"Listen to me, Misha, because I will only say this once. I'm with Audrey, I want Audrey, and only Audrey, and if you don't do a better job of hiding the bitch we all know you are, I'll make your life even more miserable than it already is."
"Whatever."
"Hey, speaking of earlier, what was going on with those guys trying to grab your daughter?" one of the guys asks.
"I don't know. It was weird. I hired extra security for her now, though, just in case."
"Wasn't Audrey fighting them. I didn't know who she was, but now I'm sure it was her."
"Oh yeah. She knows martial arts, so she jumped in to help."
"Again, because she wants you."
"Where were you when it was all going down, huh Mish?" I ask, effectively shutting her up, because we both know she wasn't trying to help Jeanne, that's for sure.
I've had enough, and I walk away from them all, but Jesse catches up to me. "I'm glad you finally made it happen."
"What did I make happen?" I ask, genuinely confused.
"You and Audrey. You liked her back in high school, I know you did. You just let yourself get too scared to do anything about it."
"I didn't think anyone knew that."
"I'm not your best friend for nothing. Just don't fuck it up this time. We all have blame to share for how we treated her, but you were the worst."
"Um, wow. Best Friend of the Year talk going on."
"You know what I mean. The prom stunt devastated her. She didn't deserve that."
"No, she didn't. Trust me, I'm going to do everything I can to prove to her that I've changed. I don't care what anyone else except Jeanne thinks, and she loves her."
"Of course she does. Audrey is the perfect example of what she can be-totally hot while not pretending to be anything she's not."
Well, Audrey is pretending, but not in the way he thinks. She definitely doesn't hide her brains, and she does work for Reina Corrigan. Just not in the way she presented it to Misha. I have no doubt she meant what she said about her never getting a job, though. Even from the little time I spent with her, I can tell that Reina is loyal to the women who work for, and with, her. I don't want to be on her bad side, that's for sure. I tell Jesse I'll see him soon, and head over to where I see Audrey sitting with her friends.
Audrey
I sense Blake walk up behind me, even before the guys at my table go wide-eyed. I don't like this connection we're developing. Or, rather, I do, and that's the problem. Some sweet words can't take away all the pain I've felt for the past 20 years.
"Hi guys, do you mind if I join you? I'm Blake, by the way."
"We know who you are," Jimmy tells him with a scowl. "And we remember what you did to Audrey."
"So that's a ‘no' then? I guess I'll just stand."
He places his hands on my shoulders in a proprietary way, and I have to force myself not to lean back into him. If I thought the guys' eyes were already wide, it's nothing compared to now, as he strokes my shoulders like it's nothing new. Jimmy's eyes meet mine, and he looks like he's about to go nuclear on Blake's ass. Or at least send a nuclear bomb his way.
"Blake, why don't you go back and sit with your friends?" I ask, trying to avoid a disaster.
"I'd rather sit with yours."
"You never did anything but laugh at us in high school, and now you want to sit with us? And you're acting like you're into Audrey again. This is just too fucked up."
"I'm truly sorry for how I treated all of you. I was young and stupid. That's no excuse, but it's all I've got. As for Audrey, I'm not pretending. I want her, and thankfully, she's agreed to give me a chance to prove that I've changed."
"Seriously, Aud?"
"Yes. We're together. I believe he's not the asshole he was in high school. He might be a different kind of asshole now, but I'm willing to give him a chance to prove himself."
"He destroyed you."
"Almost. He almost destroyed me. You guys helped me stay together, and I'll be forever grateful for that. You know how much you mean to me. I need you to trust me on this."
"We've always got you back. You know that. I just don't want to have to pick up the pieces again."
"I'm not that girl anymore."
"Yes you are. You just hide it better." Jimmy looks up at Blake, "The men you see at this table are some of the most powerful in the world."
"I'm well aware."
"Then you should also be aware of the fact that not one of us would hesitate to end you. Maybe we can't fight you, but we can end your life as you know it."
"Message received."
"And not needed. If he messes with me, I'll take care of him myself," I tell them.
"Now that we're all clear on how I'm not going to survive the fallout if I fuck things up with Audrey, can I please sit down?"
"Yes, you can," I tell him, nodding to a seat across the table.
He doesn't hesitate to sit down over there, even though it's next to Jimmy. The next two hours pass rather quickly. Blake engages all of the guys in conversation, really listening when they mention the things in some of his movies that aren't realistic. He takes out his phone, and makes notes on the suggestions they give him, promising to do his best to try and make things more accurate in his future projects. I know he's won them over when even Jimmy exchanges numbers with him.
"Thank you," I tell him when we're in the car.
"For what?"
"Spending so much time with my friends. It was really great of you to do that."
"I liked it. I like them."
And I like him. A lot. Maybe even more than I did all those years ago. He's really funny, and sincere, and yeah … I'm in way over my head on this mission. And before it's even really begun.
I know I shouldn't, but I let him walk me to my door. When he leans down to kiss me, I am very aware that leaning into him is wrong. And when his mouth is still on mine as we enter the apartment, I'm afraid I'll be second-guessing my choices tomorrow. I don't stop him, though. Tomorrow hasn't come yet, and I'm loving every slide of his tongue against mine.
When his mouth moves to my throat, and his hands slide inside the top I'm wearing, I arch into him. It feels so good, too good. I don't want it to stop, and that's when I realize that it has to. I have to stop this-him-if I have any chance of surviving him this time around.
"Blake, stop," I say pushing against his chest.
He immediately moves away from me, his eyes still hot and hungry. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have … God, I'm so sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" I ask, needing the answer, but dreading it, too. If he says he's sorry for kissing me, I may just die right here on the spot.
He searches my eyes before answering. "You think I'm sorry that I kissed you. I am, but not because I did it. I've wanted to kiss you all night. I'm just sorry I took it further than you were ready for tonight."
"I liked it too much." No, I loved it.
"One day, I'll convince you that liking it isn't a problem. For tonight, I'll just ask if I can sit here a moment."
I reach out, and move his hair back from his forehead. "Of course." I try to run my fingers through his hair some more, but he grabs my wrist, stopping me.
"Please don't. I can't walk right now, and if you keep touching me, I may never be able to again."
I look down, and see him straining against the front of his pants. I never checked out his package as a teenager. His ass? Oh, hell yeah. But I wouldn't have known what to do with his cock. Now I would. I do, and I can't help but lick my lips as I stare.
"Not helping, Audrey."
"You've been staring at my tits all night. I should be allowed a few minutes of staring at what you're packing."
"You had your tits on display. You wanted us all to look."
"True. You're not exactly hiding what you've got right now, either."
"You did that. You."
"I know. You just sit here and think about … oh, I don't know … maybe the shower I'm about to take," I tell him with a laugh, as I walk towards my bedroom. I strip off my shirt, and smirk at him over my shoulder. "Just let yourself out once you can."
"You're going to kill me."
I don't answer, because it's a distinct possibility. If he's just messing with me again, I probably will kill him. Or at least hurt him a little. I hope he's not playing me this time, because I really want that cock, and he's going to have to prove himself a little more before I allow myself to have it.
Chapter 3
Blake
There's nothing like cock-blocking yourself, and that's exactly what I did last night. Well, truthfully, it was "teenage me" stopping "adult me" from getting the action, but it's still my fault. Those few minutes of Heaven I had with Audrey were better than full nights I've spent with other women, and we didn't even fuck. I mean I hand fucked myself once I got back to my place, and honestly, I came harder just thinking about Audrey than I have with the other women I've let into my bed for the last year.