Page 19 of Surviving the Break
I allowed a couple beats to pass before excusing myself again. This time, I did head for the restroom. I shoved through the door of the small two stall space, locking it behind me. Ash stood at the sink washing his hands, not surprised at all to see me.
“Enjoying your evening?” he asked nonchalantly, working the napkin dispenser on the wall.
“I need you to stop,” I pushed out. “How long is it going to take for you to get it?”
He at least had the decency to not play innocent. “Come home with me.”
Was he serious? I waited for the punchline, but it never came. “You’re here with someone—”
“I’ll make my excuses.” He came so close his shoes touched the tips of mine. “You can do the same.”
“Did you plan on fucking him?” My eyes widened at my slip. I shouldn’t care. He moved on without answering.
“You followed me in here, so don’t tell me you’re not affected by me.” His ire began to rise. “That man out there can’t handle you.” He raised his chin gesturing toward the door.
“He’s a good guy.”
He chuckled. “I don’t doubt it. And I’m sure he’ll hold your hand,” he mocked before leaning in, “but will he also pull your hair like he means it?”
The fine strands on the back of my neck saluted, and my cock stirred. We stood tall, breathing heavily, refusing to flinch. As if a trigger had been released, our mouths came together in a violent call for action. “Fuck.” I backed him into the wall, gathering the lapels of his jacket into my fists as I sucked greedily at his lips. Slamming him back every time he pressed forward. My muscles strained from the force expended to keep him at bay.
Grunting, he threw my hands off, securing my hair firmly in his grasp and taking control of the kiss while moving me backward at a clip until my spine clashed against the opposite wall, knocking the wind out of me. He grabbed my hard dick through my trousers, and I dug my fingers into his ass, hauling him to me, as the kiss turned wet and sloppy. I wouldn’t back down, and he wouldn’t be taken down. That left us in an evenly matched battle.
“Fuck, I want you,” he said, pulling my shirt out of my pants to run his hand along my stomach. My core flexed involuntarily.
I bit at his neck and flipped our positions to get the upper hand. Out of my mind with lust, forgetting where we were and the people that waited for us, I gripped the top of his shirt, fully intending to tear it open and send buttons flying. My world shook when he lifted me and sat my ass on the sink before shoving himself between my legs and running his hands up my chest to mold them around my neck. “One night,” I rasped through the pressure, and that jolted him back to reality.
Ash jumped back, lust replaced by revolt. “No,” he spat. “One night is not enough.”
We stared at each other. Our breathing echoed off the walls. I broke first, looking down at myself, realizing what a mistake I’d just made. I hopped off the sink and turned, leaning my palms into it, gazing at myself and Ash in the mirror.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Max,” he said, dragging the pad of his thumb across his bloodied lower lip, a storm brewing behind his gray stare.
I ignored him, situated myself, and then unlocked the door. I walked out without a backward glance, but before the door closed, I could’ve sworn I heard the words…
“See you at the fundraiser...”
8
ASH
Asea of people surrounded me in the auditorium, but when Max strolled onto the stage in his form-fitting tux, looking dark and slicked back, nothing else held my attention. Up until yesterday, I hadn’t been sure that attending the fundraiser would work out for me. My prayers were answered when my patient, scheduled to have a C-section today after having exceeded her due date, went into labor unassisted yesterday morning.
Sleep didn’t come easy again last night, and it had nothing to do with my bad dreams, for once, but the searing hot kiss that we shared in that restaurant restroom. I lay all night with my eyes fixed to the ceiling, running the pad of my thumb across my lower lip that still burned from the wound he’d inflicted. How long had he wanted to let go on me in that way? Since our first restroom liaison? Or was it something freshly realized? And what more did he have to give?
Stretched out naked in bed with those questions running through my mind, my cock swayed, waving in my lower peripheral for attention. I’d brought myself to orgasm with my fingers up my ass just thinking about winning him in this auction and dragging him off stage and back to my cave.
The sound of a microphone being tapped brought me back to the moment, and I shifted on my feet to readjust my now-hard cock, which lay heavy against my suit-clad leg. I inched my way through the crowd to get a better view. A sliver of trepidation inched its way down my spine, though, when his eyes landed on mine in warning. Had we not made progress last night? Sure, he left the restaurant upset, but he’d kissed me and even begged for “one night.”Could our hours apart have actually served to reinforce his weakening resolve?
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the auctioneer began, “welcome to tonight’s fundraiser. Your generous donations will help to fund the expansion of The Center and aid in the building of many more just like it. Without further ado, let’s get things started. Tonight, we have Max. Max is single, ladies and gentlemen! He’s handy with tools, and he’s leaving it up to you to decide how you’d like the date to go! Want him to fix your creaky doors while you supervise with a glass of wine? Done. Rather a candlelit dinner? Go for it. The choice is yours!”
Like hell it was. The choice would be mine. The spotlight highlighted his anger, the visible twitch of his cheek and the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. I didn’t break the link to his stare, and the valve on my cock nearly broke when I pictured myself pinned under his rage. Fear, hunger, and an insane need to have him now made me lightheaded. My thoughts must have been apparent because his eyes bulged before turning away.
The bidding began.
The bids were increasing in increments of one hundred dollars, and the last amount shouted was one thousand dollars. I raised the paddle in my palms while holding his terrified stare, unflinching when his head shook in a barely noticeable gesture of no. Steady in my resolve, my voice thundered over the raucous crowd, “Five thousand dollars!” The auctioneer’s gavel banged, calling order to the room, but we weren’t aware of any of that. Max swallowed, and I swore I’d heard it from my spot in the crowd. I’d won, and I couldn’t wait to claim my prize.
There was a delay after the auction when an altercation took place between Justin and the bidder who had won Damon. The auditorium cleared out not long after, leaving Max and I alone. I approached and he balked, stepping back with a clenched jaw. “You’re upset,” I stated, figuring as much but wanting to pinpoint the direction of his anger. Was it with me or himself?
