Page 66 of Bidding War

“Touch yourself.”

June reaches between her legs and works her clit for my viewing pleasure. Her wet body glistens as she waits for my next words.

Fuck, I love this woman.

I line up behind her and growl, “Keep touching yourself,” before I mount her. It’s too much and not enough. I lie on her back, pressing her to the couch so I can feel all of her on me. Her neck tastes like sweets, and I bite her there as I pound into her. Her fingers graze my cock sometimes because she is such a good girl that she’s still touching herself on my order. I murmur, “Do you want me to come in you, love? To fill you up?”

“Yes!” she whimpers beneath me. “Come inside of me!”

Those words are almost enough to do it. But still, I want more.

I cock myself downward to dig against her spot harder, and she releases a throatier sound, something from her core. That’s it. That’s what I want. She trembles beneath me, and it vibrates through my body. I’m close—her pulse makes me throb. Each stroke makes her frame stiffen. She is almost there. But I need one more?—

“Fuck!” she whines. Her body goes crazy, and I arch back to let her move. She gushes on me in a rush as she comes screaming yet again. I bear down on her, loving all the honey pouring from her body. The heat tears through me and melts my resolve. I come in a bellow, hammering into her quivering body, until I collapse onto her back, desperate for air.

This solved nothing, but it feels like the answer to everything.

37

JUNE

It has been days since Elliott put down his ultimatum to Anderson. I am surprised that we haven't heard anything about it yet. But according to Anderson, his dad hasn't said a peep about us being together. We are certain that he knows that we keep seeing each other. That man knows everything. He probably knows what I had for breakfast yesterday. So it's not like this is going to be some big surprise to him. Anderson says that maybe he respects the fact that he is doing his own thing.

But I don't think it's that. I think he's waiting like a snake in the grass. So I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall. Until then, I'm going to live my life.

Today is Monday, and it is my first day at Andre's office. I am nervous and anxious, and part of me feels like this is the dumbest thing I have ever willingly done. But I'm doing it. After losing my last job because of Elliot. And all of the other things that he has managed to have a hand in in my life. I am doing the one thing that I am sure he will hate.

Well, aside from continuing to see Anderson.

I slide out of bed, trying not to wake him. His day starts later than mine, so I decided that I will take a shower by myself for once and really enjoy it. That man hates a properly hot shower.

Under the steaming hot water, I keep thinking of things I don't wanna think about. The bruises on my throat have been gone for days. But I still see them sometimes in the mirror. Not to mention, I see Moss's face in my head, too. That man was a savior that night. Right alongside Anderson. But he terrifies me. He is a living, breathing nightmare. He reeks of death. Whatever he does for Elliot, none of it is good. I hate that Anderson has to work with him.

So many of my recent bad memories are wrapped around Elliott West. I hate that. I would love to have a boyfriend whose father was a good man. But those are not the cards I was dealt. I have to play the hand that I was dealt. That means figuring out how to deal with Elliot. And I have yet to do that.

Hopefully, Andre will give me some pointers. I will have to divest him of the idea that we’re engaged. It could be a useful lie to hang on to, but the truth is, I will absolutely lose track of my lies. I am not slick like they are. It's just not in me. Once we set the record straight, things will go smoothly.

Although maybe I can wait to tell him the truth. It is a useful lie. And since I'm only doing a two-week trial run at Andre’s office, he doesn't necessarily need to know the truth. I can maintain a life for two weeks. Probably.

Kelsey was not happy about me taking two weeks away from the bar. I don't blame him. I make that man a lot of money. But he knows that my working there is temporary, so he didn't give me too much grief about it.

The one I'm really worried about is Anderson. He's still not on board about this, but we've reached some kind of a stalemate. He doesn't like that I'm working for Andre, and I don't like that he's working for his father. I know it's not my place to tell him to quit working for his dad. Just as it's not his place to tell me whether or not I can take a job with Andre. But so far, Andre has only kidnapped me. Elliott has done everything in his power to depower Anderson. He's done it his whole life. My poor boyfriend has been emotionally abused and manipulated by that man for decades.

Maybe if Andre likes me enough, he'll take out Elliot for me.

It's a fun thought experiment, but that's all it is. I could never ask such a thing and would never want it on my conscience. Though if he keeps pulling his shit with Anderson, I might figure out how to deal with a loaded conscience.

Anderson knocks on the bathroom door. “You gonna be much longer, baby?”

“Give me five minutes.”

“Okay, but the bagels are getting cold.”

That little shit snuck out of here and got bagels? I love that man.

I get out of the shower a little faster, wrap my hair in a towel, and put on my robe before running out into the kitchen. There on the counter is a bag heavy with bagels and two lattes. “I can't believe you did this.”

“Figured my girl needed some good fuel for her first day.”

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