Office Fling (Manhattan Bad Boys BWWM Interracial Romance) Read online

  Just as I sit down and grab my phone to text Ashton and see where they’re at, the door swings open and Jade comes tearing through, the biggest smile on her face.

  “Hey baby, how was Clarice?”

  She bolts over to me and I let out a surprised oomph when she throws herself into me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug that’s tight enough to make me laugh. Clearly she’s had a good time and I chuckle as I look at Ashton, though I’m confused when I see his arms full of groceries.

  “Mom!” She exclaims, practically vibrating she’s so excited. “I can’t believe that we’re having a party and I get to cook for so many people! It’s going to be so much fun! I can’t wait!”

  What is she talking about?

  I knit my brows together and shake my head with a smile, tucking her hair behind her ears.

  “Honey, what are you talking about? We aren’t cooking for-“

  Ashton looks at me with a frown, confused.

  “We’re not?”

  He can’t be serious right now.

  Jade is basically bouncing and dancing in front of me and as much as I need to find out what’s going on and why Ashton has what looks like a week’s worth of groceries in his arms, I’m also incredibly happy to see my Jade so excited.

  “And I’m going to make Ashton some snickerdoodles! He told me that you gave him some that we made and that they were delicious and his favorite, so I’m going to make him a WHOLE pan!”

  She excitedly grabs a bag of groceries from Ashton and tears off towards the kitchen, no doubt planning all the ways she is going to make a mess of the kitchen. I don’t envy the person who has to clean that up.

  I hear Jade rustling around in the kitchen, pots and pans being pulled out of cupboards and I smirk, and then look at Ashton with disbelief.

  “So tell me why you’re holding up all those groceries. Why did you buy any?”

  “How else are we going to have a dinner party without food to make dinner with? And what’s this about not cooking for everyone?” He asks with a chuckle, setting the bags down. “It’s a dinner party; people need to eat.”

  He looks at everything and then shrugs, confusion and what looks like amusement washing over his face.

  “So we’re not cooking for everyone?”

  I roll my eyes with a sigh and laugh, shaking my head as I let my hands rest on my hips as I look around. Even if I was planning on cooking for everyone—which I most certainly am not—he didn’t get nearly enough, and none of it would go well for a party anyway.

  “Ashton, no, of course we’re not.” I say calmly, smiling. “I hired a caterer, which was one of the important calls I had to make. Cooking for fifteen people is a huge undertaking, and we don’t have nearly enough time to do it.”

  He cocks his brow and then walks over to me, chuckling to himself and I can see the very second he realizes that perhaps he hasn’t properly gauged the situation. He’s handsome, smart, a killer lawyer and—at times—a great coworker, but the kitchen is clearly not his domain.

  “Oh. So… is fifteen people a lot of people to cook for, then?”

  I can’t help but be a little amused and I manage to stifle my laughter, nodding my head.

  “Yes, fifteen people is a lot of people to cook for. It would take far more time than we have to prep it all and get it ready, plus we’d need fifteen of everything that we’re making, plus extra in case there are any mistakes or mishaps, plus servers, cleaners…”

  I see his eyes go wide when he realizes that I’m right and he shrugs, chuckling.

  “Alright, fair enough. In my defense, I didn’t think of that, I never do. Party planning and arranging dinner parties aren’t really part of my repertoire.”

  “Uh huh. Good God.” I say with a smirk, looking at all the bags. “How did Jade convince you to buy so many groceries? There’s enough here for a giant family for a week. For someone who’s a kick-ass lawyer and negotiator, you sure did let a kid swindle you, didn’t you?”

  “Listen,” He says with a grin, leaning against the counter. “I am a kick-ass negotiator, but I happen to have a soft spot for strong, beautiful women and cute kids.”

  Oh, he’s laying it on thick. I can’t say I’m not flattered, but still, he bought a lot of groceries. It’s going to take at least thirty minutes to put them all away.

  “Well isn’t that sweet, but I’m serious. You bought a lot. Do you even have room for all of it?”

  He smiles and closes the gap between us, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me in for a gentle kiss, pulling a sigh from my lips. He’s solid and warm and I can’t help the way I melt into his touch, and when he breaks the kiss he brushes my cheek with his thumb gently.

  “Don’t worry about it, they’ll get used. I’m hoping that I get to see more of you and Jade, so it’s good that I’ve got stuff here.”

  That… is not what I expected to hear, and I can’t help my body’s heated response as I smile up at him. He’s always been a bad-boy corporate type of guy in my eyes, and to see this softer side of him, it’s really throwing me for a loop. A good one, but a loop nonetheless.

  Before I can react or even say anything he’s heading into the kitchen, throwing a wink at me over his shoulder as he saunters through the doorway, picking up the bags as he goes.

  I let out a sigh and lean against the counter with a smile. I hear Jade’s voice ringing out from the kitchen, the happiness clear in her tone.

  “Ashton! Where’s your stand mixer? I can’t find it anywhere.”

  “Uh I… don’t actually know what that is, but why don’t you pick one out on Amazon and I’ll have it ordered? Two hour delivery.”

  I hear Jade squeal and Ashton huff and laugh, presumably because she’s thrown herself into him for a hug.

  “Thanks, you’re the best! Can I get a pink one?”

  “Kiddo, if you can find a pink stand mixer, I’ll order it for you.”

  My jaw drops and I let out a surprised snicker, shaking my head. Both at the fact that he doesn’t know what a stand mixer is, and at the fact that he so nonchalantly just told my daughter to pick one out and he’d buy it for her. In pink, no less.

  It’s a sweet gesture and while it warms my heart, it also worries me. Jade is my baby and there’s nothing more important to me in the world than her, so the last thing I need is for someone to buy her gifts and get close to her, only to disappear. Still though, I can’t help the smile that spread on my face and I sigh, heading into the kitchen myself to see what they’re up to.

  And to make sure Ashton knows that he can’t just buy his way into her heart, only to leave her hanging.

  Chapter # 21

  Ashton

  Jade is certainly a handful, and now I understand why everyone always talks about how tough single moms are. I’ve only been hanging out with her a couple of hours and I’m exhausted. Having said that, she’s adorable and much to my surprise I’m actually having fun and enjoying spending time with her. I’ve never really been one to be crazy about kids, but Jade? Jade’s cool.

  Messy, I think to myself with a smile as I look around the kitchen seeing flour and sugar everywhere, but cool.

  “Alright, kiddo, you just keep… doing what you’re doing, and I’ll get these groceries put away before your mom sees the chocolate I bought for you.”

  “So not only did she convince you to buy a house full of groceries, but chocolate too?”

  Jade giggles and points to the doorway. When I turn around, I see Emily standing there leaning against it, an amused smirk on her face.

  “Oops.” I snicker, shrugging at Jade. “Too late; our cover’s blown.”

  Emily waltzes into the room with a smile, probably seeing the mess that Jade has already made, and I stroll over to her and drape my arm over her shoulders with a grin.

  “Decided to come and join the party? We’ve just gotten started but we hit a bit of a hiccup. Apparently, I don’t have a… table mixer?”

  Jade giggles and continues to
mix her batter in the bowl, shaking her head.

  “No, silly, a stand mixer.”

  “Right, how could I forget?” I chuckle, shrugging at Emily. “A stand mixer. So we’ve got one on order and it should be here this afternoon.”

  “I heard.”

  Emily is smiling but her tone says something else I’m not sure of, and I look down at her with a warm smile, tilting my head as I narrow my gaze and try to suss it out of her. Before I have a chance to ask though she nods towards the hallway that leads to my bedroom, tugging my hand. She leans in and keeps her voice low, assumingly so she doesn’t disturb or let Jade hear her.

  “Can I talk to you for a second in private, please?”

  Uh oh, that’s never good.

  I’m not sure what I could have done to warrant her being upset with me—Jade has been nothing but happy all day and she’s having a blast—but the look on her face says that there’s definitely something up.

  “Sure thing. Hey kiddo.” I say as I turn to Jade, winking. “You keep on mixing and we’ll be right back.”

  She pulls me into my bedroom and I smirk at her, thinking that maybe she just wants a few minutes alone, but she gives me a stern glance and I stop, frowning.

  “Is everything alright, Emily?”

  She sighs and puts her hands on her hips, shaking her head as she tries to find the words. She clearly has something to say, though she seems to be having a hard time. I don’t really have time for bullshit so I shrug my shoulders and raise my brows, impatiently sighing.

  “Well?”

  “Listen, Ashton, you’ve got to ease up on buying gifts for Jade.”

  I scoff and shake my head, not really sure what she’s talking about.

  “I don’t know what you mean; I haven’t really bought her anything. And why would I need to stop? I’m not doing any harm.”

  “Ashton, come on.” She says with a huff, shaking her head. “No, you’re not doing any harm right now, but you will be when she misses you all of a sudden. And you are buying her things; you bought her candy and a freaking pink stand mixer! That’s not nothing, those are gifts.”

  Wait a second, misses me? She’s not making any sense. I stalk past her with a dismissive wave of my hand, shaking my head.

  “Misses me? Is there some sort of trip I’m going on that I’m not aware of or something? Who said I was going anywhere? And it’s a stand mixer, Emily, not a pony. It’s not a big deal, honest.”

  “Well it’s a big deal to her, I can promise you that. She really likes you, Ashton, and I don’t want to see her hurt.”

  I honestly hadn’t thought about it that way and while I can see her point, I still don’t understand why it’s an issue; I’m not going anywhere. How could I hurt her?

  “You still haven’t answered my question.” I say as I sit down on the bed, gesturing towards the door. “Why would she miss me? I’m right here and I’m not planning any sudden trips to the Bahamas anytime soon.”

  She rolls her eyes at me, and while it’s usually cute and playful, this time it’s fueled by irritation and impatience. She stalks over to the bed, standing between my thighs and looking down at me.

  “No, but once we finish up this case, I’m done. I’m leaving the firm. Remember? I’ll be gone from the firm and gone from your life for good. I don’t want to confuse her and hurt her by getting her hopes up that you’re staying.”

  Oh.

  I frown and I shake my head, trying to focus on staying calm, while my hands wander up her thighs to her waist. It’s difficult, because all I can think about is that she’s apparently so dead set on cutting me out of her life, and that hurts.

  “Listen, Emily, I know what I want, and that’s you. Just because you’re leaving the firm doesn’t mean you have to leave me.”

  Saying the words out loud is sort of a shock, and although I’d been thinking them, I still feel a bit tense admitting them out loud to her. I curse under my breath, shaking my head. Before I have a chance to continue, she cuts me off by actually laughing, only adding fuel to the fire.

  “You can’t be serious.” She scoffs, shaking her head. “Ashton, we’d never work.”

  “And why not?” I snap, standing up and sliding my hands into her hair. “I know what I want, and I want you. I know you want me too. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem,” She says with an exasperated sigh, pressing her palms to my chest. “Is that we aren’t good for each other, and you know it.”

  “Right,” I snark. “Because you’re stubborn and headstrong. I can understand how that would be difficult for someone to deal with.”

  “And you’re an ass who always has to be right. You can’t fathom the fact that maybe sometimes someone else has a better way of doing things.”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I scowl, shaking my head as I cup her cheek and pull her close. I can see that she’s getting upset. She’s battling with herself and what she thinks she should do, but I’m not waiting any longer. I’ve never been so enthralled with someone before, and I’m not about to let her walk out the door without giving it a fighting chance.

  “Emily. Look at me.”

  She looks up with a furrowed brow and takes a shaky breath. I press my lips to hers gently, my other hand sliding into her hair.

  “I want you, and you want me. It’s that simple. Fuck everything else. We can figure it out.”

  “But what if we can’t and-”

  “We can. And we will.”

  My heart is pounding in my chest and my eyes dart from her eyes to all over her face, desperately searching for something, some sort of sign that she feels what I feel too. But just like earlier, I’m done waiting.

  I pull her into a heated kiss and she sighs, her arms draping up over my shoulders, pressing herself against me. I know that we didn’t finish our conversation, and I know that she’s probably got a thousand things she wants to say, but right now all I can focus on is how much I want her.

  She murmurs something against my lips and I break our kiss with a gasp, cupping her cheek and looking down at her, wondering if I’d pushed things too far.

  “Bed. Please.”

  I smirk at her and nod, slowly backing up until I feel the bed hit the back of my legs, and then I sink down onto the mattress, pulling her into my lap with me. Much to my delight she happily goes, straddling her thighs over mine and rolling her hips, pulling a groan from me. She’s got this uncanny ability to have me hard as a rock in seconds and right now is no exception, and I flip her onto her back and drape myself over her, sliding my hand up her shirt.

  She’s not wearing a bra and my hand slides up to palm her breast, my fingers pinching and rolling pebbled flesh as she moans against my lips. Every sound she makes spurs my want for her further and I can’t help the way I groan into her skin, lips traveling down from her lips to her neck.

  “Shirt off.”

  She whimpers and fumbles with the buttons, quickly and deftly popping them open and baring her breasts to me, and I lean down to suck and tease her nipple with my tongue. My hand slides down from her breast to her hip, slipping beneath the waist of her pants and into her panties, and I let out a hungry growl when my fingers glide along her wet cunt.

  “You’re so wet for me already.”

  She rolls her hips against me and gasps. I sink a finger into her while my thumb rolls around her clit, pulling heady moans and needy whines from her with every movement.

  “Ashton, please.” She begs, nails raking along my back. “I need you inside of me.”

  She wraps her thighs around my waist again and draws me in closer to her, which is all the convincing I need. I nod with a moan and haul my shirt off over my head, tossing it aside. I hastily drag my pants off and do the same with them. Then I drape myself over her and slide into her with one, hard thrust.

  She moans out into the room and I can’t help but moan along with her, but I stifle it as best I can so Jade doesn’t hear us. I need to feel more of her, all of her,
so I hook her knee up with my elbow, allowing myself to get just a bit deeper.

  She’s hot and wet and tight and absolutely perfect, and when I hear her moan my name I grin, but stifle it with a passionate kiss as we move, everything else but her fading away. There’s no case, no arguments, no stress. Just Emily.

  21

  Emily

  Ashton is… incredible seems like too simple of a word to describe him. And the way he fucks? That’s in a category of amazement all its own. He’s just the right amount of demanding and gruff, with enough tenderness and attentive praise to balance it all out.

  And his cock, good lord. It’s perfect. Long, thick, and perfectly curved to hit all the right spots. Speaking of which; he’s got it buried inside of me and I’m about this close to coming again, and I can’t seem to keep quiet. So, I bury my face into the crook of his neck and cry out against him when my orgasm hits, his name and a slew of curses falling from my lips like a prayer, muffled against his skin.

  I’m no “blushing” virgin, and while it may have been a while since I’ve been with a man, I know what good sex is, and this isn’t it. Fucking amazing sex is what it is. It’s like the pleasure is never ending, and one orgasm turns into two, and this time I’m unable to stifle the moan that escapes me.

  Wave after wave of euphoria rolls over me and my eyes roll back in my head, my nails dragging down his back as I desperately cling onto him as if he’s the only thing keeping me grounded to reality. I try to catch my breath and come down but I can’t everything is still so intense and one glance up at him tells me that he feels the same way.

  I can feel him throbbing inside of me, his thrusts getting harder and more erratic with every second. I press my forehead to his with a whimper, nodding.

  “Ashton, please.” I beg, kissing him again before I break it with a gasp. “Please come for me?”

  “Since you used your manners.”

  It was growled out with a smirk and I couldn’t help but grin, though my chuckle tapered off into a moan as he moved faster, harder, everything tightening and coiling up inside of me again.