The Sex Surrogate(26)

“Yes, Shay.”

“Oh, look for the most beautiful girl in the room. That's her.”

“I'm looking at the most beautiful girl in the room,” he countered, reaching out to touch my silky hair.

“You need to stop saying things like that.”

“Why?”

“Because I like it.”

“Isn't that even more reason that I should say it?” he asked, reaching down for my knees and pulling my legs over his lap.

“I don't know,” I said, shaking my head like I could clear the fog there. “I feel like no.”

“Hey,” Shay's voice broke in, glaring at Chase. “She's wasted. Back off.”

Chase smiled up at her. And I knew her protectiveness had won him over.

“That's Ava's...” Jake broke in, touching Shay's lower back, “friend,” he decided, looking at us. “It's fine. She's fine,” he said, leading her away.

“I like Shay.”

“She's good people,” I murmured, feeling tired. I scooted closer to him, resting my head on his chest.

“Who is Dr. Bowler, babe?”

“She's my shrink. My other shrink. She's good people too,” I said, eyes getting heavy. “Even if she's right.”

“Right about what?”

“But I think she might be wrong. But maybe not. That's how it works, I guess.”

“How what works?”

I shook my head, taking a deep breath. His arm went around my back, keeping me close. I snuggled my face against his shirt. “This is my spot,” I declared, tapping his chest with my hand.

His other arm went around me, his lips kissing the top of my head. “Yeah, baby, it is,” he agreed.

“Safest place in the world,” I murmured, drifting slowly off to sleep.





I woke up to banging noises, having the same effect as bombs in my aching brain. I groaned, opening my eyes to find the apartment painfully bright.

“Hey there sleeping beauty,” the voice attached to the chest I was laying on said.

I shot up, disoriented, looking up. “Chase?” I asked, blinking at him.

“Yeah, baby.”

And then it all came back. Shay. Getting dressed. The club. Dancing. Music. The alcohol. Oh, the alcohol. Then being back at the apartment. Picking up my phone...

“Oh, god...” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Please tell me I didn't say anything stupid.”

“No, babe... you fell asleep almost as soon as I got here.”

But the message. The phone message. What the hell had I said? Something about Dr. Bowler being wrong. It didn't feel fake. Okay. That wasn't too bad. I could live with that. Blame it on the booze. Pretend I had no idea what he was talking about if he brought it up.

“Why did you come?” I asked, looking up at him. I was pretty sure I hadn't invited him. Or even said where I was.

“I heard you yelling at someone to stop touching you. He didn't seem to get the message. So I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If I had known what a guard dog Shay is, I wouldn't have been so worried.”

“Hey us gals got to stick together,” Shay called.

My head snapped up, to find Shay standing in my kitchen, makeup cleaned off, looking fresh and somehow rested, wearing one of my tank tops and a pair of my pajama pants. And what was even more shocking, was that Jake was next to her... helping her... cook.

“Okay, I think I woke up in some different dimension,” I grumbled. I looked around, expecting to find a mess everywhere, but all was neat. Neater than I had left it even. Someone had actually... cleaned?

“Jake and I got up early to clean for you. I know you like things neat,” Shay supplied, noticing my inspection.

“That was really sweet,” I said, meaning it. “Wait... did you say Jake got up early and... cleaned?”

“Yeah,” she said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

“Did you have him at gun point?”

Shay snorted. “Girl, all you need to handle a man like him is a sharp tongue and a withering stare. Boy got sisters. He's trained to obey.”

“She's not wrong,” Jake agreed.

“Then how come you never do what I ask?”

“Because,” Shay answered for him, “you can't ask. You tell.”

“I'll have to keep that in mind,” I said, getting up slowly, pulling the dress down where it had ridden up high on my thighs. “Alright. I need to go get some less... binding clothes,” I said, taking off to my room. I had just dragged some clothes out of my closet when I heard my bedroom door open and close. “I'll have the dress cleaned for you and bring it to work on Monday,” I said, expecting Shay.

But then I turned and saw Chase looking gorgeously disheveled in his wrinkly suit. “Hey baby,” he said, leaning up against the closed door.

“Hey,” I said, feeling uncertain, grabbing my towel and piling it with my clothes.

“Turn around,” he said.

And there was the little flip-flop feeling in the belly.

There was nothing hotter than bossy Chase.

So I turned around.

And then I felt his fingers tracing the heart shaped cutout in the back of the dress. I shivered under the sensation.

“You look so sexy in this dress.”

Oh.

My.

“Thank you.”

His hands moved up my back to my shoulders, pressing into the muscles, aching from sleeping in such an odd position. I melted back into him, my head rolling to the side. And then his lips were right underneath my ear, kissing a line down the side of my neck and across my shoulder. “Okay, you should stop that,” I groaned.

“Why? Are you getting wet for me, baby?”

Fuck yeah, I was.

“Yes.”

“Good,” he said, moving upward and biting my earlobe. “I want you thinking about me every minute until Monday night. And every time you think of me, I want you to be wet.”

So, he said that.

And it was fucking hot as hell.

“Think you can do that for me?”

Not a problem.

“Yes.”

“Good. And when you get to my office,” he said, his nose grazing my neck, “you are going to be wearing a dress.”

“Why?”

“Because I am going to push you up against the wall, rip off your panties, lift your skirt, and lick your clit until you are begging for release.”

Well, that was certainly a good reason to wear a dress.

I swallowed hard. “Anything else?”

“You're not allowed to touch yourself at all until then.”

So he wanted me to walk around unbearably horny with no relief?

“Okay.”

“Good girl,” he murmured, then moved suddenly away from me, making me stumble. “Now go get showered. Shay and Jake are almost done with breakfast.”

Oh my god.

He was staying for breakfast? With me? And my friends?

Oh, lord.

Jake was bound to say something completely inappropriate. Actually, for that matter, so was Shay. And Chase was going to be there to witness it. I made my way to the shower, nervous at the entire prospect. Would he find them funny? Offensive? Would he try to, like, analyze them?

At the same turn, would they find him stiff and calculated?

I scrubbed off my makeup, took a few aspirin, brushed my teeth mercilessly, then hopped in the shower. There was really no reason to be freaking out about how they would get along. What did it really matter? He was my shrink. They were my friends. Soon he wouldn't even be in my life anymore.

I tried really hard to ignore the pang that came with that thought as I toweled off and got into my jeans and white t-shirt.

I opened the door to seeing all three of them sitting at the table, laughing.

And I felt the most ridiculous surge of relief that it was almost embarrassing.

Chase's head turned, as if sensing me, and smiled, patting the chair next to him.

Oh, my poor heart.

He was really going to hurt me.

And soon.





Sixth Session





I knew I was going to be confronted. Shay kept looking at me all day, but we found ourselves unusually busy, having to work through lunch and not getting a moment to even think about gossiping.

Breakfast had gone well. Too well. Everything was light, funny. Shay told her wild stories, Jake pitched in. We all discussed how we met, all but me and Chase. Jake had expertly turned the conversation right when Shay was about to ask. Thank god for him, because I had no idea how I would handle that. Jake and Shay jumped up to clear the plates and do the dishes and Chase excused himself, touching my hip at the door and whispering, “Monday. Seven. Dress,” before he left.

And I knew Shay had been dying to ask since the second she saw him show up and cuddle me on the couch.

I planned to freaking book it out the door the minute the clock struck five. I already had enough on my plate with my session later. I didn't need her stress on top of it too.

“Not so fast,” she caught me as I rounded her desk, head lowered.

I could pretend I didn't hear her. Or didn't know she was talking to me. But that seemed petty and childish. “What's up, Shay?”

“Who was that di-vine man you were all lovey dovey with this weekend?”

“I was not...”

“Oh, girl. Who do you think you're talking to? I know a woman who is all tied up when I see one. Who is he?”

Oh, god.

Normally, I would sidestep the issue. Or even lie to save face.

But Shay was quickly becoming a close friend and while I didn't have too much experience with close friendships, I was pretty sure lying wasn't part of the equation to a successful one.