Own Me (Savage Bosses)

2. Ayana

CHAPTER 2

Ayana

Friday Night

I take a sip of my strawberry lemonade vodka and sway to the beat of the music. The strong vodka cuts through the drink’s sweetness, slightly burning my throat as it goes down. I take another smaller sip. I don’t want to finish it alone. Shayla texted a few minutes earlier about running late, so I ordered, promising myself to enjoy tonight and not worry about Chris.

I got a call last week from the H.R. department at Mid-Tech Corporation, informing me I’m transferring to their new main headquarters within a week. The company has been taken over and the new name is NexGen West. The owner of NexGen West is in need of an executive assistant, and I have been recommended for the job.

Shayla’s words helped me to acknowledge what I already knew about Chris, but this transfer gives me the incentive to break it off with him when he returns from his business trip. He’s no good for me. I will tell him I think we should go our separate ways. Life is too short to remain unhappy and unsure of the person you’re in a relationship with. Besides, I have my future to worry about and the beginning of my new position at NexGen West Software Corporation.

Shayla will be able to remain as a team leader at Mid-Tech Corporation for her division in finance. Some of the older employees near retirement had received hefty severance packages. But thank God, whoever the new boss is has been fair, and no one has been left out.

I fan my face, noting how the air gets warmer with each sip of my drink. The overhead strobe lights color the floor in dim lighting as I watch the dancers on the dance floor. The music slows, and the couples’ bodies move in fluid rhythm against one another.

I jump slightly when I feel a hand on my shoulder. Shayla breezes up behind me before taking a seat at the table. “Yana, I’m so sorry I’m late, and I didn’t mean to startle you!”

"No problem. I was just sipping on my drink and enjoying the atmosphere,” I reply as my friend sits across from me with anxiety written all over her face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but my mom came into town unexpectedly, and I wanted to get her settled for the night. She stormed out on Dad after an argument. She’s upset.”

"I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me Mama Darlene came for a visit? We could have canceled our plans.”

“Mama wouldn’t hear of it. You know how she is, Ayana. But she sends her love and wants us to live it up and have fun while we we’re still young and free. I tried to ask her why she and dad argued, but she wouldn’t tell me.”

“Maybe she’ll be ready to talk about it after a good night’s sleep.”

"I hope so,” Shayla replies. Then her eyes fall to the glass in my hand. "Mm, strawberry lemonade vodka. I think I’ll have three or four of those.”

“Great!” I empty my glass and look around. The crowd has thinned out since I first arrived. “Let’s go to the bar. There are two empty seats over there. Let’s grab those and drink the night away."

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Shayla says as we stand to our feet and make our way to the bar. Several disco lights, laser beams, and the flashing lights give the atmosphere a sultry glow. People are smiling and having a good time as the DJ mixes the loud music on turn tables. Lots of people line up at the bar to order their favorite drinks.

“Excuse me,” a man mutters as he stumbles past me.

“Whew! It’s crowded tonight,” Shayla says after she gets her first drink, she takes a pull from her glass through the tiny straw. Her eyes roll to the back of her head in delight. “Mm, this is good. I needed this,” she says in a more relaxed tone. “We have a big week coming up. Are you nervous about starting at NexGen Monday?”

The mention of changing to a new place and company management gives me jitters. “I really am, but I’m also sad we won’t be working at the same place anymore. I’m going to miss our days at Mid-Tech and getting to eat lunch together. Are you going to miss me?” I ask.

Shayla’s gaze peers into mine under the dim lighting. "You know I am. We’ve been working together since we left university. That’s longer than some people have been married. But I also feel blessed that both of our jobs are secure."

I smile. “You’re right about that, and it’s not like we’ll be living in different cities. We’ll have the weekends to catch up.”

“Bish, I’ll drink to that,” Shayla says after we order our second round of drinks.

“So, what’s been—” I start to say when a buzzing sound comes from her handbag.

“Hold your thoughts.” Shayla digs into her purse to retrieve her cell phone. When she finds it, she frowns at the phone and answers, “Hey, mom, is anything wrong?”

I can’t hear what Mama Darlene is saying, but from the frown on Shayla’s face, it doesn’t look good.

“Okay, I’m leaving now, and please don’t do anything rash,” she says, ending the call.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as Shayla stands to her feet.

“Dad has shown up at my apartment, but Mom won’t let him in. He’s threatening to kick in the door. I need to go to calm the waters. I don’t want the neighbors to call the police. I’ll call Dad and tell him I’m coming home so he can stop his antics.”

“Okay, but I’m leaving too.”

“Oh, no. I would hate to ruin the night for both of us. You stay here and finish your drink,” she says, pulling out some cash and leaving it on the countertop. "Drinks are on me tonight. I will call you tomorrow, okay?”

“I don’t—” I start to stand, but Shayla pushes me back down on the barstool. “Stay, and that’s an order,” she says, then walks away.

I decide to stay and at least finish my drink, call a taxi and get out of here.

“Is this seat taken?” I’m caught off guard by the low timbre of the male voice behind me. The sound sends a tremble throughout my body.

I clasp the nearly empty glass in my hand and glance up into the most startling blue eyes I've ever seen. I open my mouth and then close it as I take in the total package of the man standing before me. Oh … My … God .

In front of me stands a Greek-God-like man who looked as if he strutted straight off the pages of a magazine. He is all of six feet and maybe around three inches of rugged male body with muscles that can't be hidden behind a suit jacket and white dress shirt.

His stare is riveting; his lips hold a tilted smile on a face that is all angles and planes. His dark hair is full and wavy. I bet it would feel magnificent against my fingertips. Wait, where did that thought come from? Sexual tension is where it came from , my inner thoughts supply.

“Ahem,” I clear my throat to speak. “It's available.”

His smile deepens, and he extends his huge hand with long, tapering fingers. “Hello, my name is Sterling.”

“I'm Ayana.” I take his hand in mine and tremble. His grip is firm and warm, so much so that it sends warmth through my body and causes a shiver to run down my spine.

“You have a lovely name. May I buy you another drink, Ayana?” Sterling gestures to my empty glass as he eases onto the vacant barstool beside me. “What are you drinking?”

“Strawberry Vodka Lemonade, and yes, you can get me another one.” I'm already feeling a bit tipsy since this is my third drink of the night, but I throw caution to the wind and allow this sexy Adonis to buy me another drink.

Sterling signals to the bartender, who just finished serving another customer. “I’ll have a strawberry vodka lemonade for the lady and a whiskey on the rocks for myself.”

With a nod, the bartender turns and starts making our drinks.

I cross my legs and gaze out toward the dance floor, but I cannot resist glancing at Sterling whenever I sense he isn't looking. He's not the type of man I've ever gone for in the past or the kind of man that ever came on to me. Although he is dream worthy, I've only been attracted to black men.

I become bolder in checking him out and wonder what it would be like to strip off his suit jacket and shirt. I crave a good look at the muscles beneath his expensive business attire. I imagine my fingertips trailing over his taut abs, his lean hips, and wrapping my thick thighs around his slender waist.

I let loose a small gasp at my scintillating thoughts and meet Sterling's gaze. A fire in his eyes causes the color in his orbs to darken.

I feel a flush come to my cheeks at being caught staring. Thank God my dark skin hides my embarrassment.

“What are you thinking about, Ayana?”

The sexy timbre of his voice sounds like buttery caramel melding into chocolate. It reminds me of silk sheets and two slick naked bodies pumping and grinding to a rhythm of their own making.

My breath lodges in my throat. I can't divulge my tantalizing thoughts, so I remain speechless, trying to gather my wits. I look down and pick at imaginary lint on my lap, shaking my head. It was all I could do.

My breath releases when the bartender sets our drinks before us.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” the bartender says before walking away down the bar and leaning over it, lifting his ear to other customers.

I pick up my glass with the speed of a person dying of thirst and take a long drink. I hold it in my mouth until it felt safe to talk about something other than my raging lust. “What do you do?” I ask, not supplying an answer to his earlier question.

Sterling's eyebrows arch, and a cocky smile quirks at one side of his mouth. That sensual smile does strange things to my belly. “I see what I want. Then, I take what I want and make it better than it was before.”

“What does that mean exactly?” I ask, squeezing my thighs together, trying to calm my throbbing clit. Every word out of his mouth sounds sexy.

“You could say I'm an entrepreneur…” he explains. "in a manner of speaking."

I jump when his knee brushes against mine. An electrical shock elicits vibrations through me.

His gaze moves to his drink, and he downs it in two gulps. Sterling immediately signals for a refill.

After his drink is set before him, his stare returns to me. “What about you, Ayana? Tell me something about yourself.”

“I'm an only child. My sweet grandmother raised me after my mom died when I was twelve years old. I never knew my father, and I don't care to. My mom was very young when she conceived me, or so I was told. The boy wanted nothing to do with a baby.” I glance down at my hand, feeling sadness bite through my heart. “My granny sacrificed a lot for me to become the woman I am today. She was my only family but died from COVID complications a year and a half ago. She was my everything, and I miss her every day.”

Sterling’s eyes soften and his naughty smile fades. “I'm so sorry. That must have been tough for you.”

“Very,” I say and take a long sip from my drink.

“Do you have any other family nearby?”

I shake my head. “Not really. I have a great aunt and uncle living in Virginia, the last I heard. I never met them, so the only family I have is my best friend, Shayla." His face holds a look of compassion, but I change the subject. “Enough about me, let's get back to you. Do you have a family?”

“Just my mother,” he says. “She lives in Florida. After my father passed away five years ago, my mother wanted to move and be near her only sister and her family." He takes a sip of whiskey. “I also have two cousins here that I'm close to. They are brothers who own their own security business, among other things.”

I nod. “There is nothing like family, is there?”

“I agree wholeheartedly,” he says. “Is there a boyfriend in the picture?”

“My situation with my boyfriend is complicated at best.”

“Then make it uncomplicated.”

“That's my plan. I'm breaking up with Chris, that’s his name, when he returns from his business trip.”

He nods and grins as if my decision makes him happy.

“Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?” I inquire.

Sterling rakes his hand across his face before answering. “No, to both questions.” He downs the whiskey in one gulp this time.

I wonder what that was about. I don’t dig but take a sip of my drink instead.

Sterling’s gaze locks with mine again. “I’m not one to beat around the bush. You are a beautiful woman, Ayana.”

From the way he drags his gaze up my frame, I feel a thrill from my head to my toes.

“Thank you, Sterling. You are an attractive man.” I cock my head to the side. “But I’m sure many women say that to you already.”

“More than I care to remember, but it means a lot coming from a lovely woman like you. I would like to continue this conversation somewhere more private. What do you say we have this conversation at the hotel across the street?"

I raise my brows, wondering how many women he had propositioned in nightclubs like this and on this very night.

“Is this how you usually ask a woman to accompany you to a hotel?”

“No, it’s the women that do the inviting.”

“Oh,” I say to his bluntness.

“So, what do you say? I have a suite reserved for—different occasions. We can have a drink, and then you decide how far it goes. I promise you, I can take no for an answer.” His features form severe angles when he says this.

I bite my bottom lip and shake my foot. What was I supposed to say? Hell, what was I supposed to do? I have never picked up a stranger in a nightclub or even had a one-night stand. Even if what I’m about to do is considered cheating on Chris, I’m planning to break up with him anyway. Chris’s attention has been directed elsewhere for a while. So, I do something far from the normal me. I drain my glass, pick up my purse and say, “Let’s go.”

His mouth curves up into a sexy grin. We head out into the warm night.

"Good evening, Mister—” the doorman starts to greet Sterling before he abruptly cuts him off.

“Abe, nice to see you again." He nods, and keeps walking, taking my hand in his. He leads me past the front desk without stopping for a keycard.

“Don’t you need—” I start to say, but I’m cut off.

“Like I said, I have a reserved spot at this hotel. So, I don’t need a keycard. I have a personal code to enter the penthouse."

“Oh.” I feel more puzzled by the minute. So, maybe that’s how the rich live among us commoners.

Sterling and I ride up to the penthouse on the glass elevator, and we step into the luxurious Carrara marble-floored living room hand in hand. The large windows catch my attention. They remind me of a mall front with lights from across the city gleaming from the darkness.

My hand slips from Sterling’s, and I walk over to the bank of windows. The city of Memphis seems far away, making me feel like I’m in another universe. This is another first for me. “Oh my God, this place is magnificent. I’ve never been in a penthouse,” I say with too much excitement.

I glance back, and my gaze clashes with Sterling’s where he is sitting on the couch. I notice that he’s discarded his suit jacket, and his silk tie hangs loosely around his neck. His sleeves are rolled up to his forearms.

Wow, he really is gorgeous. It should be a shame for a man to be that beautiful. I pass my tongue along my bottom lip, and I quickly close my mouth to stop myself from salivating.

The attraction I have for this man is off the charts. So much so that a pulsing tingle throbs between my thighs. Sterling seems like a man who breaks through walls to get what he wants out of life. A man who is as solid as a rock and doesn’t back down. A man who’s in complete control over every aspect of his life. He’s as different from Chris as night and day.

“Come here,” he commands.

I don't think of disobeying his command. Instead, my eyes trace along his strong jawline as I slowly make my way over on four-inch heels. I mentally imagine how he would feel deep inside my core.

“Don’t be nervous, Ayana.” Sterling’s voice is like smooth silk. Suddenly he stands to his feet and leans to press his hot mouth against mine. I gasp, and Sterling breathes me in as his hands go to my hips, digging into the dip of my curvaceous frame. "God, you smell fucking divine. I can’t wait to taste your deliciousness.”

“Mm, what?” I ask, feeling flushed all over.

Sterling’s gaze holds a mix of desire and dominance. “Oh, I think you heard me, sweetheart.”

He pops open my blouse buttons one at a time. he tugs the silky shirt off me and throws it on the floor, exposing the flesh of my bare stomach. I fill my lungs with his scent as he places a soft kiss against my neck. Citrus with a hint of spice impales my senses—all male. I quiver when I feel the nip of his teeth against my flesh. Then he takes my lips, my mouth opens to receive his plundering tongue, and I moan. “You have fuckable lips,'' he says just before his whiskey scented mouth slams against mine, and my hands go to his hair, disheveling the mane as I sift my fingers through it. He pulls his head back and slides his tongue across the fullness of my bottom lip, and I let out a moan.

It's nirvana feeling his lips pepper kisses across my face. I slide my hands down his chiseled chest then work my way back up it, loosening each button of his dress shirt. My hands rake over the soft fine hairs on his chest. Sterling inhales deeply when my fingers strum over his tight abs. I love how hard and firm he feels against my touch. This man is a piece of art, and I want him to have his way with me.

“So sweet,” he murmurs against my mouth. “I'm going to eat you up.”

I let out another moan. The thought of him devouring me makes me wetter than I already am. Finally, after endlessly kissing me, Sterling pulls away. I follow as he backs away and undoes his tie.

“Finish undressing," he directs me. Within seconds, he's shirtless and is a vision of rippling six-pack abs and sculpted shoulders. He throws his clothes on the floor, then reaches for his belt buckle and slips the belt from the loops before disposing of his slacks.

I'm hypnotized by his body—by his raw masculinity.

“Just beautiful,” he says as I strip out of my skirt and down to my pink bra and panties. “Off with the underwear. I want to see all of you.”

It doesn't take me but a second to toss my underwear. Then, before I can do anything else, Sterling scoops me up in his arms and carries me up the short flight of stairs into a bedroom, dimly lit by two lamps.

“You are nothing short of exquisite,” he says as he lays me down on the bed. “Are you ready for me?” he asks.

My eyes land on the massive bulge beneath his black briefs. My mouth waters at the thought of his dick in my mouth.

“Yes,” I reply softly, and he leans in and scoops his arm behind my back; his lips capture mine again, and he hovers above me in all his masculinity.

“I must taste you now.”

Yes! I cry out silently.

Sterling pushes me back on the bed and grabs my waistline to pull me near the edge. My pussy throbs and weeps in anticipation.

He hovers over me. The intensity of his eyes brushing over every inch of my naked body causes my desire to reach a fever pitch. I luxuriate in his aroma. He smells exotic, like cardamon and citrus. Very intoxicating.

Sterling kneels and spreads my thighs to his liking, and I whimper at the first touch of his tongue separating my folds. Next, he slides a finger across my moist mound. I'm thankful I had the decency to shave when I was in the shower earlier.

He groans against my pussy. “Fucking delicious.”

I squirm against the swipes and swirling of his tongue. “Sterling.” I moan and rise up on my elbows. Sterling presents a sensuous image with his face between my supple thighs.

He raises his head at that moment, and his gaze holds mine; his fingers trace the juices at my slick entrance.

“Tell me, sweetheart, do you like how I tongue fuck you?”

“Yesss,” I gasp, feeling licks of flame scatter over my body.

“Then I must get back to it.” A smile flits across his handsome face.

“Oh my God,” I gasp when his stiff tongue pistons inside my core.

This man put every other man I have been with to shame, and his dick isn’t even inside me yet. I doubt I will ever be the same again after tonight.

Sterling's deep voice, combined with his tongue delving into my core, causes me to squirm and grind frantically against his face. He brushes his nose inside my heat and gives a deep inhale. My heart pounds against my chest when his tongue dances and circles my clit. I’m overheating. I want to combust into flames over and over again.

One of Sterling's hands creeps up over my belly to capture a full breast in his big, capable fingers. He growls, and I moan in pure ecstasy. My nipples harden beneath his tutelage.

His licks and bites become fierce; his relentless tongue causes me to cry out and shudder as the biggest orgasm I ever received rips through my core. His slurping intensifies until the last shudder.

“Scrumptious,” Sterling says and stands to his feet.

I watch him slide down his briefs and reveal his monstrous dick. It's a sight to behold in width and length. He's big and bold, and I desire every inch of him.

Sterling leans down and kisses me. I taste the sweetness of my nectar on his lips, which is intoxicating. I push myself back further on the bed and lie my head on the soft, fluffy pillows. Sterling follows me and hovers over me. His sexy blue eyes stay on mine as he pries my legs apart and settles between my thighs. He takes his hardness in hand and presses the head of his dick into my slick entrance.

“Oh. My. God.” I cry out as he pries his dick inch by inch until he's hilted fully inside.

"You're so tight, like a virgin,” he grits out.

I blush from his words. He begins thrusting, slow in the beginning, then each push becomes faster. I meet his every thrust with a grind of my own. With each pounding thrust, he brings me closer to a second orgasm. That's another first for me.

“Ayana, this is the best pussy I ever had,” Sterling growls out.

“Ahh, Sterling…”

His hand travels up to my breasts; he teases a dusky brown nipple before dipping his head and taking the pebbled nipple into his mouth. I buck beneath him with each swipe of his tongue.

“Fuck,” his voice is a low grumble that sends electrical shocks through my entire frame. “I don't want this night to end. I wish to stay deep inside your hot sweet cunt all night long, but I can't hold off too much longer. Come for me now, Ayana!” Sterling's voice is deep and demanding.

My body trembles, jerks, and grinds, seeking orgasmic bliss. Sterling's dick pulses inside me, and he doesn't relent on his pounding. “Look at me while you replenish my cock with your sweet juices.”

My eyes stay on him, and my mouth opens in a gasp as I convulse beneath him. But just before he cums, he pulls out and splatters his seed all over my belly.

Damn! What was I thinking? We didn't use a condom; are the last words I think about before giving myself over to the alcoholic buzz and pure orgasmic exhaustion.