Forgiving You

by Melissa Bender

  I was walking around, being stopped by random people and asking where Lucy is. My response each time was “That’s what I’d like to know.” I could see Chris talking to his dad heatedly by the bar. I couldn’t make out the words, but he was pointing inside, so I could only guess that it has to do with this whole lunch thing. I didn’t blame him for being furious.

  I was about to walk into the kitchen when I heard some hushed whispering that had me stopping and listening in. “Didn’t you hear? The baby is not even Chris’s. That woman just took off when he found out, so she didn’t get caught in a bigger lie.”

  “I heard that she’s blackmailing him, that’s why he’s staying with her. She threatened his career and to take all his money,” another woman said in a hushed voice.

  I couldn’t believe these women were holding my daughter and talking about me like that, as if I was some kind of scheming con artist just after his money and law firm.

  “Charlotte,” Chris spoke. “What are you doing standing here?”

  I jumped, startled by being caught. “Just listening to people saying that I’m a gold-digging whore who left you with a child that isn’t yours.” I shrugged and kept my eyes on the floor while another woman spoke.

  “I heard that she tricked him into marrying her. Funny how they were pregnant so soon, especially after being married not long after meeting. I think she set him up, charmed her way into his bed, and got pregnant on purpose!”

  Chris walked, well, I should say he brushed past me abruptly into the room where the women continued to make snide comments. “Here my girl is.” He took Lucy in his arms and turned to the gossiping women. “Slander—it’s a case I’m often dealt with, but I never thought I would have to file my own suit.”

  “Christopher, we weren’t doing anything,” one of them defended.

  I scoffed, finally moving from the corner and making myself known to them. All the women’s faces were pricelessly shocked.

  “Excuse me,” I said, realising Chris’s mother was standing there too. “Don’t you dare hold or take off with my daughter without our permission again. And just so you know, Lucy is Chris’s daughter, so don’t spread gossip when you don’t know the truth about anything.” I hissed, causing her to gasp, looking embarrassed for being caught out.

  “Charlotte, you’re not leaving, are you? We’ve barely spent any time with you.” Chris’s mum panicked, chasing after us.

  I went to talk, but Chris cut me off, “Yes, we’ve had enough, and maybe, if this was more intimate, then we could have had a better afternoon. Obviously not.”

  “I didn’t mean to upset anyone,” she defended herself.

  She could say that all she wanted, but I didn’t believe her. “Yes, you did. You knew better.”

  We left the house. Chris was fuming, but not saying a word until we pulled up at the house and just sitting there, standing out the window at the garage “So . . .” Chris started as he sighed and clicked his tongue. “That went well.”

  I leaned over in the seat and kissed his lips. “Indeed. How about we go and take some family photos of the three of us? Then we can all get into our bed, watch movies, and eat junk food?”

  He smiled into the kiss and spoke over my mouth between the kissing that had turned into passionate kisses. “Sounds perfect, sweetheart!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Happy birthday, handsome,” I whispered as I removed my hands from his covered eyes.

  His face broke out into a wide grin, and he turned in his leather chair to look at me. “No way! You’re kidding me. You seriously got me this?”

  I nodded. “Of course, I did. I’m not going to have my boyfriend working all day without having a birthday cake, now am I?”

  “Char, you’re incredible.”

  I laughed. “Just blow the candles out. I made it, so even if it isn’t nice, just say it is.” I passed him a lighter and hesitated. “Your office won’t get flooded by water, will it?” I asked, a little worried that the smoke detectors would go off.

  He ignored me and lit the candle. “I want to make a birthday wish,” he spoke and lit the candle, leaning forward and blowing it out in a quick puff. “Done, and no alarms went off.” He winked and walked to his window and opened it, letting the fresh air come in.

  “Are you ready for your present?” I asked him with a devious smile.

  “Charlotte, what are you up to?” He grabbed the fork, digging eagerly into the side of the thick, rich mud cake, taking a bite and then looking up at me curiously.

  I had gotten the nerve to put on some sexy red lingerie—since that was his favourite colour—and wear it underneath a wrap dress. Now, I was standing in a pair of heels, the lingerie, and nothing else. “You better cancel any meetings you have after lunch, my hot lawyer. The only case you’re going to win is this one. I plan on fucking you on every piece of furniture in this office—the couch, the desk, against the wall, on the floor. Then you’re going to push me into the window and screw me harder.”

  “Charlotte.” His eyes ran over my body. “Fuck,” he groaned, his hand loosening his tie as he gulped again, his dick was firm, and the bulge became completely noticeable as he walked towards me.

  I wasn’t normally like this. I was a good, innocent girl, Charlotte. But today, my boyfriend was going to see me as the bad girl who gave him anything he wanted. “Do you like?”

  “Like?” He smiled wide as his hands reached and ran his fingertips over the laced push-up bra. “I fucking love it. But why?”

  “This is birthday sex. God, for a smart lawyer, you’re really thick at times.”

  He grabbed my wrists as I went to cover up. “Oh, no, you don’t! Mistress, you’re going to fuck me the way you just promised. Can’t turn me on and leave me stiff.”

  “Mistress?” I laughed a little.

  He nodded, pulling the dress completely off me. “Birthday sex is fantasy sex, and you’ve just made my fantasy come true: being dominated in my office by a hot woman. Now, I want to taste the sweetness hiding in between your thighs, my love. Then I’m going to clear my afternoon and have you any way I want.”

  “Clear away because tonight, you’re only in for more of this. You may want to take the day off tomorrow,” I whispered as I slowly started to unbutton his white shirt.

  He groaned as I pushed him down in the leather chair by the window and crawled up in his lap, kissing him, teasing him, and grinding myself into him. “Happy birthday, handsome.”

  “Fuck, you’re incredible,” he groaned as his hands wrapped around my waist. I kissed him deeply, kissing down his chest whilst kneeling and unbuttoning his pants.

  Giving him his most memorable present ever!

  ***

  I looked at the man in front of me and smiled. Oh, how I loved him in a suit. He wore them so well.

  We had spent three days at home doing nothing but being a family. Lucy was getting into a better routine; she was waking once a night while Chris and I just kept on making out and doing everything but sex. Last night, we had nearly done it. We were naked in the bedroom alone, and he was right on top of me. His cock was pushed against me, and it was so tempting to say “do it.”

  The only thing to stop us was Adam knocking on the door, asking if he could take Lucy in the yard for a walk. Talk about bad timing, but it really was good timing. It was good that we didn’t go the whole way. It would have been too soon, and when we had both calmed down, we agreed that it was too rushed. Chris wanted to take it slower, wait until I was sure, and he wasn’t feeling guilty still.

  But damn, the waiting was starting to suck.

  It was like he was teasing me—naked showers and walking past in a suit with his hair combed over to the side. I damn hated waiting.

  “Do you have everything?” I asked as he picked his briefcase up and opened it, looking through his papers.

  “No,” he replied, turning to face me.

  I was confused, glancing around to see what was missing. “What do you nee
d to get? You’re going to be late for your meeting at 10 a.m.”

  He shrugged, giving me a cute little pout. “I don’t have you two coming with me. I don’t want to go to work.”

  I laughed; he was acting like a toddler on the first day of school. “Sweetheart, you have us at home. How about Lucy and I come have lunch with you?” I asked nervously, thinking that maybe he didn’t want me to come and have lunch with him.

  His hand went to my cheek, his fingers stroking it. “I’d love that.”

  I nodded. “Good, because we want to see Daddy, don’t we, little girl?” I smiled, holding Lucy up and taking her little arm, giving a little fist pump. “Maybe he’s got some more candy stashed away in the drawer.” I would usually raid his office for them.

  A million-dollar smile spread across his face as he let out a laugh. “The stash is well and truly empty. My teeth are getting too old for them.” He winked and walked towards us. “Can you pick up some more for me?”

  “Sure, go to work. Lucy and I will come in around lunch once we get organized. Did you want me to pick you up something to eat other than your sweets?”

  “No, I’ll take you out on a lunch date; wine and dine you, but without the wine.”

  “Like an actual date?” I laughed “Won’t that be weird?”

  He shook his head. “Not unless you think it is.” He laughed and placed a kiss on my cheek. “See you in a few hours. I love you both.”

  I was still standing in the kitchen after he left, holding Lucy and slightly stunned, my heart racing from his words. A date? I wasn’t expecting that. I was thinking maybe a sandwich in his office, not going out for lunch. I rolled my eyes, realising that I now had to get the pram in the car and pack a bottle just in case Lucy gets grumpy.

  I went to our room and laid Lucy on the bed, climbing back in it and feeding until she fell back asleep so that I could slip into the shower. If Chris was making an effort, then I would do the same. I wanted to look nice for him; I wanted to show him that even though he thinks it’s just him who needs to make things better, it’s me as well who needs to fight to save what we had. I need this to work just as much as he did, and I have to try move on.

  The only problem was I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In the back of my mind, all I could think about was how my husband left me the day our daughter was born. The guilt was eating me up, trying so hard to make sure everything was okay, and I desperately needed it to be okay.

  I drove into town, cleaning up the already spotless house and dressing Lucy in a little pink-and-white striped romper suit. I was nervous; the last time I was here was a week before I gave birth. I was nervous to see how they would react. More importantly, I was anxious to see his new secretary. I wanted to make it clear to whoever was working for him that he was off limits and mine. I won’t play nice this and bite my tongue this time.

  I pushed the pram into the large office building and made my way towards the elevator. Pressing Chris’s floor number, I made my way up to the top floor. I was getting looks; people were obviously shocked to see me coming in, probably expecting a war of divorce to break out.

  Seeing Chris’s portrait on the wall after coming out of the elevator always made me feel lucky to have such an accomplished husband. I couldn’t be prouder that he had strived to work hard and fairly. Chris took pride in his job, and his employees were notably happy to work for him.

  “Charlotte,” I spun around to see Adam, his smile wide as he peered into the pram, peeking behind the blanket that covered a sleeping Lucy up. “Aw, I wanted cuddles.”

  “Where is she?” I asked him. “His new assistant.”

  His brows shot up, and he scratched the base of his neck, laughing a little. “Maybe you should talk to Chris first. His new assistant is different, and he’s fucking pissed. Everyone is avoiding him today.”

  “Why?” I asked confused.

  He didn’t speak; he let out a low cough, and I spun around when I heard footsteps nearing us. “Oh, you must be Charlotte. I’m Tilly, Chris’s new woman.” The girl looked no older than sixteen; her hair was tied in pigtails, and a lot of makeup was on her face. She let out a giggle and went to pull the cover off the pram.

  My hand reached out and stopped her first. “Don’t you mean, Mr. Rivers?” I raised a brow at her. I couldn’t even get jealous of this girl.

  “Who?” she asked, giggling again. I rolled my eyes; she couldn’t be serious. No wonder Chris was pissed off; she was basically a child just out of school with no experience. I was all for learning, but this was just stupid to give a man someone so inexperienced.

  “Your boss. You better call him Mr. Rivers if you want to keep your job,” Adam spoke with humour laced behind his voice.

  “Oh, you mean Chris.” She stared at us both, and I turned back to Adam, eyes rolling. She was going to be fired by the end of the day. I knew it.

  I said goodbye to my brother, promising to come and say goodbye before I head back home. I made my way behind the little brat and waited as she knocked on Chris’s door. “Your wife’s here, Chris.” She peeked in, and I felt my stomach knot up at what she called him again.

  I could hear a groan and a loud thump. “Mr. Rivers as I told you this morning!” he barked. God, he was in a bad mood.

  Chris came out, and his eyes lit up as he spotted us, walking over and placing a kiss on my lips. “Hey, you ready for lunch?”

  “Yes,” I answered calmly, “Can I feed Lucy in your office first, please?”

  “Sure.” He opened the door back up and held it open as I pushed the pram in. Once the door was closed, he locked it and lent back against the door. “Have you seen the fucking child they sent me?” he growled and shook his head.

  “Tilly?” I laughed. “Or should I say your new woman as she introduced herself to me, Chris,” I added with a change in voice, mocking her.

  He looked at me and walked over, pulling Lucy from her pram and passing her to me. “I can’t get a replacement until tomorrow. I’m so fucking pissed that they sent someone so fucking incompetent.” He sat down, stretching out his long legs and my eyes went directly to his crotch. I had it so bad for him right now.

  However, I had bigger things to deal with. Like him in a suit. It was like me in lingerie for him. Completely and utterly sexy.

  “I’ve changed my mind about lunch; we’re going to go somewhere else,” he stated, placing his hand on his thigh, brushing a piece of cotton from the material.

  “Okay. Where?” I asked him, a little confused by the sudden change.

  “Nope. It’s a small walk, but it’s a nice day, and I’m in no rush to get back. I don’t have court anymore, so I can take a longer lunch.” He kept his eyes to mine, his dark eyes that were looking over my face. “You’re wearing makeup. You haven’t worn that for ages.”

  “I know. I wanted to look nice for you,” I admitted, liking that he did notice, but also wondering if I had been lacking in that area.

  He smiled. “You look beautiful.”

  ***

  Lunch was different; we went to the park across the street—a massive park with people walking, running, and eating. Chris pushed the pram while keeping his other arm around my shoulder.

  “Apart from your new woman, has your day been okay?” I asked, leaning into his side as we continued to walk.

  “Yes. I would prefer to be home, but it was good. I’m going to be very busy in the coming weeks; a case came up that’s just giving me a headache thinking about it.” He sighed and kissed the top of my head.

  I pulled him to a stop and sighed. “Can you go get checked, please? Your headaches scare me, Chris.”

  He smiled, brushing me off. “It’s called stress. I promise I’m fine, and after a couple aspirin, they’re gone.”

  I groaned and narrowed my eyes. “You get a migraine far too often. Please, get a check-up.”

  I found myself being pulled into his arms. “I will go get checked; we’ll go do it together if it’s worrying you that much.
”

  “I’m sorry. I’m scared of losing you again, Chris. I can’t lose you; you’ve had a headache every day since we’ve been together, and not all those days were stressful.” I clung to him tighter, panic set in with the idea of something happening to him played out in my mind. I needed him still.

  He kissed the top of my head, and I leant back in his arms. He reached up, using his thumb to brush away the tear trailing down my cheek. “I’m not leaving you, Charlotte. I promise I won’t ever leave again. We’re going to grow old together and have the life I promised you.”

  I reached up to my tippy toes and cupped his cheeks hard, his lips squishing up a little as I kissed him passionately, not giving a damn that people could see us making out in on the middle of a footpath.

  At that moment, he was my husband, and I loved him.

  “Take the day off and come home with us,” I whispered between kisses. “I need you, Chris. I want you more than ever.”

  “Same, Char. God, I fucking need you so badly. I can’t fucking breathe without you around me.” He then took over and dominated the kiss, hungrily and greedily kissing me, our bodies tightly pressed together.

  The only thing that parted us was a cough and scowl of an elder woman. Well, she was in her forties. “Don’t you think that’s inappropriate, especially with a child right next to you?”

  “Not at all. How do you think this baby was made? If you don’t want to see me kiss my wife, I suggest you keep running along and get yourself laid into happiness.” My face buried into Chris’s chest as he spoke to her that way. He would always tell people what they thought, but I didn’t think he would say that to her.

  I held in the giggle until I heard the elder woman running off. Chris looked down at me, a boyish grin spread over his face, and my heart fluttered. “I love you,” I whispered to him, meaning every breath of it.