Ripple Effect, page 19
part #1 of Effect Series Series
I desire him.
Adam got on the table behind me. The moment his tip teased my entrance, I pushed back, and my mouth opened as I embraced the pleasure from his hardened length entering me. My walls clenched down on him as he began ramming inside me, hard and deep.
“Adam…”
“Feel me, Ainsley. Feel all of me. You’re so fucking perfect.”
I cried out as he began pounding relentlessly into me. The sound of flesh meeting flesh filled the room as that indescribable feeling began to build within me, wanting to be free and demanding to escape.
“I can feel your pussy tightening, Ainsley. Come for me, baby. Let go.”
After he gave two more deep thrusts, I was coming and screaming. Before my orgasm had ebbed, he flipped me over onto my back and positioned himself between my legs. My body was slick with oil as he intertwined our hands above my head.
Adam’s chocolate eyes made contact with my eyes as his lips descended to mine. We were connected on a deep level. I wasn’t sure either one of us understood the depth of the level at this point. With our heavily scarred pasts, maybe neither of us wanted to understand it.
We began moving, our bodies naturally syncing as if they knew each other on an atomic level. My legs tightened around Adam, needing to feel as much of him as possible, as he slid in and out of me.
He pulled away from my mouth. “Ainsley, don’t close your eyes. Stay connected with me.”
I nodded as the feeling of ecstasy started to spiral through my body. Adam hardened, and I felt his warmth spreading through me as we kept our intense eye contact with each other. It intensified the orgasm before we began to come down from our high.
“Adam…”
“I know, Ainsley. I feel it, too.”
He put his head to mine, like he had in the parking garage. “Something real is happening between us.”
My hands came up to the sides of his face. “I know. It’s foreign and indescribable.”
I didn’t know what else to say. The moment spoke for itself. We lay in silence until Adam leaned down and reverently kissed me. Our hands found each other as we sealed and strengthened what had happened.
He pulled back. “Let’s get dressed and head home. I want you to myself.”
I gave him another kiss back. “You’re a dream come true.”
He kissed me again. “You’ve changed me, Ainsley.”
After we got dressed, we headed out the front, and I kept my head down. They probably knew what we had done in the massage room, and I didn’t want my flushed color to confirm it. Once we were out in the daylight, I froze on the sidewalk as a thought occurred to me.
“You fulfilled my wish from Twenty Questions. We just had sex in a public place.”
He put his shades on his face. “Was it exhilarating?”
I jumped into his arms and kissed him. “Yes. I’m putting that down in a definite repeat column. I’d say that was some incredible sexilicious sex.”
He laughed as he set me back down and opened my car door. “Hell yes, it was.”
We got in the car and headed home. The world seemed brighter versus the monotone colors I had seen earlier.
We pulled into the garage. My body was limber. As we walked into the house, Lindy greeted us.
I patted her head. “Good girl. I missed you. Want to come with me?”
Adam called from behind as Lindy and I started walking to his room, “You’ve turned my dog into a traitor.”
“She has good taste.”
I giggled as I made it to the bedroom. I opened a drawer and then slipped on one of Adam’s T-shirts. Lindy followed me back as I went to the couch and laid down. I could hear Adam filling the automatic dog-food dispenser.
I called out, “I love how relaxed I feel. Thank you for the wonderful afternoon.”
Lindy laid her head on my stomach and I spoke to her. “You’re my special girl, Lindy.”
I pet Lindy as I closed my eyes.
Adam sat down and moved my legs on top of his lap. “Are you comfortable, baby?”
I peeked one eye open. “Very.”
Adam began massaging my feet.
“Oh…that feels good. How’s the club doing without you being there so much with the problem you had mentioned?”
“Brandt has got the club under control. Hampton is handling the other problem. ”
I didn’t pry or push for information. I liked it when Adam gave me pieces of himself of his own accord.
He reached the arch of my foot, and it felt so good. My moan elicited a smile from Adam as he watched my reaction.
“Someone was in my club, taking pictures of people and then selling them on the Internet. It was an inside job. We found out who it was, and the site is in the process of being taken down. Our new lawyers are scaring the shit out of the college kid who was doing it. Our previous employee has his own fallout he’s dealing with after all the contracts he violated with his terms of employment. I found the good news out while you were at the spa.”
I sat up, and Adam released my feet.
I laid my head on his shoulder. “Congrats. I’m sure that’s a huge load off your mind. Was it only a two-man team?”
He scrubbed his hand down his face. “Yes. This asshole named Roach gets the job at the place and then lets this college-aged kid in to take pictures. Then, they’d load them up on a server where users would subscribe and download the pictures they wanted for a fee.”
People were weird. Adam was tracing my kneecap.
“How did you find out?”
“An old fu—a former member of the club found out. Her boyfriend brought it to my attention, and then we got it handled.”
He glanced over at me, and I schooled my features into an impassive expression. I knew he’d had multiple past partners, but it didn’t stop the small stab of insecurity from occurring as I thought about how I was just a way to pass the time, something more than a pleasure buddy to him, but it was still undetermined what he could give me. I quickly moved past it though when I remembered what we had shared today.
“I’m glad that’s over and done with,” I said.
“Me, too, baby. Are you doing okay after everything you went through today?”
I looked down at my ring on my right hand. “Yeah. I’ll be ready to see my mom at the end of the month. I’m curious to know what happened, what made her go back to the time before my dad left. I hope we can patch that missing part of our relationship. Part of me wants to ask my dad if he contacted her this last week, but I won’t. I don’t want him to think he could affect Mom like he did.”
Adam looked like he remembered something. “Your dad called the club, looking for me today. Brandt thinks he’s pissed about us firing his law firm. I’m sure he wants to try to convince us to come back. He’d be the hero of the office if he did.”
My eyes got big at his words. “Did you…did you talk to him?”
“No, Ainsley. I’ll tell you when I do, I promise. I’m going to have to speak to him, or it’s going to look suspicious. Brandt technically fired them. As far as your father is concerned, you and your mom had nothing to do with the decision. It was business.”
“I believe you. Thank you for telling me.”
His hand lay on top of my right hand.
“We’ll get through this together. I’m here for you, Ainsley.”
Together.
I like the sound of what that means.
With how deeply I felt about Adam, it was getting harder to drown out the word that was trying to make its way to the surface.
It was Thursday. It had been a long week for Ainsley since she was unable to contact her mom. Ainsley was currently taking her last test at school before working at the library for a couple of hours. Then, she would be coming here to the club. I had a surprise for her—for us really—as the last of the furniture was being delivered. I was turning the bedroom connected to my office into our own private quarters. We would no longer need the Afterburn room. I wanted our own place in the club, not a place where a ton of people had fucked before.
Trigger walked in with Snake. Both were carrying a new white leather Tantra Chair.
Snake asked, “Where do you want this, Adam?”
I pointed over in the corner. “Right over there. Thanks, guys.”
They set it down.
Trigger pulled his hair back. “Brandt radioed us and said the flower guy would be here in about thirty minutes. Is there anything else you need?”
“Nah, I’ve got this. Text me when Ainsley gets here.”
At the same time, they both said, “No problem.”
I was sure they thought I was some pussy-whipped fool, but I didn’t care.
Before Trigger left the room, he turned and asked, “You’ve still got the Afterburn room booked. Do you want me to unbook it for you? If you don’t want it, do you mind if I take it tonight?”
I gave him a nod. “Yeah, go ahead and unbook it for me. I won’t need it anymore. Have fun tonight.”
Trigger chuckled. “Oh, I plan to. Honey Pie and I are going to burn up the sheets.” He held up his hands before I had a chance to say anything. “Those damn names girls give themselves when they want to stay anonymous suck. But she makes up for it when she’s wrapped around my dick. Hell, I’ll call her whatever she wants if she rides me all night long.”
I didn’t miss having sex with no strings attached, and it surprised me. Hearing Trigger talk only reminded me of Ainsley and how badly I wanted her here with me.
Dipping my head and adjusting my ball cap, I replied, “Well, you and Honey Pie have fun.”
Trigger shook his head as he muttered about damn anonymous names.
My phone rang, and I answered it without looking.
“This is Adam.”
“Adam, Gerald with S&P Associates. Do you have a second?” His voice sounded forced and on the verge of unfriendly.
Shit.
Hearing him brought back the desire to pummel his ass into next week.
Might as well get this over with and talk to him.
I responded, sounding detached, “I’ve got about five minutes before my next meeting.”
“Good. That's all I need. We want the Club Envy account back Adam, and we'll do whatever is needed to earn it.” Gerald reminded me of a greasy car salesman.
Fuckwad.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and lied, “Gerald, this was a business decision for the club, and it’s the direction Brandt wants to go. We appreciate everything S&P did, but I have to respect my partner’s decision.”
I would let Brandt know what I’d told Gerald. Brandt would go along with it to protect Ainsley. It made sense since he was the one who had broken the news to S&P.
“Okay. I appreciate your time, Adam. I’ll talk with Brandt. Do you have any complaints that would keep you from switching back to S&P?”
“I’m a business partner, Gerald. I’m going to support my partner like you support your law firm. I trust Brandt’s decision.” My tone was businesslike and unattached.
“Thanks for your time, Adam. On a personal note, I wanted to check on Ainsley. I know she was upset at the party. It’s been hard on her since her mother and I split.”
Here came more lies as anger bubbled beneath the surface of my mind. I hated sugarcoating shit and playing nice. I wanted the situation to be handled and dealt with, but in this case, it would cause problems for Ainsley.
“Gerald, divorce is hard for anyone. I think it takes time to adjust.”
He was pleased. “I thought you’d understand. I appreciate your time, and I’m sure we’ll be in touch soon after I talk to Brandt.”
No fucking way.
Matching his tone, I said, “Thanks for the call.”
“Good-bye.”
I hung up the phone and texted Brandt. I didn’t want him to be caught off guard, and I needed him to keep up this lie. If Gerald thought Ainsley was the reason, I was afraid it would cause her unneeded stress.
Me: Gerald might call you. I told him that it was the direction you wanted to go. I hate pussyfooting around the topic, and I would rather tell the bastard where he can go, but I don’t want Ainsley to get any heat from my decision.
Brandt: No problem. I won’t take his call until we talk.
Me: I appreciate it.
Brandt: Anytime. He’s an asshole.
I went to work on the room and put new red satin sheets on the bed. I had added a Tantra Chair, sex swing, and a chest that had a few essentials, such as cuffs and rope. Ainsley and I could add to the collection as we found additional toys we liked.
My phone vibrated.
Trigger: Flower guy is here. He’s a little out there. I’m sending him back with Snake.
Me: Someone said he was the best for this sort of thing. Thanks.
Trigger: Put me down in the negative column for getting pussy-whipped.
Me: Fuck off, asshole.
Trigger: That’s what I’m planning to do with this sweet piece of ass.
For whatever reason, a smile was emerging on my face.
Bastard.
Before I had a chance to respond, the flower man came back, wheeling a cart full of white flowers from the florist.
“Mr. Ryker?” He had a strong French accent.
I gave him a nod. “Yes, that’s me.”
The dark-haired man with a mustache looked around the room. “Is this the place we are setting up for your mademoiselle?”
I pointed to the room. “Yes, I want flowers covering every surface.”
“Oui. This is going to be beautiful for your girl.” He kissed his two fingers together as if he could already picture what he was going to do.
I rubbed my hands together as the nerves began setting in. It had been a while since I put myself out there like this. “I hope so.”
The florist began arranging the flowers. He sprinkled white rose petals on the red satin sheets, floor, and every other surface in the room. Vases of flowers were arranged around the room. I had to admit that he was good at his job. The mood of the room was changing from a sex haven to a lovers’ nest.
He turned to me after placing the last of the unused flowers on the cart. “Does this meet your expectations, Mr. Ryker?”
“Yes, it does. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ryker. I’ll send the bill in the mail. We will go unless there is something else you need.”
“I’ve got it from here. Have a good day.”
He gave a nod. “And the same to you and your mademoiselle.”
He left, and I was making a few last-minute adjustments when Brandt strolled into the room and whistled.
“Whew, you’re going all out tonight. What time is Ainsley due here?”
Looking down at my watch, I responded, “About two hours. What’s up?”
Brandt had one of those shit-eating grins on his face, and I rolled my eyes.
“You’ve got it bad for this girl. I think she’s good for you. She came by before her test today to thank me for giving you Jason’s name. She said she had tried to stop by earlier in the week, but I wasn’t here.”
I walked back into my office to get a drink. “Yeah, she texted me that she was finally able to see you.”
Brandt sat down and threw his arm over the back of the chair. He was wearing a Thrillhammers T-shirt that had hammers going around in a circle.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do about your parents’ anniversary party?”
I sat down, too, in the chair across from him. “I think I’m going to go, but I’m not ready to commit yet. I’m thinking about bringing Ainsley with me, but I don’t know since Jake will be there. I still have four weeks.”
Brandt cracked his neck. “Do you not trust her?”
“Yeah, I do, but I don’t want that asshole touching any part of my life. Ainsley and I are in a good place. Jake has always tried to ruin things for me.” I scrubbed a hand down my face, thinking about all the shit he was probably going to try when he knew I had someone.
“Yeah, he’s a prick. He’s always been jealous of you. When we opened up the club, I lost count of how many times he tried to report us. I get it, but at some point, Ainsley’s going to want to be a part of your whole life.”
When I thought about taking my relationship with Ainsley to the next level, it terrified me. I liked when the progress naturally happened and wasn’t planned.
“Yeah, I’ll cross that road when it comes. We’ll see. Have you thought anymore about telling Nikola you’re better and explaining what happened, like your counselor suggested?”
He cracked his neck to the other side. “I royally fucked up. I heard she’s dating someone. Nikola deserves to be happy. You know what I put her through—hell, what I did to everyone. It’s what I deserve. Let’s not talk about it.”
I held up my hands in surrender. I could always tell when Brandt’s mind was made up. “That works. It’s your decision. Just keep your options open.”
I knew he still thought about her. It was why he had only slept with one person since their horrendous breakup. I knew he still loved her, but that was for them to sort out. I’d keep nudging Brandt to talk to Nikola, and it would either happen, or it wouldn’t.
Brandt stood up and ran his hands down his jeans. It was a nervous habit of his. Obviously, thinking about Nikola had put him on edge.
He changed the subject. “On the Gerald thing, you need me to decline going back to his law firm for some bullshit reason that has nothing to do with you or Ainsley, right?”
“Yeah, I don’t want her to get blamed for something I decided. I’m sorry to put you in that situation.”
He gave me a don’t-be-ridiculous look. “You’re not putting me in a situation. I don’t want Ainsley getting any unnecessary shit either.”
“Thanks.”
He stretched in a way that caused his back to pop. “That staffing agency is sending over three candidates. Also, that Matt guy Hampton recommended will be here in twenty minutes. Do you want to interview them with me?”
I stood, too. Brandt knew the answer to that.
“Yeah. I know you’re against having someone else for security because you like doing it, but we need some additional help if we want lives outside this club.”
