.”

“That’s not really the case,” I said. “But I
admit you’re the first attractive client I’ve ever had.”

That put a grin on his face. “I bet.”

“And the youngest.”

“Shocking,” he said. “You must have been
thrilled when you saw me walk into that coffee shop.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that.”

“Horny?”

I smacked his arm. “No.”

“In love?”

“Get over yourself.”

“Seriously,” he said. “What did you think
when you first saw me?”

Was he really going to put me on the spot
like this?

He nudged me in the side. “You can tell me,
baby.”

He already knew what I thought anyway. “I
thought you were hot.”

“No way.” His voice was full of faked
surprise. “You don’t say?”

I smacked him with my clutch. “You’re being a
dick.”

He chuckled. “I’m kidding. When I first saw
you, I thought the same thing. I thought about beating off in the
shower while thinking of you.”

It was so disgusting but so hot at the same
time. “Really?”

“Cross my heart.” He made the gesture with
his hand.

“That’s…intense.”

“A buddy of mine has a buddy who used your
services. He said he beat off to his escort in the shower. When I
saw you, I understood why.”

It was a compliment, albeit a disgusting one.
“Uh, thanks. I wonder who it was.”

He chuckled. “Probably you.”

“What’s your friend’s friend’s name?”

He shrugged. “I don’t have a clue.”

“Well, it could have been Shelly or one of
the other girls.”

“Eh…” He shook his head.

“You don’t think Shelly is pretty?”

“Of course I do,” he said quickly. “But I
think you’re way hotter. You’re, like, super hot. If you were a
super hero, your name would be SuperSexy and you would fight crime
by seducing men with just a look.”

“As flattered as I am, I think that’s a
little excessive.”

“I don’t,” he said seriously. He brought my
hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles. He did this in stride,
like his actions weren’t affectionate. Ash spent most of his time
with me. Come to think of it, he spent all his time with me.

We approached the restaurant and Ash glanced
at his watch. “We’re ten minutes late. They’re probably already
here.”

“Whose fault is that?” I gave him a pointed
look.

He opened the door for me. “Hey, I don’t have
any regrets. And if they ask why we’re late, I’ll tell them.”

I stopped in the doorway. “Whoa…hold on. You
better not.”

“What?” he asked in confusion. “My parents
know I’m a horndog.”

“But do they need to know I’m a horndog?” I
snapped.

“Well, you’re with me.” He winked. “I think
it’s implied.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t say anything.” Then
I stepped inside. There was a crowd around the entryway as people
waited for their tables to be ready. The sound of clanking glasses
and silverware filled the air. People sat at the tables covered in
white tablecloths. White candles were on each one.

I searched the crowd as I tried to locate his
parents when my eyes landed on the person I least expected to see.
He was sitting at a small table with a beautiful brunette across
from him. He wore a dark blazer and a nice watch. He only had eyes
for his date, who he was clearly smitten with. And I didn’t blame
him because she was the definition of perfection.

She grabbed her wine glass to take a drink,
and on her left hand was a sparkling engagement ring. It was so
bright, and clear and flawless. She set the glass down then
fidgeted with it, like she wasn’t used to wearing it because it was
new.

Tony reached across the table and held her
hand. Their fingers interlocked, and she released a gentle
smile.

Oh. My. God.

“Where are the old people?” Ash stood beside
me and looked around. “Oh, there they are.” He pointed at the table
directly next to Tony’s.

Damn, I had to get out of there.

I turned around and hauled ass. I pushed
through the large doors then got to the sidewalk. Then I quickly
walked past the windows so I couldn’t be seen. The last thing I
wanted was for Tony to see me. That would just make it worse. My
eyes welled with tears but I commanded them to stop. He wasn’t
worth crying over.

“Alessandra?” Ash came out of the doors.
“What the hell are you doing?”

I kept walking.

Ash jogged then caught up to me. “Whoa, baby.
What’s up?” He grabbed my arm and held me still.

“I’m sorry…I can’t. I don’t mean to bail or
let you down but I just can’t.” I pulled my arm and stepped back.
“I’ll make it up to you. But I have to go.” I wouldn’t make eye
contact with him. I stared at the cars in the street instead.

“What?” he blurted. “You were fine just a
second ago.”

“I have to go.” I held up my hand to silence
him. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

“Hey, just calm down.” He grabbed my hands
and placed them against his chest. “If you aren’t feeling well or
you flat-out don’t want to do this, that’s totally fine. I’m not
mad. It’s okay.”

My eyes finally found his.

“But tell me what’s wrong. When we walked in
there, we were joking around. Then you spun on your heel and took
off quicker than Runaway Bride.”

“I…” I didn’t want to say. It was humiliating
and heartbreaking.

He cupped my face and forced my look on him.
“Baby, you can tell me anything. What did you see? What’s
wrong?”

Why was I hesitant to tell him? He already
knew everything else.

“Tony is in there…”

“Oh…” Understanding came into his eyes. “I
guess that’s awkward.”

“That’s not the bad part,” I said. “He’s in
there with a woman.”

He nodded his head. “Everything is coming
together.”

“And they’re engaged…” My voice came out as a
whisper because I was so devastated. “There’s a ring on her finger
and I saw the way he touched her. We’ve been broken up for six
months and he’s already getting married?” My eyes watered
again.

Ash sighed as sadness filled his eyes.
“That’s fucked up.”

“I didn’t know he was even seeing anyone…let
alone in love.”

Ash moved his hand through my hair and pulled
it from my face. Heartbreak was in his eyes, the exact emotion I
was feeling. “He’s an idiot, baby. Don’t let him bother you.”

“I can’t help it…”

“If you want to leave, that’s fine. I’m not
going to subject you to that torture.”

“He’s sitting right by your parents.”

He shook his head. “That’s a really weird
coincidence.”

“How can I go in there and act like
everything is okay? I can’t. I can’t sit there and watch him pine
over his new love.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have to do that.
I can call my parents and tell them something came up.”

I looked at him with surprise in my eyes.
“You would do that?”

He gave a half smile. “I’d do anything for
you. You know that by now.”

I believed him.

“But before we do that, there’s something
else I want to say. Keep an open mind.”

“Okay…”

“We could both go in there with our heads
held high, and sit down and have dinner like he’s invisible. He’ll
wonder if you’ve even seen him because you’re so indifferent. And
I’ll be all over you, drooling like I can’t wait until that dinner
is over just so I can bend you over my desk and fuck you like an
animal.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him.
He rested his face near mine, holding me like I was the only thing
that mattered. “I’ll make sure he realizes what he’s lost.” He
kissed the corner of my mouth then rubbed his nose against mine.
“What do you say?”

With Ash, I felt like I could do anything.
The pain from seeing Tony seemed to disappear. All I could think
about was the amazing and wonderful man in front of me. He’d
quickly become so important in my life. He was my best friend but
he was also my fantasy. He always put me first and made sure I was
happy. He wasn’t even my boyfriend but he did a much better job
than any guy I’ve ever had. “Let’s do it.”