Step-Lover (14 page)

“On your own?”

He nods.

“Wow, Blade, that’s amazing.”

“It’s hard work, especially when it comes to all this.” He waves his arms around at the office. “I’m not that savvy with paperwork.”

“Don’t you have an accountant or something like that to do it?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I haven’t even thought of it.”

“What is it you need done? Can’t your receptionist do it?”

He finds what he’s looking for and turns to me, waving a first-aid kit about. Then he walks towards me. “She answers phones, books appointments, things like that. Not sure she can do the hard stuff.”

I frown. “You should have someone who can.”

“Yeah,” he says, kneeling in front of me. “I can.”

“Blade, you’re working so hard.”

He looks up at me after sliding my skirt up my thigh. “You wanna do it for me?”

I blink. “Ha ha.”

His eyes aren’t joking. “I’m serious. I could use the help.”

“Can’t Peyton do it?” I squeak as he slides my skirt up higher to expose my knees better.

“Peyton is a hairdresser.”

Of course she is.

“Ah, I study.”

“And you don’t need money in the meantime?”

I do. I really, really do. Working nights is killing me and I’d love to be able to stop.

“Well yes, but . . .”

He looks back to me. “Then help me out here.”

“You want me to work for you? With you? Here?”

He snorts. “You make that sound like the worst thing anyone has ever suggested to you.”

“Blade,” I say softly as he tears an alcohol wipe open with his teeth and wipes my knee gently. I flinch. “You have a lady. I thought we were going to avoid doing . . . this.”

“Yeah,” he says, still wiping my knee. “I do have a lady and I love her. Stop fretting. You told me it was done so we need to move on. I’m not going to go there, but if you’re not comfortable say no.”

He loves her.

He. Loves. Her.

That hurts. I do my best not to let it show. Thankfully he’s studying my knee.

“Okay,” I finally say. “But I go to school at different times. If you’re cool with me coming in when I’m not there, I’ll do it.”

He looks up now, narrows his eyes, and says nothing but, “Great.”

Great. That’s it? That was easy.

“And you want me to start . . . when?”

“Tomorrow. Eight. I’ll pay you good money, enough for you live on.”

Oh. Great. I hadn’t even thought of that.

“Okay, and what do you want me to do?”

He drops the bloody wipe and gets another one. “Paperwork, filing, accounts . . . things like that.”

I don’t know a mass amount about those things, but it sounds easy enough. I did do some classes in school so I think I can pull it off. Google will help me.

“Okay.”

He nods and wipes my knee until it’s clean. “Jesus, you really took some skin off.”

I laugh. “That’s what happens when you’re running like a stick has been poked right up your ass.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, you were like a bat out of hell.”

“What’s the verdict, doctor?” I say, watching his fingers moving over my skin. “Will I need to amputate?”

He looks up at me with a grin that stops my heart. I can’t wipe my own smile, so he can’t see the pain that causes. “There’s a good chance. How will you ever live without this baby?” He wiggles my leg in his hands.

“It’ll be a long, hard journey.”

He shakes his head with a smile and gets back to work. I sit back, watching his fingers work, and I can’t help but love how amazing they feel on my legs. His touch is gentle and he moves with grace. He quickly patches my left knee up and moves to the right. He takes my skirt and slides it up higher, and my breath hitches. He looks up at me from under those thick lashes and I have to look away in order to avoid eye contact.

“This is a nice skirt.”

Oh boy.

“Ah, thanks.”

He runs, yes runs, his fingers down until he reaches my knee again. He starts cleaning it up. My heart is pounding so hard I can hardly breathe, but I keep it together as best I can. When he’s done, he leans back and cleans up. I watch as he puts the first-aid kit away. I let my eyes slide down over his ass in those ripped jeans. Yum. The door opening causes me to jump and I turn around to see Peyton standing in the doorway, holding bags of Chinese food. Her eyes flick to me, then to my knees and her eyes widen. “What happened Aria?”

I look down. “I fell on the road. My car broke down just a few blocks down.”

“Oh, that looks like it hurts. Lucky Blade’s garage is so close.”

“Yeah,” I murmur. “Lucky.”

“Hey baby,” she croons to Blade.

Yuck. I need to leave.

“Hey honey.”

Honey. Stab me.

“I brought Chinese.”

Exit left, Aria.

“I’m going to go,” I say, standing and stumbling forward before catching my footing. “Thanks Blade.”

I rush out the door like, well, a bat out of hell. I rush out the front and realize that I have no way to get home. Fuck my life. I guess a cab it is. I shuffle through my purse to find my phone when a hand touches my shoulder. I squeal and spin around to see Blade. He’s staring at me with an amused expression on his face.

“You want me to give you a ride?”

I’d like very much for him to ride me.

Snap out of it, Aria.

“Um,” I say. “No, that’s okay. I’ll call a cab.”

“It’s fine, it’ll take me five minutes. Peyton has an hour.”

“Oh, okay well thanks.”

“Give me a minute, I’ll grab my keys.”

He turns and jogs off and I wait like a tool on the sidewalk. When he gets back, he leads me to his truck and we climb in. He starts the drive home.

“How’s school going?”

I shrug. “It’s fine.”

“Fine?”

I look to him. “Yeah, fine. Studying is never cool.”

He laughs. “Nah, you’re right about that.”

We sit in silence, and when he pulls up at my house I turn and smile. “Thanks, and I’ll, ah, see you tomorrow?”

He looks at me. “Yeah. Later darlin’.”

Darlin’
. This man is killing me.

“Okay, well, bye.”

I climb out of the truck and rush off.

What did I just get myself into?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

One week later

“Do your services come with free coffee ordering?”

I look up from the pile of paperwork I’m sorting through to see Blade at the door, leaning against the frame. He’s shirtless and has a towel thrown over his shoulder. Holy hot damn.

“Ah, no, I’m not your secretary.”

I glare back down at the paperwork. Blade doesn’t get the hint because he just stands there, staring at me.

“What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong? What’s freaking wrong? Let me start. I went on a date, yes a date, with some guy from school. He seemed nice. He asked me out. I decided hey, why not, Blade has moved on so should I. He was a jerk who tried to go for a boob grab letting me in the damned car. Then halfway through dinner, I got my period. So now I’m cranky and violated.

“Nothing,” I mutter.

“Hey,” he says and I look up. “What’s wrong?”

He is not going to leave until I tell him, and I really need to get back to work. I sigh. “I went on a shitty date. That’s all.”

Silence.

I glance over to see he’s staring at the wall with a tight jaw. Oh boy.

“And?” he grunts, not looking at me.

“And nothing. It was shit.”

“You’re in a bad mood because it was shit? I doubt it.”

“I have my period.”

He turns back to me and his eyes soften some. “So? What happened on the date?”

“He boob grabbed me,” I huff, dropping the papers. “Before we even got into the car.”

Blade’s face goes hard again. “Boob grabbed?”

“Yeah,” I say, putting my hands over my boobs. “Boob grab. Went in for the ladies and gave them a wake up call.”

Now Blade’s jaw looks as if it’s going to explode.

“And did this prick do anything else?”

“He was just a jerk.” I sigh, slumping. “I seem to attract them.”

Silence.

I jerk my head up. “I didn’t mean . . .”

“No,” he says. “You’re right to say that. And you’re right to want someone who can take care of you properly. He’s out there.”

Then he turns and storms out.

Well, good morning Captain Broody. It should be a long day.

~*~*~*~

I drag my feet out of Chemistry, so damned brain-fucked. This is proving to be mentally challenging. Add working for Blade in and it’s just a jumble of torture. I’ve been at it two weeks now, and mixing the two isn’t as easy as it sounds. I go to class, then I go to work, or the other way around. I’ve finally started making a dint in Blade’s paperwork, and it’s been hell. The money has been worth it though.

I ignore everyone as I walk down the halls towards the exit. Home. Shower. Sleep. I’m just about across the lot when I hear my name being called. I turn slowly to see Yates running towards me. I have managed to avoid him, but clearly he’s finally caught up to me. I think he was away for a week or two—who knows? Who freaking cares? I want my bed.

“Hey, Aria,” he says, coming to a stop. “How’re you doing?”

“Great,” I mutter.

“Listen, I’ve been trying to talk to you a while now but haven’t had the chance. I wanted to know if we could have a coffee and just clear the air.”

“Maybe some other time,” I say. “I’m exhausted.”

“Oh, right, of course.”

God, he’s giving me puppy-dog eyes.

“How about tomorrow?”

His eyes light up. “Great.”

I nod. “See you, Yates.”

I walk off without hearing his reply. I climb into my newly fixed car and drive home. When I arrive, Melanie is still out, so I run myself a bath and drop my clothes faster than anything else I’ve done today. Then I slide into the hot water and moan. Oh, yes. I close my eyes and let my stress slip away. That’s when I hear my phone ringing.

Go. Away.

It stops and I smile with relief, until it rings again. I’m not getting out of my bath. You can’t make me. I close my eyes, drowning out the sound. I must drift off, because suddenly I’m being woken to the bathroom door being swung open and Blade storms in. I squeal and leap up, forgetting that I’m naked and wet. I slip and go backwards, but he lunges forward and catches me before I hit my head.

“Shit, sorry,” he says.

“Jesus, Blade,” I cry snatching a towel he hands me after adjusting us both so he’s no longer so . . . close. “What the fuck?”

I study him and . . .
oh boy
. Blade’s angry. Really angry. Super freaking angry. His face is tight and red, and he’s clenching his fists.

“Hey,” I say, stepping out of the bath and moving towards him. “What’s going on?”

He turns and storms out of the bathroom and I follow him into my room. When he gets in, he slams the door behind us both and starts punching things.

“Blade!” I yell, rushing over and placing a hand on his back. “Stop it.”

He turns around, panting. “She fuckin’ cheated on me.”

Oh. Dear.

“Blade . . .”

“Went home early to surprise her and found her in fuckin’ bed with another man. In my fuckin’ bed!” he roars.

Oh no.

“Stupid plastic fuckin’ slut,” he screams. “I should have known she would do this. She was never going to stick with one dick.”

I flinch and step back. “Sit down, calm down, and we’ll talk.”

He spins to me. “I’ve been fightin’ it, been doin’ the right thing. I pushed you away. I made sure I did everything that was required of me to make things right with Peyton. I let myself feel for her, and she fuckin’ does
this
.”

“Blade, honey,” I try but he keeps rambling.

“I lied to you,” he bellows, pacing the room. “I don’t fuckin’ love her.”

Okay then. I sit on the end of the bed and let him vent.

“I wanted to love her. I did. I cared for her and so this shit . . . it fuckin’ burns. It burns not just because she had the fuckin’ nuts to do it, but because I’ve been fighting doing it myself for the last two weeks.”

My eyes go wide.

He turns to me. “Seeing you in my office everyday has killed me, Aria. I want you. I want you so fucking bad my cock burns for you every time you’re in the same room.”

Oh. Well. Um.

“I need to fuck you, I need to lick your sweet cunt because if I don’t, I’m going to explode.”

Okay, someone has lost it. He prowls towards me and I leap up, taking a few steps back. “Blade, you just lost Peyton, and . . .”

“And what?” he barks. “What?”

Oh dear.

“You . . . told me you loved her. Now you’re saying you don’t.”

He runs his hands through his hair. “I never did. I wanted you to think that because if you came near me I wouldn’t have been able to stop you, but I also didn’t want to be that guy . . . the one who cheated. I fuckin’ tried. I really did.”

Right. That’s cleared up then.

“You’re hurt. You need to think.”

“Fuck thinking,” he growls, backing me into the wall. “Peyton did me a favor. I’m fuckin’ angry at her for it, because of the cold way she played it out, and yeah, I cared about her enough for it to hurt but I’m lying to myself if I say I haven’t thought about doing the exact same thing a thousand times over.”

I swallow and he leans in close. “So let’s stop this fuckin’ game here and now.”

“G-g-g-game?”

“Tell me what we’ve both been so fuckin’ stupid to keep hidden.”

“Blade, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, shifting nervously.

He slams his body against mine and I whimper. “You know,” he hisses. “You fuckin’ know.”

“Please,” I whisper. “Don’t do this to me again.”

“Say it, Tulip,” he whispers and my eyes dart to his. He licks his lips. “Fuckin’ say what we both want you to.”

What if what I want to say isn’t what he wants to hear?

I stare into his blue-gray eyes and my heart melts. Every time I look at him, he brings me comfort. I love him, and I’m tired of denying it. I’m tired of people getting in our way. I’m tired of Peyton. I’m tired of denying my feelings. I’m tired of missing him so much it hurts. So, if he wants to hear it, I’ll give it to him. I’ll give him exactly what he wants and more.

“I love you, Blade.”

His whole body jerks and he closes his eyes, dropping his head, pressing his forehead to mine. He’s like that for so long I wonder if I’ve said the wrong thing. Shit, have I said the wrong thing? I begin to panic and go to shift when he looks up at me.

“What the fuck are we going to do?”

No I love you back? My heart sinks. I guess I thought he’d say it back, after all this time. Maybe he isn’t ready. Maybe I need to stop looking so much into things and learn to relax a bit. He just got his heart stomped on by another girl.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“It’s not as simple as having a relationship. Nancy and Dad, they live together now. The town all know them; they all know us. If this goes south . . .”

“I know,” I whisper.

“But fuck,” he says, staring so intently at me, that my skin prickles. “When I look at you, Tulip, I don’t ever wanna fuckin’ look away.”

I swallow and my body goes warm. He presses his against mine and I whimper. I want him; I’m so fucking done waiting for it. He goes on before I can speak.

“I have tried to stop thinkin’ of you, tried to move on, but there was a connection. It was there and it was everything. The problem with that is that it’s
still
there.”

I nod, because my throat is too tight for words.

“I just don’t want to stay away from you anymore.”

Oh god.

He crushes his lips against mine, and I’m right there with him. I wrap my arms around his neck and I kiss him, I kiss him so hard I have no doubt his lips will bruise, but I don’t give a damn and neither does he. We kiss until we’re panting. We kiss until my towel drops. We kiss until he’s rubbing his cock up my exposed slit. We kiss until my fingers are tangled in his hair and he’s hissing my name.

“Fuck me,” I gasp. “Fuck me so hard I forget the pain.”

“Plan to,” he says gruffly.

He keeps his hands around my waist and uses it to rotate my pussy against his jean-clad cock. I gasp out his name and clutch him tighter, driving my nails into his scalp. He hisses my name and one hand frees me to cup my breasts. He does this roughly and I like it—no, I love it. He kneads until I’m gasping and then his fingers slide down my body and into my wet flesh. I’m so ready for him.

He groans as his fingers slide through my sex. “You’re so fuckin’ wet. I can’t wait.”

“Then don’t.”

He lets me go long enough to free his cock from his jeans. Then he lifts me so my legs are wrapped around his waist. His lips glide over my jaw and he tugs my hair as he thrusts upwards, filling me with one swift movement. I gasp and my fingernails glide down his back as he pushes into my body without warning. I love it. I love how full I feel. I love how damned amazing he makes me feel when he’s inside me.

“God,” I gasp. “Blade, I’ve missed you.”

“Fuck,” he grunts. “Me too baby.”

He starts fucking me, like an uncaged animal. We’re grunting, our skin is slapping together, and my head occasionally slams back onto the wall behind me. I don’t care. I just want him to fuck me until there’s no more of the past. I want him to take it away and replace it with something new and beautiful. His cock slides in and out, long and thick, stretching me, molding me around him.

“Dammit,” I whimper. “I’m going to come.”

“Yes,” he rasps.

I explode all over him. Dampness coats his cock and he groans his pleasure over this fact. I clutch him, crying his name as my body convulses and continues to release all around him.

He starts fucking me harder after that. His fingers bite into my hips, his mouth closes around my shoulder and he slams me so damned hard I see stars. Then, with a hard little bite on my shoulder, he’s coming with me.

We stay like that for a good, long while. He slowly licks my skin where he bit me, and then gently places me down. My hair is stuck to my face and little droplets of water continue to run down my back from my bath. Blade catches one and brings it to his lips, sucking it off. Then he leans in close and kisses me softly. I slip past him and find a pair of panties and a tank, slipping them on before sitting on the bed.

“Well,” I say softly. “What now?”

He does up his jeans and then takes his shirt off and tosses it on the floor before joining me. We both lie back and he takes me into his arms. “Fuckin’ no idea.”

“I need . . .” I hesitate. “I need something from you, Blade.”

“What’s that?”

“I need you to really want this, because I can’t take you walking away again. So, I’m asking you. If you want this, stay, because I can’t go through it all once more.”

He squeezes me. “I have every intention of keeping you, Tulip. I just don’t know how I’m going to do it smoothly.”