Filed to story: Swallow Me Whole (Sadie & Ashton) Book Free
“I don’t care what you said. Tomorrow night, you’re going to tell your father to shove his expectations up his ass. It’s way past time, Sadie.”
“And what if I can’t?” Her voice is high-pitched. Distressed. To me, I’m not asking much, but to Sadie, I’m asking everything. I’m asking her to stir the pot, to disrupt her tidy little life.
I’m asking her to upset her father, and that’s something she avoids at all costs.
“If you don’t do what I ask, then I’ll punish you, and I’m not talking about an innocent spanking.”
“Punish me how?”
“And ruin all the fun? I don’t think so.”
She grinds her molars, and I know she’s fighting the urge to argue with me. And part of me wants her to. Part of me wants her to give me a reason to show her who she’s dealing with. I’m getting harder just thinking of what it would be like to take away her control. To bend her to my will.
Her mouth drops open, then she clamps her lips shut and stomps to the coat closet. Sadie shoots me a glare as she yanks her jacket from the hanger. I can’t help but watch her in amusement as she shoves her arms into the sleeves.
“Punish me however you like. I’m not making a scene tomorrow night.” She slams the door, and in the wake of her tornado-like exit, I can’t decide whether to be angry, or excited.
Tomorrow night, I’m going to put all of my cards on the table.
Sadie
“Are you holding out on me?” Mandy meets my gaze through the reflection in the mirror. She’s standing in the open doorway of my bedroom, her dark brows more severe than usual.
“What do you mean?” I ask as I add another coat of mascara.
“You’re taking a lot of care in the makeup department.” She shrugs. “I guess I find it strange you’d go to so much trouble for a guy who cheated on you.” Leaning against the doorjamb, she crosses her arms. “Unless you’ve got a hot date to this thing at your parents’ house you’re not telling me about.”
I hide my nervousness behind a small laugh. “I’ve got a real hot date,” I say, infusing sarcasm into my tone. “I roped Ash into going with me. I thought he could help fend off Jake.” Now, when Ashton shows up at the apartment I share with his sister, I have a valid reason for him picking me up.
Just play it cool, Sadie. She doesn’t need to know just how hot of a date Ash really is.
Her shoulders sag. “Oh. You had me excited there for a second. I thought you were up to something interesting.”
“Nope. Just a boring work-related dinner.”
And the promise of Ashton’s “punishment” hanging over my head because no way am I going to do what he wants me to do. Standing up to my dad is an inevitability—he’s right about that—but tonight isn’t the time, and a work function isn’t the place.
I’m not the sort of girl who makes waves, especially at work events.
Especially at my parents’ house.
As I twist my hair into a neat up-do, Mandy saunters into the room. “You should wear it down. You’ve got gorgeous hair. I’d kill for it.”
I wrinkle my nose. “It’s a wild mess.”
“I should know better than to argue with you about your hair by now.” She flings my closet open and begins rifling through my clothing. “By the way, Brett and I are going out next weekend with Shane. We think you should come along.”
“Who?” I ask, distracted by the curls escaping around my face. After a few seconds of trying to get them to behave, I decide to leave them be.
“Brett’s brother?” she says, her tone implying I should know who she’s talking about.
Right. The guy she’s trying to strong-arm me into dating.
“I don’t know, Mandy.”
“Why not? We’ll call it a double. We haven’t done that in forever.” She pauses, brows scrunching in thought. “And I don’t think we’ve ever gone out with two hot brothers. It’s just one date, Sadie. You’ve gotta come with next weekend. Unless you have plans?”
Knowing Ashton, he’ll keep me plenty busy. A memory flashes through my mind of how his cock filled my mouth as he gazed down at me, biceps bulging as he propped himself up in the shower. God, thinking about the way he took control and came down my throat makes me wet between the legs. I can’t imagine going out with anyone right now—not while feeling this way about a guy I have no business having feelings for in the first place.
And maybe that’s why I should do it.
“It’ll be fun,” she adds, sliding one…two…three hangers to the right. “And Brett’s brother is hot and loaded.”
“I don’t care about money. You should know me better than that. Last thing I need is some bossy rich guy telling me what to do.” I already have enough people dictating my life.
“He’s not like that. Shane’s very down to earth.”
“I don’t know. Let me think about it, but keep this between us, okay?”
“Jeez, you’re a hard sell.”
If she knew about Ashton, she’d get it, but confiding in her isn’t an option right now. I rise from the stool in front of my makeshift vanity—a white oak desk with a mirror hanging on the wall above it—and watch Mandy raid my closet. “What are you doing in there?”
She casts an assessing look my way. “Finding a dress for you.”
“I am wearing a dress.” I tilt my head down to inspect the dark green number I’d chosen, with its wide spaghetti straps and sweetheart neckline. My father insisted I use his credit card to buy something “appropriate.” So I spent a fortune on it to spite his demand that I attend this dinner. It’s stylish, simple with a hint of sexy, but most of all, it’s safe.
“Just because my brother is taking you to this thing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look good. If you’re going to paint on a killer face, you should dress to kill too. Hit Jake where it’ll hurt the most.” She fingers a plum-colored dress that drapes open in the back. It’s slinky yet classy and barely reaches mid-thigh. “I think this will do the trick.”
It’s most definitely not safe.
Dad will have a fit if I show up in that. But more importantly, one glance at me in that dress, and Ash will lose his mind.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“I can’t wear that,” I finally say, my voice thick with indecision. It was a Christmas gift from Mandy last year, but I haven’t had the guts to wear it yet.
“Oh, yes you can. You can’t let such a sexy dress go to waste.” Decision made, she slides it from the hanger and stalks toward me. “C’mon, let’s see it on you.”
I gulp. My undergarments will be a dead giveaway that I’m out to impress. Mandy and I have never been shy about dressing around each other, so I pull the zipper down and let the material slide to a puddle around my feet.
Mandy whistles. “Are you sure you’re not going on a hot date?”
My cheeks must be as bright as my hair. “Too much?”
I know it’s too much for a work gathering, but I can’t tell her I put on the black balconette bra and matching thong with her brother in mind. I feel my nipples harden in the see-through lace cups.
“Too much? No way, but you’ll have to lose the bra if you’re gonna wear this.” She shoves the dress into my hands. Apparently, I don’t have a choice. With a sigh, I drape the garment over the stool before removing my bra. As I shimmy into the dress, Mandy searches my closet for a pair of shoes.
“Wear these.” She tosses a pair of black stilettos onto my bed. My feet aren’t looking forward to those shoes for the next few hours, but it’s a quarter to six, so I put them on anyway. I reach for my black clutch when someone rings the doorbell.