Page 45 of With Us (Next Generation 2)

When I finished cleaning up, I was making my way out of the building when I found Ashton coming toward me. Not too long ago and my body would have lit up but now…nothing. No reaction. At all. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that either.

“Hey, babe.” He gave me his gorgeous smile and wrapped me up in a hug.

“Hey.” I returned the embrace. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”

“Yeah, my mom needed some help. One of the pipes burst in the basement, so my dad sent me to check it out.”

I released him. “Oh, well good luck.” I went to walk past him when he grabbed my upper arm. “Ashton.”

“I know I ended this…” He pulled me back into his arms. He leaned down to my ear, his hot breath washing over the side of my face. “But I’m down for picking this up again.”

My phone took that moment to ring. I pulled it from my bag, my heart stuttering when I saw that it was Sunny calling.

“Who’s that?” Ashton asked, keeping his arms around me.

I pulled from his grip, ignoring his question and answering the phone. “Hey, Sunny.”

“Who thefuckishe?”

My eyes widened, my head whipping around. I scanned the vicinity around me but there was nothing out of the ordinary. “What, are you stalking me now?”

He chuckled, the sound deep and delicious. “Oh, pet. I’m not there. But I have eyes. I have eyes every fucking where.”

“Meadow?”

I glanced back at Ashton.

A deep frown had settled between his brows.

“I’m good,” I told him.

“Answer my question, pet,” Sunny growled.

“Listen, being told what to do while you’re fucking me is hot and all but that’s theonlytime you get to control me.” I hung up the phone, shoved it back in my bag and started walking toward the sidewalk.

“Where are you going?” Ashton called.

“Home. Alone,” I called out over my shoulder. I needed to bake and get these damn men off my ass. Who the hell did Sunny think he was? Thinking he could control me. In bed, sure. I submitted like the best submissive out there. But when it came to my day-to-day activities and life outside of the bedroom,Iwas in control. And if he thought any differently, he could fuck right off.

When I reached the sidewalk, I started walking the few blocks home. The afternoon sun was warm to the skin but cool enough that you wouldn’t sweat your balls off.

My phone dinged, rang, dinged again, and rang some more. Everything inside of me told me that it was Sunny. Didn’t matter. Just because the sex was the best I ever had; it didn’t mean shit.

The hair on the back of my neck tingled. I stopped suddenly, glancing around me.

“Follow your gut, kiddo. Your gut is always right.”

My dad told us over and over again how our conscience was in our gut. It was that clenching feeling, almost like you ate a bad plate of tacos. And right now, that feeling was there.

My phone rang again. Fishing it out of my bag, I lifted it to my ear without looking at who was calling.

“Yeah,” I greeted.

“Pet, I—”

“Can you come pick me up?” I asked, thankful that it was Sunny, even though he pissed me off. “Please.”

“You still at The Dove Project?”

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