by Sherri Hayes
“You may come as many times as you’d like, pet. I want to hear you scream.” I lowered my mouth to her and set out to see how quickly I could make her come.
Chapter 22
Brianna
“Did you want to drive?” Stephan asked as we left the house.
It was the first Saturday of December and we were headed to the city. The fundraiser for Helping Hands was tonight, but we were dropping our things off at the condo, and then meeting Logan and Lily for lunch. “No. I don’t think I'm ready for that.”
He nodded and opened the car door so I could get in.
It had been over a month since I’d driven on the road for the first time. Since then, I’d been to town and back several times and had even driven to Richard and Diane’s a couple of times. I was getting better, but I wouldn’t be taking any long road trips anytime soon. Or maybe ever.
Driving in the yard had been fun. On the road . . . not so much. I would much rather Stephan drive when there were other cars round, but I knew I needed to be able to do it myself sometimes. Even with my continued anxiety when I was behind the wheel, I was feeling more confident that I would be able to drive myself to and from school in January.
On the way into the city, Stephan and I talked about tonight. It would be the first big event I’d been to in years. We didn’t think I’d see anyone from my past, but there was always a chance. The people Ian hung around with had money and there would be a lot of people with money there. I was trying to prepare myself, and just in case, Stephan and I had brushed up on some self-defense moves over the last few weeks.
We arrived at the condo a little before eleven and brought all the things we would need for tonight and tomorrow up to the top floor. I loved the condo. I had so many good memories there. But I loved our house even more. We’d spent hours online looking at listings, trying to find the right house. Stephan had known as soon as we flipped through the pictures that it was the one. He’d called the next day to set up a time when we could see it in person.
Stephan hung up my dress and his tux, and then we were back out the door. The restaurant Logan had chosen was not far from downtown. It was a small place, no more than ten tables, but it was packed. Luckily, Logan and Lily were already seated when we arrived.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be this busy. It’s not even noon yet.” Stephan pulled out my chair for me and I sat down.
“Once you try the food, you’ll know why,” Logan said.
Stephan and I looked over the menu. There were a lot of things I’d never heard of. In the end, I decided to go for something simple . . . tacos. Stephen was a little more adventurous and ordered something that looked like a cross between a salad and a burrito without the wrap. Logan swore it was good.
“You ready for tonight?” Logan asked once the server had taken our orders.
Stephan grinned. “I’m not the one that has to be worried.”
Over lunch, Logan and Stephan continued to talk about the masquerade tonight and what a successful evening could do for the organization. I knew Logan had been pooling his resources as well to try and get the word out about the event. He and Stephan had spent several evenings on the phone brainstorming who to send invitations to.
When we were finished, we headed over to Logan and Lily’s place. They’d upgraded from their apartment to a condo two years ago. It was twice the size of their apartment and overlooked a courtyard. I liked it, but not as much as Stephan’s condo.
We had several hours before the masquerade. I’d thought maybe Stephan and I would be spending it at the condo much like we had before our dinner with Josh and his wife, but he and Logan must still need to go over things.
Lily whisked me down the hall almost as soon as we stepped in the door. “I can’t wait to show you the dress I picked out for tonight. It’s going to knock Logan’s socks off.”
“He hasn’t seen it yet?”
She unzipped a long garment bag to reveal an emerald colored dress that went to the floor. It had thin straps holding up the top and a deep V in the front that made me wonder if her breasts would be showing.
I must have stared for too long because a crease began to form across her brow. “You don’t like it.”
“It’s really pretty. But . . . will it cover your breasts? It’s really low.” I touched the part of the dress I was referring to.
She chuckled. “It covers everything it needs to while teasing at what lies beneath.” She beamed. “Logan will love it.”
After the dress, she led me over to what she called her hair and makeup station. I’d watched her get ready a few times and it was fascinating the way she could get whatever look she was going for. My mom had died before I’d been old enough for makeup and John had forbidden me from wearing any. Other than the girls I’d gone to high school with, who’d worn way too much of it, I hadn’t had much exposure to makeup before Lily.
She sat me down in the chair directly across from the mirror and picked up a bottle of what I thought might be foundation. “What are you doing?”
“Priming your face.”
I was confused. “Why?”
Lily tilted her head. “To get you ready for tonight, of course.”
“But that isn’t until tonight.”
She retrieved a sponge from a glass jar near the mirror and put some of the liquid onto it. “Perfection takes time and I plan to make sure you look perfect for tonight. Stephan’s going to pick up your dress and you two are going to get ready over here. This way I can do your hair and makeup.”
Stephan
“I’ll be back soon. It shouldn’t take me long.”
Logan glanced down the hallway to where Brianna and Lily had disappeared. “I doubt Brianna will even notice you’re gone. Lily’s been looking forward to doing her hair and makeup for weeks, and since she knows you need Brianna distracted, she’s going to take her time.”
I nodded and slipped my coat on. It had started drizzling outside on our drive into the city and hadn’t stopped. I was hoping it would let up before tonight, but even if it didn’t, the hotel had a large awning to keep the arriving guests from getting wet. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Get out of here. We’ll be fine.”
He nearly pushed me out the door, but I couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t as if Brianna hadn’t been on her own with them before. Or at least been on her own with Lily. I knew she’d be fine. That wasn’t really the reason for my nerves and Logan knew it.
I pulled up in front of the jewelry store twenty minutes later. It had taken me weeks of searching the internet to find the right ring for Brianna. I’d continued to ask her questions about weddings, and more specifically Lily’s wedding, in the guise of trying to prepare her for what was to come. But really, I’d been watching her reactions. I hadn’t missed the way she got that wistful look every time we talked about it.
As I jogged into the store, the doubt was still there in the back of my mind. I didn’t think she’d say no. That wasn’t it. No, what had me more nervous than I’d ever been in my life was the worry that she’d say yes because she thought it was what I wanted. It was, but I didn’t want that to be her reason.
A bell dinged as I walked inside and flicked some of the rain off my coat. Two other customers were being helped by Roger, a man I’d known for close to twenty years. He glanced up upon my entrance, smiled, and told me Beth, his wife, would be out to help me in a minute or two.
Less than a minute later, Beth emerged from the backroom. “Stephan, it’s so good to see you. You don’t come in often enough anymore. How is your lovely girlfriend?”
I’d brought Brianna into the shop about a year ago because there’d been an issue with the clasp on her collar. “She’s doing well.”
Beth’s smile lit up the room as she leaned closer to me as if confiding a secret. “Did I see a ring you ordered in the backroom?”
There was no way to stop my grin. “I certainly hope so.”
She patted the back of my hand. �
��Let me grab it and we’ll make sure it’s perfect before you present it to your lady. We don’t want to give her any reason to say no.”
I chuckled as she winked and disappeared into the back once more.
As I waited for Beth to return, I scanned the cases in front of me. They had a variety of items, but most of their selection was rings. It’s why I hadn’t even considered going anywhere else to buy Brianna’s engagement ring. That, and I knew I could trust Beth and Roger to give me the quality I wanted for the ring I hoped Brianna would wear for the rest of her life.
Beth wasn’t gone long, but after a few minutes I was getting antsy. I was eager to get back to Brianna and I still had to swing by our condo to pick up our clothes for tonight. On her return, she held a black box and some papers in her hands and placed them on the counter in front of me.
I didn’t hesitate to pick up the box and open it. The ring stared back at me. It was simple and elegant. I could have spent more on her ring and a part of me had wanted to—she deserved everything I could give her—but I knew a flashy ring with a huge diamond wouldn’t have suited her.
“What do you think?” Beth asked.
“It looks better than the pictures.” The ring was custom made. Roger and I had gone back and forth over email to design the ring, and then he’d sent it off to a friend of his to have it made to my specifications. There was a round stone in the center with smaller stones branching out on each side. I couldn’t help imagining it on Brianna’s finger.
Roger joined us, finished helping the other couple. He put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I hope we’re invited to the wedding.”
I closed the box and met his gaze. “She has to say yes first.”
“You’re worried she’ll say no? This is the same young lady you brought in last year? The one that looked as if she were so in love with you, she would have followed you to the moon and back?” Beth asked.
I released a half snort, half chuckle. “Yes.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. She’ll say yes.” Beth picked up the box containing the ring and placed it, along with the paperwork, into a bag. She handed it to me. “Just make sure you make the proposal special. Every woman deserves to have a perfect memory of her proposal.”
With the bag in hand, I hurried out to my vehicle, and then headed to my condo. The rain was beginning to let up. I was hoping that didn’t mean cooler air was moving in. It was a good thing we were staying in the city tonight in case the weather decided to take a turn for the worse.
The first thing I did when I arrived at the condo was hide the ring. I kept a small safe upstairs in my desk that was perfect. Most of its contents had been moved to the new house, so there was plenty of room for the little black box.
After securing the ring in its temporary hiding place, I retrieved my tux, Brianna’s dress, her bag with all her undergarments, and both our shoes. My arms were full by the time I made my way down the elevator and back to the car. It would probably have been easier to get ready at the condo, but I’d needed the excuse. I didn’t want Brianna to get suspicious and my girl was very astute. Any major deviation from my normal behavior and she’d notice.
I returned to Logan and Lily’s house to find Brianna and Lily sitting on the couch eating little sandwiches, the kind usually found at events like the one we’d be at later that evening. They both looked up when I walked in the door. Brianna set her plate down on the coffee table and came to me.
The first thing I noticed was that she was wearing makeup and her hair was piled on top of her head in a loose sort of bun. As she drew closer, the robe she was wearing shifted with her movement and I realized there was nothing under it. The silky fabric teased with a hint of what lay beneath and the faint pink on her cheeks reminded me of the way she looked when she was breathless from our kisses.
Lily followed her over, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Brianna. “Did you get everything you needed to?”
I knew Lily wasn’t only asking about the clothes. “I did.”
She reached for Brianna’s dress and shoes. “I’ll put these with my dress. Logan’s getting ready in our room, if you want to hang your tux in there.”
Once she’d left, I draped my tux over the back of a chair and laid my shoes on the seat before pulling Brianna against me. Her arms wrapped around my waist and I brushed my lips along the top of her head, taking in the scent of her shampoo. She nuzzled her nose against my collarbone.
We stood there for several minutes, neither of us saying a word. We didn’t need to.
Lily reentering the room broke the spell we were lost in. “Logan made us some sandwiches. Are you hungry?”
“I’m good. Thank you.” I gave Brianna a soft kiss. “I’m going to put my tux in the other room. Go finish your snack.”
I waited until she was seated on the couch again before picking up my things and going to find Logan. When I entered Logan and Lily’s master bedroom, I heard the shower running, and then abruptly turn off. Tossing my tux on the bed, I dropped my shoes to the floor and was about to head back to the living room when Logan, still dripping wet, strolled out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips.
“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t realize you were back already.”
“Why didn’t you dry off in the bathroom?” I couldn’t help but ask. He was dripping water all over the bedroom floor.
He shrugged. “I prefer to air dry.”
I rolled my eyes. It was his house. What did I care if he wanted to ruin his floors?
“Put some clothes on. I’ll be out in the living room with the girls.”
Chapter 23
Brianna
I’d forgotten how good he looked in a tux.
Stephan strolled down the hall toward me and I felt my heart skip a beat that had nothing to do with my nerves over tonight. The last time I’d seen him wearing a tux was when I’d asked Jade to help me surprise him. I’d been waiting in a hotel room during The Coleman Foundation’s Fall Gala. That was four years ago.
His slow smile sent warmth through my entire body as he took in my appearance. Lily had spent what felt like hours making sure my hair and makeup were perfect, and then helping me into my dress.
Stephan ran his hand over the top of the navy-blue dress, his finger skimming along the top of my breasts. “I’m going to have fun taking you out of this tonight.”
A thrill of anticipation rippled through me. Could we skip the event and get to the after?
He chuckled and my eyes snapped up to his. “I know exactly what you’re thinking, love, but we do have to go to the masquerade.” He trailed his hand down my side and tugged me against him. “I promise to make it up to you later.”
“You’re going to mess up her hair and makeup,” Lily said, sweeping in from the other room.
She’d gotten herself ready in half the time she’d spent on me and she looked like something out of a fashion magazine. Her red hair was pulled back away from her face so it could flow down the center of her back. And even though my gown was strapless, hers was far more . . . daring. It dipped so low in the front that I was sure Logan wouldn’t even have to unzip it to get to her nipples.
Maybe that was the point. It was the weekend after all, so Logan had most likely had a say in what she was wearing tonight.
A few moments later, Logan appeared from the same direction Stephan had come. He was also in a tux. Lily walked over to stand in front of him. He looked her up and down, then walked around her until coming to a stop at her front again, his expression softening. I knew what he’d been doing—I'd seen him do it before and had asked Stephan about it.
“Is everyone ready to go?” Logan asked.
We all did one last check to make sure we weren’t forgetting anything, grabbed our coats and masks, and headed out the door.
Because we were going back to the condo after the event, Stephan had brought our stuff out to the car as well and secured it in the trunk before helping me into the v
ehicle. It was a little challenging with the dress. There was a lot more fabric than what I was used to, and it all had to be stuffed into the car.
Once we were on our way, he reached for my hand and squeezed. “There will be roughly two hundred people there tonight. I know a lot of them from the foundation, but there are a few I don’t. You are to stay close to me, Logan, or Lily at all times.”
“Yes, Sir.” That wouldn’t be a problem. I was trying not to be nervous about tonight. Stephan and I had talked about it in detail and I’d discussed it with Dr. Katlin. People went to events and parties all the time. It was normal. I wanted to be normal.
We pulled up in front of the hotel and a valet walked up to the car and opened my door while another went to the driver’s side to meet Stephan. I stepped out, careful not to trip over my dress and waited for Stephan to finish with his valet. It had turned colder as the day had worn on and I pulled my coat tighter around me.
Stephan strode toward me and hurried us inside the hotel. We checked our coats, put on our masks, and then headed upstairs to one of the ballrooms. I noticed Josh and his wife right away, even with their masks. Josh held himself in a way that stood out in a crowd. Stephan said it was because he’d been in the military.
Josh and his wife were talking to a man and woman who looked to be in their late sixties to early seventies. Both had hair that was grayer than brown.
Much to my dismay, Stephan guided us over to them. Josh noticed us and grinned. “Stephan, I’m so glad you’re here. I’d like you to meet my parents, Stan and Deloris.” He turned toward his parents. “Mom. Dad. I’d like you to meet Stephan and Brianna. Tonight wouldn’t have been possible without Stephan.”
Stan held out his hand to Stephan. “Thank you for helping our son. He has a big heart, but things like this really aren’t his forte. He’d much rather be in the thick of things getting his hands dirty than hobnob with the rich and famous.”
