“Do you want a nightcap?” she asked as she slipped off her heels in her doorway.
“No, I have a busy day tomorrow. I think I’ll just go straight to bed.”
Liz looked disappointed but quickly agreed. Will ran through his nightly routine and was in bed reading Mark’s book in fifteen minutes.
Seven chapters in, he was sure that Liz was more than his muse, she was who the heroine Lita was modeled after. It was chapter eight, however, that made his cheeks flame red and his nostrils flare. Lita was dressing and Leandro, her lover, observed a small rose-colored birth mark on the back of her right hip, in the dim shape of a rose. He began calling her his little flower in tender moments, and just mentioning the pet name could make her blush regardless of the situation. What bothered Will, though, was that Liz had a small rose-colored birth mark on the back of her right hip, lower than her pants just above her buttocks.
What kept him awake for the next two hours was wondering how the professor knew about it. And how was he going to find out?
*
The next morning, Will woke to the smell of coffee and sizzling bacon. He stumbled into the kitchen to find Liz flipping pancakes at the stove as she hummed quietly.
“Good morning, Will! Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, fine. What are you making?”
“Valentine’s breakfast! The pancakes were supposed to be shaped like hearts but they got a little goopy when I flipped them.”
He looked over her shoulder at the odd shape. He made a “Hm” sound and walked to the coffee pot. He felt peeved about something but couldn’t remember what until he noticed Liz’s hip exposed above her pajama pants which made him think of her birthmark a few inches lower and of fictional Lita’s matching one.
“I started reading Mark’s book last night,” he said casually as he sat at the island.
“Really?” she said excitedly. “What do you think so far?”
“It’s interesting, not what I thought it would be.”
“Oh? In what way?” she asked as she scooped up the last pancake and slathered butter across it before adding it to the pile on the ceramic plate.
“Parts of it seemed a little… familiar,” he said hesitantly.
Liz set the pancake platter, scrambled eggs, and bacon on the island in front of him. She looked thoughtful as she poured herself a glass of milk and retrieved cutlery from the drawer.
“Familiar how? Like the situations, the characters, the plot?”
“I think the characters.” He quickly shoved a bite into his mouth before he could say more.
“Okay,” she said slowly, her face registering confusion. “Leandro, maybe? Or Lita’s boss?”
He made a face and said, “No, I think it was Lita herself.”
Liz tilted her head in thought as she sat down next to William and poured maple syrup over her pancakes. “That’s interesting that you say that. I’ve heard several people say she was an authentic and true character, but no one has said she seemed familiar yet. But you know,” she looked up thoughtfully, “I sometimes got a sense of dejavu when I was reading about her, but I could never quite place it.”
Harper fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Yeah, I got that sensation, too.” He continued eating his breakfast, at least slightly relieved that Liz didn’t realize the character was based on her.
“So how long have you known the professor?” he asked after several minutes of silence.
“I had a class with him sophomore year at NYU. I took another the following semester and then he was my major advisor when my original one retired.”
Will nodded. “When did you start working for him?”
“Hmm, I think it was junior year. He was looking for an assistant and in one of our advising sessions, he mentioned it and asked if I was interested and I said of course I was and after a three-week trial, I was in.”
She smiled, clearly proud of her perceived achievement. William was beginning to feel nauseous. Liz continued eating her breakfast, oblivious to Will’s struggle next to her.
“What are your plans today?” she asked.
“The usual: work, meetings. We have plans tonight, though.”
“We do? What plans?” she asked excitedly.
“Uh uh, you’ll have to wait to find out.” He tapped her nose gently when she made a pouty face.
“Fine, don’t tell me, and I won’t tell you about the awesome Valentine’s gift I got for you,” she said with her nose in the air.
He smirked. “Deal.” He put his plate in the dishwasher and left the room to prepare for work.
The morning rushed by with nothing interesting happening except for Alice finding a sweet handmade Valentine in her cubby that Liz was pretty sure was from Isaac. After they both examined the unsigned card thoroughly, she asked Liz if she had any plans.
“I’m going out tonight, not sure where though. He won’t tell me.”
“Sounds intriguing. Give me details Monday.”
Liz promised she would and waved her off to go to lunch. Five minutes later, Liz grabbed the next elevator going up.
“Hi, Evelyn. Is everything set?”
“Yes, you’re good to go. All meetings for the next two hours have been rescheduled, the phones have been diverted,” she handed Liz William’s cell phone, “and the basket you ordered is right here.” She gestured to a large basket she’d hidden behind her desk.
“Thank you so much, Evelyn! You’re an angel!”
“You’re welcome, I’m happy to help.” She gathered her coat and bag and headed towards the door. “I’m off, then. I’ll lock the door behind me. Have a good time.” She winked as she closed the door and Liz couldn’t help the slight blush that came to her cheeks.
She took a deep breath and crossed the room to Will’s door. She had never done anything quite this daring before, but that was the fun of this type of relationship. There was no obsessing over what he was going to think about every little thing she did, or if he would like her less because of a small blunder. If he didn’t like something, he could just say so and they could move on, no hard feelings. It was incredibly liberating.
She held up her chin and knocked.
“Come in.”
She opened the door quietly and stepped into the room, closing and locking it behind her.
“Evelyn, have you seen my phone? It was here on the desk a few minutes ago.” He was staring at his desk and rifling through papers.
Liz set down the basket she was carrying and walked toward him slowly. “This phone?” she said lowly as she dangled it in front of her.
Will’s head snapped up. “Liz! What are you doing here? I thought you were in meetings all day.” He smiled and came around the desk to kiss her.
“Lunch break.”
“Great. Do you want me to call something in and we can eat together? I’ve only got half an hour but you can finish here while I go to my meeting.”
“Actually, I was thinking we could do something else.” She walked over to the table near the window and turned on the speaker there. Sultry jazz music filled the room.
Will was beginning to realize she was up to something but he wasn’t sure what. Just then, his computer dinged with a message from Evelyn stating his next two appointments had been postponed to later in the day.
“Hey, good news, I’m free after all. If you want, we can go out to that little Italian place around the corner— ”
His voice trailed off as he looked up and saw Liz walking toward his desk in nothing but some very skimpy and extremely well-fitting lingerie.
“Wha—” She placed a finger over his lips before he could say anything.
“Shh.” She turned and removed the few papers on his desk and placed them in the chair, then closed his laptop and moved it as well. “You once said you had a fantasy of having your wicked way with me right here on this. Very. Desk.” She punctuated her words by placing her hands on the desk behind her, then finally hopped onto the warm mahogany. She crossed one lon
g leg over the other and leaned back on her hands so her breasts were displayed in the expensive lace bustier.
“I did say that,” he replied, his throat dry and his voice slightly strangled. He swept his eyes over her, noticing the sky high heels and stocking clad legs held up by thin satin garters with the tiniest little bows on them. When had bows become sexy? Her panties were black lace and her sweet bottom was almost completely bared to him by her thong.
“Well? Here I am, Mr. Harper. Whatever are you going to do with me?” she said coquettishly. The thought crossed her mind that she may have been having a little too much fun with this but quickly left when she saw the hungry look in his eyes.
Unable to decide if he wanted to attack her right there or drag this out a bit and play with her, he watched and waited, taking in every detail of the way her chest rose when she breathed, how her thighs looked pressed against his desk like that, how her wedding ring glimmered in the light from his lamp. Before he knew what was happening, he was hovering over her, her delectable skin on his tongue as he kissed her neck over and over again and Liz arched in invitation for more. He ran his hands over every part of her, noting the difference between the softness of the satin and the rough texture of the lace and the silkiness of her skin. He caught her hair in his hand and pulled back ever so slightly, making her arch her neck and exposing her chest to him even more. He couldn’t resist plunging his face between her breasts, smelling her fragrant skin and nuzzling her gently until she laughed from the way his hair tickled her.
He couldn’t help but smile and told her to laugh again, that he loved the sound and the feel of it. He ran his hands down her ribs slowly, tickling her gently and making her giggle. Finally, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him to her, her eyes challenging and her body demanding.
Will would later remember it as the best sex of his life so far. He felt an amazing mix of being deeply connected to Liz and all that she had come to mean to him and insanely turned on. When they were both spent, he collapsed on the desk over her, too tired to care that his bare ass was in the air facing the door or that the hard wood was incredibly unforgiving on soft bodies.
“Will,” Liz whispered gently. “Darling, I can’t breathe.”
He moved off her and slumped to the floor beside the desk next to his crumpled clothes and discarded shoes.
Liz walked over to the door, a view he wasn’t too tired to appreciate, and came back with a large basket in hand. She quickly retrieved a bottle of water and drank half of it down in one go, then passed the bottle to him. She began unpacking the basket, setting things down in front of him and tasting and nibbling as she went.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“We’re always hungry after sex; I was thinking ahead.”
He smiled and popped an olive into his mouth. “Good thinking. So was this my present?” he asked with a rakish grin.
“What? Didn’t you like it?”
“Yes, I did. Might be the best present anyone’s ever given me.”
She smiled. “So what did you get me?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
**
After an afternoon of hurried work where Will daydreamed about having Liz in other positions on his desk—he concluded that certain favorites might be a little risky given the slick finish—and Liz desperately hoped no one could tell what she’d spent her lunch hour doing, the evening finally arrived. He’d told her to dress comfortably and to pack an overnight bag.
Excited, Liz plopped her bag on the floor by the door and called to Will that she was ready. He refused to tell her where they were going, but after an hour’s ride in the car, she was beginning to get an idea. Returning to the cabin in Vermont would be wonderful. She was beginning to get ideas about the hot tub when William pulled onto a country road in Connecticut.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll see,” he answered.
They parked in front of a stately old Victorian mansion and followed the graveled pathway up to the front door. Liz saw the sign for the bed and breakfast and smiled. She’d always wanted to stay in one of these fancy places but had never been able to afford it before.
Their room was opulent but tasteful; the dinner was delicious and eaten by candlelight at a private table in the dining room next to a roaring fire. When they got back to their room, the fire was lit and the bed was turned down with pink and red rose petals littering the sheets.
“Do you like it?” he asked a little uncertainly.
“I love it! How did you find out about this place?”
“One of the board members recommended it.”
“It’s lovely. It’s like stepping back into another time but with modern conveniences.” She walked to the bureau and began taking off her jewelry.
“That’s the idea, I believe,” he said.
Liz turned around to say something and stopped when she saw William holding a large wrapped box. “What’s that?”
“It’s your present.”
“I thought this getaway was my present?”
He shrugged. “This goes with your present, then.”
She smiled and opened the box to reveal a soft pink silk nightgown that glowed in the candlelight.
“Oh, Will!” she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
“Do you want to try it on?” His voice sounded calm, but she could tell that he was a bit unsure about the whole thing.
She smiled softly at him. “I’d love to.”
***
“So, how was Valentine’s?” Liz asked Jenny as she finally sat across from her sister in her studio apartment.
“It was great. Andrew took me to his cabin in Vermont and we spent three glorious days just relaxing.” She sighed. “How was yours?”
“Great. Will took me to this really beautiful old bed and breakfast in Connecticut. Our room had a fire and a claw foot tub and everything. We went ice skating on a frozen pond and even took a horse-drawn sleigh ride. It was magical.”
“Sounds pretty romantic,” Jenny said, her voice carefully neutral.
“Yeah, it was. I was a little surprised that he planned it, but I had a great time, so I’m not complaining.”
Jenny nodded and left the subject alone.
“So what’s up with you? Andrew still lying low or has he started hinting again?” Liz asked.
Several months ago, Andrew had hinted pretty heavily to Jen that he wanted them to move in together. She had freaked out and after calming down, hinted back that she thought it was unwise to move in with or make any serious commitment to someone you’d been with less than a year.
Their one year anniversary had come and gone more than a month ago and nothing had been mentioned and Jen was a little scared that she may have put him off for good. But deep down she felt she was right, and she couldn’t cave on something so important just to ease her boyfriend’s discomfort.
“He started hinting again in January, more subtly this time. The holidays were really crazy and we barely had time to have a conversation, let alone one so important.”
“So do you think you’re ready now? What would you say if he asked you?”
“I’d say yes. I did say yes.”
“What?”
“He asked me to move in with him when we were in Vermont. I told him I’d move at the end of the month.”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe it! Oh, Jenny, I’m so happy for you!” Liz embraced her sister tightly. “Wait, the end of this month?”
“Yes. I don’t have long to pack. But my lease is up at the end of March anyway so I don’t have to worry about that and it will give me a little time to get things out of here. Most of my furniture will be given away, it’s mostly personal stuff that has to be moved.”
“I can’t believe it. You’re moving in with a man. A rich, good-looking man.” She nudged her sister. “You’re the first Barrett woman to commit. I think a toast is in order.” She hopped up to look for a bottle of wine in the cupboard where her s
ister usually kept it.
“Not completely. You are married and living with a man yourself, you know. And he’s also rich and handsome, for the record.”
“Yes, but yours is in love with you and mine is a business deal, dear sister. Let’s not forget that.” She tilted the glass of red she’d just poured in her sister’s direction. “So, do you think Andrew will ask you to marry him or is this as far as his commitment abilities go?”
“He’s already talked about it.” Jen looked down as she spoke.
“Really? What did he say?”
“When he asked me, he made it this big romantic thing, said he wanted my face to be the first thing he sees when he wakes up and the last before he goes to bed. Cliché, I know, but it was sweet in the moment. Then he said that he wasn’t playing games, that he was through with that phase of his life and he was a grown man now with a grown man’s desires and plans and that those plans involved me,” she hesitated, “and preferably three or four little blonde-haired angels.”
“No! He didn’t! He said he wants to be your baby daddy? This is serious!”
Jen playfully hit her sister’s leg.
“So what did you say?” Liz asked.
“I told him that all sounded grand and that I liked a man who knew what he wanted and that I appreciated him being honest with me up front.”
“What did you say about kids?”
“I told him that I wanted children, too, at least two, but that I wanted to wait awhile before I took that leap. He just had this goofy smile on his face the entire time.” She looked down and fiddled with the tassels of the pillow on her lap, a soft smile on her face. “It was really cute.”
Liz put her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God, Jenny! He’s going to ask you to marry him! You’re going to be a parent! With Andrew!” The sisters hugged and both had tears in their eyes by the time they separated.
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