Page 136 of The Influencer

“I wouldn’t be going because I wouldn’t have been invited. Gideon and I aren’t close, despite how it might have looked when you and I met.”

“Okay, okay…” He leaves the doorway and walks over to me, his hands pressing into my bare shoulders like he can push down all my anxiety with them. “You wanna wear a suit? Or something else?”

“A suit,” I say quietly.

“Show me.”

I incline my head in the direction of my colorful collection of suit-adjacent clothing—meaning matching tops and bottoms. He gives the section a once-over. “Those green pants—the ones that match your eyes.”

“Yeah? They have a floral shirt that goes with them. And suspenders.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Glitter suspenders.”

He kisses my forehead. “I’m gonna leave that choice up to you.”

I hug his waist, smashing my face against his neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

His hands cup my ass, and before I can tell him I’m okay—really, he’s got his thumbs hooked into the waistband of my Calvins and is undressing me. The exact opposite of what he came in here to do.

As he lowers himself to his knees, he presses kisses to my chest, caresses my waist and hips, and by the time he’s kneeling before me, I’ve got an erection pointing directly at his mouth. He sniffs me from my groin to my crown, the velvety tip of his nose tracing a sensual line up my cock that has me wanting to reach for something to hang onto. His shoulders are where my hands land as he licks the vein pulsing on the underside of my shaft.

“Oh, fuck,” I sigh, shivering at the cool path he leaves behind. My body belongs to him now. I know it, and every fiber that makes me up knows it. It’s poised, on a knife’s edge, to respond to him. To obey his need. To quiver beneath his touch. To be used.

“Ash…” I manage as his mouth opens wide to engulf me. “You don’t have to—fuck—do this.”

Apparently he feels differently.

His slick, hot tongue curves around my hardened flesh as he sucks me down with a growl of hunger. My thighs shake, and my knees nearly give way, but I hold onto him harder, his suit soft and fine under my palms. His mastery of the art of the blow job is impressive given he’s only been giving them for a little over a month now, but all other mouths pale in comparison. Sometimes he plays with my balls, too, but tonight, it’s just his mouth, my cock, no hands, and Jesus fucking Christ he’s strong.

“Ah…God…” I whine, trying to pull myself together so I don’t come in two seconds, but my body knows he wants to make this quick. He’s trying to get me out of my head and remind me that what I wear doesn’t matter to him, and that everything’s going to be okay if I can just let… go… “Fuck…”

His lips drag up my length, pulling my skin with him mercilessly before he plunges back down. My tip collides with the back of his throat. He works his muscles in a rough swallow, compressing my crown repeatedly until I do the only thing I can do anymore—come.

“No—oh—oh…God…”

He swallows my length until every last drop has shot into him in wave after agonizing wave of euphoric bliss. “Jesus,” I hiss as he lets me go, and I collapse onto the bench behind me, using my hands on the edge to keep me from tumbling right over it. I fight to catch my breath, but when I see him lick his lips and swipe at a drop of my cum on his beard, I nearly pass out.

“Come here,” he says, one hand reaching out to grab me by the neck, pulling me down to meet his mouth with a kiss that’s meant to share the taste of me. His tongue slides over mine, and his beard grinds against my chin. I taste not only my spend, but my arousal on his lips, too, my senses sharply honed to what the two of us create when we come together.

It’s more than lust or sex or want or even love. It’s a fucking bond that feels as strong as chains shackling us together.

God, listen to me. Aven was right. I’m head over heels for this man.

He gives my thighs a firm rub and pulls away. “Better?”

I nod.

“Good. It’s time to get dressed, angel face. But just know that if you come out there in suspenders, I will very much read into it.”

On that note, he makes me smile, which is just as miraculous as his oral technique. After all that, the green pants and white floral button- down look perfect for a summer engagement party, and the lavender leather suspenders I choose add the perfect pop of color.

38

asher

Adam and I are barely on speaking terms. It’s not him, though. It’s me. I know my brother has a temper. He’s always been a hothead. And I understand that he gets fired up from time to time. I also know he cares about me, but he really, really pissed me off that day at my apartment.

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