Passion in Portland 2016 Anthology Read online

  “Harder please?” I begged and Dominic obliged, surging forward into me, his cock stroking over that place inside me over and over keeping me on that maddening edge without the follow-through I craved.

  “You like that?” he asked and I bit my lip and nodded.

  “Uh huh!”

  Our bodies moved in perfect synchronicity, meeting each other with the sharp reports of flesh meeting flesh, his fingers digging into my hips, holding on for purchase to give me what I wanted. He leaned forward with a powerful, deep thrust and let his arm come around me, his fingertips searching for my clit. One brush of a touch against the sensitive bundle of nerves has my back arching, my pussy clenching and the rest of my body unravelling as my orgasm shot through me, turning my muscles to liquid. I very nearly went to my knees from the power of it, but Dominic had me, holding me fast between him and the wall until I could get my shaking limbs to cooperate and hold me up.

  His cock twitched in counterpoint to the little shocking pulses my pussy was giving around him and I giggled. I would settle, he would twitch, and it would set me off again with gentle little aftershocks which would cause him to twitch again, rinse and repeat, around and around in circles we went until we both sank to the floor exhausted and holding one another.

  “That was great,” he said gasping for breath and I rolled my head along his arm so I could look at him.

  “Better than great,” I murmured and he leaned forward, capturing my mouth with his.

  We kissed, a long, drawn out affair, lying on our new living room floor, half dressed, sweating and panting and it was one of the best moments of my life. Every ounce of pain, every poor decision that led to that night when Dominic had rushed to save me, my life bleeding out between his fingers, was worth this right here. I was alive, I was happy, and there had been plenty of times where I’d regretted the first and never thought I would see the second ever again.

  “Stay with me,” he murmured and I smiled.

  “Forever.”

  “And ever?”

  “And ever.”

  The End

  Author’s Note

  Stay With Me is a prequel story for the character Nothing in the Virtues’ Trilogy. If you want to find out what happens to Dominic and Corrine, read The Virtues Trilogy beginning with Cutter’s Hope. The Virtue’s Trilogy is a spinoff series of my popular, internationally bestselling, Sacred Hearts Motorcycle Club series and it is recommended you read those before getting into The Virtues. Of course, you could always leave this as a standalone, too.

  About The Author

  A.J. Downey is a born and raised Seattle, WA native, and the author of the bestselling Sacred Hearts Motorcycle Club series. She finds inspiration from her surroundings, through the people she meets and likely as a byproduct of way too much caffeine. She has lived many places and done many things, though mostly through her own imagination. An avid reader all of her life, it’s now her turn to try and give back, entertaining as she has been entertained.

  You can find her on Amazon, and she blogs regularly here. She also connects with her readers on Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. If you want the easy button digest, as well as a bunch of exclusive content you can’t get anywhere else, sign up for her mailing list right here.

  Falling Backwards – A.K. Layton

  Lon Whitlock and Allyea Taff have been best friends since the day they crashed into each other while moving into in the old brick apartment building in downtown Portland.

  Allyea is a friend unlike any other he’s had. First of all, she’s a girl, and that’s never happened, most women are unable to resist his good looks and charm. Second, she’s more like one of the guys, working as the best wing man he’s ever had; someone he can just hang with and be himself.

  From day one Allyea saw right through Lon’s prince charming act. That boy had player written all over him. Lucky for her he turned out to be a great friend. They were two peas in a pod, which was probably the reason she had trouble keeping a boyfriend. It was hard for men to understand their friendship.

  When Lon’s brother comes for a visits and manages to catch Allyea eye, Lon is caught off guard by feelings of jealousy. These feelings force him to really look at Allyea, and what their friendship is, realizing that it’s always been more. Convincing her he’s ready to change his ways is a challenge, but losing her isn’t an option.

  Allyea is taken by surprise when Lon reveals that he has feelings for her. She isn’t sure if she can trust his confession as real or just sibling rivalry. Either way there’s no going back to the easy friendship they had. Forced to look at him in a light she never considered scares her. It could mean the possibility of not only losing her best friend, but her heart.

  Can they survive falling backwards into love?

  Chapter One

  “I know why you won’t let me go out with you tonight. You’re worried I won’t be able to resist his charm.”

  Pacing around the studio apartment Allyea Taff rolled her eyes at her friend. She checked the time on her cell phone—it was a little after nine. Lon would be knocking on her door shortly so they could hit the town.

  “We can go out tomorrow night,” Allyea promised “…And I know you won’t be able to resist his charm.”

  “What’s the deal? He’s your friend. I’m your friend. We should all be able to go out together.”

  Allyea walked past a pouting Sauvvie, and let out a heavy sigh, as she went to the bathroom to put the final touches on her make-up.

  “Sauvvie, don’t get mad,” she called from the bathroom. “He’s my best friend. You’re my work friend. It’s better to not mix you two.”

  Allyea didn’t know how else to phrase her brush-off without offending Sauvvie. She’d learned quickly that introducing her female friends to Lon Whitlock was never a good idea. It was the same story each time. Lon took no time in weaseling his way into their panties and after a short affair they were easily forgotten. As much as she didn’t approve of his player style, he was her friend. And she did warn her friends that he was the kind of guy who didn’t typically call after a night of debauchery. But when Lon didn’t call and avoided their advances, her ‘friends’ invited themselves over to her house in hopes of seeing her hot neighbor and best friend. She caught on quickly that they were no longer interested in a friendship with her.

  Lon had an undeniable way with women. They couldn’t resist his good looks. Tall and fit, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a bright infectious smile that more often than not, got him whatever he wanted. Although she had swooned a bit at first, she seemed to be immune to his allure now. From day one she had felt an instant connection with Lon. Her feelings weren’t sexual, but as if she’d always known him, even though they’d only met two years ago. She’d been surprised at how easily they settled into a routine. With Lon living the true bachelor lifestyle, she often made dinner for the both of them during the week, while they hung out and watched a TV show or a movie. They were comfortable together. How she had resisted his charm always surprised her friends, who all assumed she was lying.

  “You just don’t want me to snag him away from you. I promise I won’t,” Sauvvie said, pressing her hands together as if in prayer.

  Allyea wanted to laugh at her friend. They both worked at the bank branch downtown, but Sauvvie had only started a few months ago. Allyea was excited to make a new friend because she spent most of her time with her married sisters, or Lon. She needed to branch out. Not that she didn’t love going out with Lon, but it made it hard to meet guys. Most thought that they were an item, or were intimidated by Lon.

  “That’s not it.” Allyea said with an exasperated sigh. Nothing she could say would get the point across to her friend. Her only hope was keeping Sauvvie away from Lon for as long as possible.

  “So… Have you ever hooked up with him?”

  “God no! He’s my best friend. We are sooo not like that.” Desperate to change the subject, Allyea grabbed her bag from the table and turned to
Sauvvie. “All right, how do I look?”.

  Allyea’s jaw length light brown hair curled in soft boho curls. The early summer months in Portland, Oregon were not exceptionally warm, so she’d dressed in layers. Blue skinny jeans paired with a sheer V-neck shirt covered with an easy black blazer. Since they would be doing a lot of walking she’d worn her favorite strappy leather black wedges.

  “You look gorgeous, as usual. Not slutty, but not up tight, either.”

  Allyea smiled at her new friend. She really liked Sauvvie and hoped their friendship would last.

  “Alright. You gotta get going. Lon will be here soon. But tomorrow night, it’s you and me, lady.”

  “Deal,” Sauvvie said with a big smile.

  Allyea always looked forward to her Friday night adventures with Lon. Hitting all the hot spots then returning home, usually with company in hand, had become a long-standing tradition. While Lon took home far more women than Allyea brought home men, she didn’t think herself as promiscuous as her Tinder addicted friends, but merely enjoying her youth. At twenty-three she was career driven, and already assistant manager at a bank that had its own tower downtown.

  Where Lon was strictly against being in a relationship, Allyea was open to the idea. But her last few relationships hadn’t lasted more than a couple months. The latest guy had said what she suspected had been the issue for the other men, Lon. They didn’t get her and Lon’s friendship. The men were always worried that more was going on between them. Allyea wouldn’t stand for a relationship that didn’t have trust, and she was too young to even think about settling for anything less than perfect.

  When it came down to the men or Lon, Lon won every time. Her sisters worried he was holding her back from finding a serious relationship, but she didn’t see things that way. She refused to be with a man who would force her to choose him over her friends. If she did, what ultimatums would he throw at her next?

  “See you later, sweetie.”

  Sauvvie’s goodbye pulled Allyea from her thoughts. She followed her chatting friend from the apartment and looked around. Good. Lon hadn’t yet heard them yet and come out of his apartment.

  “You too. I’ll text you later.” Allyea waved as her friend made her way down the corridor.

  ***

  Lon met Allyea in the hallway just in time to see the swaying backside of a blonde as she sauntered out of the apartment building.

  “So who’s the hottie you’re hiding from me this time?” Lon asked.

  “No one. Stay away from her.” Allyea said over her shoulder as she locked her door.

  “If she’s no one, then why do I have to stay away?”

  Lon gave Allyea his wide showy smile, the one that made his blue eyes twinkle. As much as he’d worked his charm on her she had always been immune to it, which he assumed was part of the reason they never hooked up. Not that he didn’t find her attractive. Allyea was about a half foot shorter than him, with light brown hair that fell just below the curve of her cheek. She had soft features, hazel eyes and a great body, but she wasn’t like other girls. She didn’t fall for his bullshit lines or his charm. Eventually, they had fallen in to a comfortable companionship. Lon had never had this type of relationship with a girl before. Their laid back friendship, and the mutual give and take, was nicer than he expected. He compared it to having a girlfriend without the monogamy.

  “She’s a friend from work. Which is why she’s off limits. The other girls in the office won’t even talk to me anymore.”

  “Hey, I can’t help it if all your friends love me.”

  “Yeah, well, you don’t try very hard to stay away from them. And when you don’t call them back, they turn all stalker status and camp out at my apartment. So just don’t.”

  Everything she said was true, but in his defense it did take two to tango. Lon joked that if Allyea had less hot friends then this wouldn’t be an issue, but even that probably wouldn’t stop him. In all honesty, he found it hilarious how much sleeping with her friends riled her. He took pleasure in seeing how much he could annoy her.

  “So… are we going or what?” Allyea asked as she tossed her keys in her bag.

  “Yeah. Let’s go, my friends are meeting us over at The Lotus.” Lon nodded.

  “Anyone I’ve met before?”

  “Kyle should be there and maybe Jeff. I don’t think you’ve met Trent yet.”

  “Fun,” Allyea said.

  Lon loved the simple upbeat response. She was easy going and ready for a good time.

  They lived close to the waterfront in an old brick building, which cost an exorbitant amount in rent, but almost everything, including the nightlife, was a quick walk away. He didn’t have to worry about driving with a buzz.

  Lon worked as a mechanic on high-end cars, which brought him in a pretty paycheck. Occasionally he would have to work Saturdays, but not this weekend. Which meant tonight was going to be a long night out, one that was sure to end with a pretty lady tangled up in his sheets.

  He wasn’t oblivious to his player status, but he wasn’t fazed by it, either. At twenty-four Lon had a stable career, a decent apartment, and good friends. Settling down with one woman wasn’t in his plans. In his mind that kind of seriousness was best left for your thirties, and he wasn’t in any rush.

  ***

  The Lotus restaurant and bar was their Friday night starting point, before hitting the clubs or the occasional random bar. Lon held the door for Allyea then followed her inside. He spotted his friends when they waved from a booth in the back. Allyea insisted on getting the first round, since he’d bought the first round last week. She headed to the bar while he made his way to the table where Kyle and Trent were sitting.

  “Hey. What up? No Jeff?” Lon asked, taking a seat in the booth

  “Na. Not tonight.” Kyle shrugged.

  “How’s it looking in here? Any talent?” Lon asked as he looked around.

  “Dude, nothing hotter than what you walked in with. You really aren’t hitting that?” Trent asked wide-eyed and grinning.

  Lon shot a questioning look at the two men.

  Kyle scoffed and shook his head.

  “What? Who? Allyea?” Lon asked raising his eyebrows.

  “Yeah, she’s smoking hot.” Trent narrowed his eyes and nodded.

  “I guess.” Lon shrugged. “It’s not like that with us. We’re just friends.”

  Trent leaned across the table, and with a sly grin nodded towards Allyea. “So you don’t mind if I take a crack at her?”

  Lon thought about it for a second. Why would I mind? He and Allyea had reputations for not going home alone. But unlike himself, she didn’t break her own rules and go after his friends. They all tried and she shot them down every time. The idea of her hooking up with one of his friends didn’t bother him so much. Even though he felt a little protective of her, Allyea was a tough cookie. That and the fact he was confident she would turn his buddy down.

  “Sure, go for it man. Good luck.” Lon shrugged.

  Kyle leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms, “This should be good.”

  Lon shot Kyle a knowing smile.

  Allyea returned from the bar with drinks in hand. “Hey guys! Sorry it took so long; I was chatting up this total cutie for you at the bar.” Allyea winked at Lon before she took a sip of her beer.

  Lon looked over his shoulder trying to figure out which one she’d talked up. In true Allyea fashion, she was as always looking out for him, and the best wing man a guy could have. He found that women felt less intimidated by a group of men if other women accompanied them. Besides, Allyea was great at initiating the conversation.

  “She’s gonna come over here in a minute with her friend. Just lay on some of that thick charm of yours, and you might not have to wait until the end of the night to find a little action,” Allyea said.

  She captured his chin in a familiar fashion and shook it as she wrinkled her nose at him. He bumped his shoulder against hers. “You’re too good to me. You’d ne
ver catch me doing that shit for you.”

  He wasn’t against Allyea hooking up with dudes, but he wasn’t about to help. On occasion he’d considered it because the men she dated were the worst. They were stuffy, and not right for her. If he found a guy good enough for her, he might step in and help his girl out. But he didn’t see that happening any time soon.

  “I know.” Allyea rolled her eyes then smiled. “Play your cards right boys, and you might find yourself a lucky lady tonight.”

  “Maybe you’d like to be that lucky lady.” Trent winked at Allyea.

  Lon sat back and crossed his hands over his chest as he waited for his friend to crash and burn with his cheesy pick up line. When Allyea looked over at him with wide eyes and a smirk, Lon shrugged his shoulders at her before she eyed Trent again.

  “Aww. Thanks Trent, but I don’t really think I’m your type.”

  “Sugar, you are most definitely my type.”

  Lon caught the laugh in his throat before it could escape.

  Allyea leaned over the table towards Trent. “I was trying to be nice. You’re not really my type.”

  Lon and Jeff’s laughter roared through the bar.

  Trent’s face went pale.

  Allyea looked over at Lon and shrugged before taking a swig off her bottle of beer.

  His girl was something, and never ceased to surprise him. Lon pulled her into a side hug, and shook his head at her as he continued to laugh.

  Chapter Two

  A week later, Lon walked into the Friday nightspot and was ambushed by a tiny brunette who threw her arms around him in a familiar hug.

  “Look who finally showed up to the Party,” Allyea teased.

  Lon returned her hug, but he was in desperate need of a beer. He’d worked until noon then met up with his brother who’d come into town for the weekend. Merritt had shown up late making them late meeting up with the gang.