Strawberry Kisses

by Phavy Prieto

  Unpredictable.

  How long hasn't that word been part of my life? For a long time. Too long. From time immemorial.

  I was certainly not an unpredictable person. On the contrary, I was super predictable because everything had to be foreseen, planned, and controlled.

  "I don't think it's a good idea that..."

  "I don't care if it sounds like a good idea or not," he blurted out, cutting me off. "As your future husband, it is my obligation to watch over my fiancée," he added with that mischievous smile in front of which I was unable to deny anything. "It’s extremely depressing to leave nothing to improvisation or chance."

  I had to admit that the words "future husband" and "fiancée" sounded extremely good pronounced by those plump lips and that deep voice that made me melt completely.

  "It can be depressing for you, but it’s more than satisfying for me!" I disagreed, although I was exceptionally good at selling anything. It was enough just to look at those eyes, that body, that pose... He could be the devil himself who wanted to buy my soul, though I was willing to give it for free.

  "Are you going to tell me that you didn't have fun this weekend in Rome? Are you really going to deny it?" he insisted as he approached me so that I couldn’t step back to escape his grasp. I knew that as soon as he touched my skin, I would be completely lost.

  "No," I said, unable to lie to myself. That weekend has probably been the best weekend I've had, after the one in Scotland. "I'm not going to deny it," I added, observing his brown eyes that stared into mine as if evaluating a prey to hunt.

  "Then it's all cleared up," he confirmed, approaching gently, brushing his nose against my cheek. Damian made me feel confused, produced a short circuit in my thoughts, and completely clouded my common sense. That man was undoubtedly the first and the only one who could do that. "After experiencing it, you will find out that you don’t want to go back to your bland and controlled life," he whispered before he gently bit my earlobe, making me moan with sheer pleasure.

  I was unable to fully understand his words. I only knew that I wanted to be his, I wanted him to take me to the seventh heaven to see the stars in his arms.

  I put my hands on his chest, then went up and interlaced my fingers behind his neck. I felt his hands wrapping around my waist and pressing me against his body, as his lips sought mine to melt in a warm kiss of passion.

  Damian's fingers gently ran down my buttocks leaving a trail of heat along the path of his touch. I moaned with sheer pleasure in his mouth when he grabbed my buttocks and squeezed them, making me feel his hard penis.

  That man was pure dynamite! I felt overwhelmed by his sex drive every time he touched me, because his power of seduction was beyond any limit of my understanding.

  I had never felt so deeply devoted to a man before. I craved for Damian with such fervor and power that it was sending all my beliefs and reasoning to hell.

  Before I met him, I had always determined, even in advance, when and with whom I was going to have sex. I never left even that kind of thing to chance, so I always controlled my own impulses or, rather, redirected them, but with him everything was different. It was enough for him to come close to my body to make me think of ecstasy with another overwhelming orgasm and of dreaming in his arms.

  I nibbled at his shoulder in response to his tight hold on my buttocks and heard a groan of surprise rather than pain. He lifted me up and left the bedroom.

  "Where are we going?" I asked astonished. We were moving away from that bed where I longed to be thrown by him and where I wanted him to take me to the moon with his caresses.

  "To the terrace," he simply replied.

  Without saying a word, I let him carry me in his arms, curled up with my legs around his waist. I continued to lick his neck. The cool of the evening enveloped me as we went out on the terrace.

  "Are you going to throw me into the void and pretend it was an accident?" I whispered in an amused tone, gently biting his neck.

  "As far as you are concerned, I have more satisfying and less macabre plans," he panted before pressing his mouth against mine and biting my lower lip. I couldn't help but squeeze him even tighter to try to satisfy the visceral need I had for him.

  "And what do you have in mind?" I asked earnestly while, freeing ourselves from the grip of that embrace, I put my feet back on the ground. He made me turn around slowly so that I could see the city lit up at our feet. The view was breathtaking even though at that moment the passion blinded me to the point that I could not fully appreciate all its charm.

  "To convince you that you won’t find greater pleasure than here," he whispered as I felt how he pulled my nightgown up and rubbed his crotch on my bum. He did it so boldly that I couldn't focus on his words. "Here with me."

  "Fuck! I can't take it anymore," I whispered trying to turn around, but he held me back. His hand slid through the thin lace of my panties to stroke my clit and make me tremble with pleasure.

  "Open your eyes wide, yell as much as you want, but don't close them," he whispered with his deep voice. He slightly pulled away and lowered his pants.

  "Why?" I panted almost breathlessly. I was more enraptured by waiting for his next move, hoping that sooner or later he would sink his penis inside me, rather than by that view in front of me, however impressive it was.

  "Because you always look, but you never see," he whispered just a moment before he made his way between my thighs and finally filled me with pure pleasure.

  His movements became relentless. I had accumulated so much need to have him inside me that as soon as he whispered my name in my ear, I felt overwhelmed by the impetuous wave of orgasm that made my whole body tremble.

  I didn’t close my eyes, not because he asked me to or to appreciate the stunning view in front of me, but because I felt that with that sentence he had told me something important that I didn't know how to interpret yet.

  I didn't dare ask anything after that explosive encounter. I didn't know exactly why but I was almost terrified to know the answer. I had always lived in fear and that was the reason I felt the need to have everything under control. Everything in my world was strictly monitored in order not to suffer the consequences. Damian was a tornado that was completely devastating the world I had built. I was aware that at the end of the storm I would have to collect what was left of me and would try to rebuild my life.

  We prepared a light dinner together in the kitchen. I noticed warmth in his eyes every time he looked at me, as if he wanted to know what I could hide from him. On the one hand, I didn't want him to discover the feelings that were getting out of my control and were turning into something that was much more than just affection for him: in short, I didn't want him to know that I was falling in love. On the other hand, I had agreed to live that experience with absolute intensity, trying to leave behind all reason, feelings or sense of guilt, by behaving as if our relationship was real. Still, I wasn't letting myself go completely, because I didn't want to give in to that sentimental chaos. But since the consequences were going to be devastating for me in any case, I thought I had better give myself unconditionally, otherwise I might regret it for the rest of my life.

  "We should choose the wedding date, don't you think?" I asked suddenly, as if a light bulb had lit up in my head. My brain kept repeating that his answer would simply be: "Our game will end way sooner, honey."

  "Sure. We’ll need to organize the wedding well in advance and communicate the date to the guests. I thought it might be in spring. What do you think?"

  Were we really going to organize a wedding? A real wedding? Why did my brain keep telling me that it was a mistake, a complete and disastrous mistake.

  Maria, send your judgment to the devil! If Adonis wanted to organize a wedding, go ahead with the celebrations!

  "It would be perfect in May, the first Saturday in May," I whispered. That had always been my idea since I was a child, in addition to a cathedral with large frescoes, tall stained glass windows pierced by blades
of light that illuminated the interior. A white dress with a long train and a prince charming by my side who loved me like in fairy tales.

  Exactly, Maria, fairy tales. It's nothing more than a fairy tale. Try to get it through your head! You are not Snow White even though he looks like Prince Charming.

  "Well, it will be the first Saturday in May then," he said in a low voice before placing his lips on mine in such a sweet way that I gave up completely. I closed my eyes thinking, or rather pleading, that it was all true and that his proposal, by divine grace, would become reality.

  Chapter XIX

  The alarm clock rang, and I turned it off half-asleep. It took me several minutes to realize that the bedroom was not mine but Damian's.

  He was not in bed. Where was he? I smelled coffee.

  "Caffeine, welcome to my life!" I said getting up to go to the kitchen.

  Damian was there, his hair tousled, shirtless, with his pajama pants low enough to appreciate his abs. He was focused on reading something on his phone.

  "My God, transform me into a cup," I sighed seeing how he brought the cup of coffee to his lips.

  Transform you into a cup? You are his fiancée, you fool! Give him a proper kiss if you feel like it!

  "Good morning, gorgeous!" he said as soon as he saw me.

  "Good morning," I whispered, approaching without worrying about my appearance. I probably looked like a haggard witch with dark circles and crazy hair. Yet he called me gorgeous, right?

  I approached him and stood on my tiptoes to give him a kiss and he pressed his mouth against mine.

  "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

  "Wonderfully," I replied, stealing the cup from his hands and sneaking into the bedroom with that trophy in my hand. "Thanks for making coffee!" I exclaimed without turning around so that he couldn’t see the smile I had on my face.

  "Traitor!" he said and I heard him laugh before I closed the bathroom door.

  It was strange to show up at the office together and notice how everyone looked at us. The rumors had inevitably spread. They knew we were together, or rather, that we were about to get married. I imagined that many of them were wondering what a guy like Damian, a rich and beautiful demigod, was doing with a regular girl like me.

  "Shall we meet for lunch?" I asked as we got into the elevator.

  "I can't make it today, I have an important meeting with a client at lunch. I'll pick you up later to go home."

  "Ok, no problem," I replied. I thought to order something to eat in my office in order not to be alone in the cafeteria.

  As the elevator doors opened on my floor, I was about to leave with a simple ‘See you later’ when Damian held me by the arm and made me turn around.

  "This is yours," he said, handing me the planner. I didn't know what to say because, to be honest, I didn't even think I would need it. "You'll give it back to me after work," he decided, as if it was an order.

  "We'll see," I said, biting my lip and looking into those brown eyes full of desire.

  "You will. Unless you decide to leave it in your office. But you know there is no safer place than my safe to keep your secrets."

  It was true. Leaving it in my office could be an option, but even by locking it in the drawer I would not feel serene.

  "I'll give you my planner when I finish working if you come to the gym with me in return," I replied, trying not to laugh. I knew that I wouldn’t go there, considering that the alternative was to reach the seventh heaven with him.

  "Deal," he replied quickly, giving me a slap on my butt and bringing me closer to him. "Even though I don't know if I can run on a treadmill with that butt in tight leggings in front of me."

  I was about to reply that I would wear wide-leg pants but I heard someone clearing her throat behind me.

  "Good morning, Ingrid," Damian said without taking his hand off my butt, as if there was nothing wrong about it.

  I tried to push him, but I couldn’t. He stood there, firm, monopolizing my butt and the elevator as well.

  You can tell who the boss is in this company!

  "Good morning, Mr. Devoir. Good morning, Miss Acosta," Ingrid replied as if she was waiting for instructions.

  "See you later, Damian," I said formally, trying to get out of the elevator and turn into the aggressive, workaholic manager I was when I was in my office.

  "I'll come and pick you up at six," he whispered as he approached to brush his lips with mine. "Not one minute more! Eight hours away from you are already long enough."

  My body trembled at those words and even more when those sinful lips pressed against mine. I felt teleported into a world far from the one I was in: in Damian’s universe, where his caresses, his kisses, and everything he represented made me lose the perception of the world around me.

  "Have a good day, honey," he said softly but loud enough for Ingrid to hear. My secretary probably wanted to disappear in order not to see the show we had just put on, but her job was to assist me, and she was probably there because she had important information for me. "Ingrid," called Damian, "make sure she doesn't work more than necessary. I want her to be full of energy when she gets home," he said, looking at me instead of her.

  Was that a code? Should I expect wild sex that night?

  "Oh my God, yes!" I muttered getting out of the elevator as the doors closed behind me.

  Eight hours. Only eight hours would go by without seeing Damian, but in reality it would seem like an eternity considering the hot weekend spent together.

  "Go ahead, I'm listening," I said heading to my office followed by Ingrid.

  "One of our biggest clients has just told us that he’s going to have an audit," said Ingrid trying to stay calm.

  "Fantastic! The best way to start the week," I said knowing what that would entail: checking all the accounts meticulously. That was what they paid us for.

  "Bring me the detailed audit report of the client. I'll have a look as soon as I sit down in my office."

  "The audit consultant is here already. Since you were late, I invited him to wait in your office."

  "He is here already? How come?" I asked annoyed.

  We should have implemented a gradual process in order to check for any errors, and the consultant was not supposed to show up for another couple of weeks.

  "It’s a British client. It seems things work differently there," Ingrid said as if that could justify the situation.

  The British and their manias. They believe that they are the only ones capable of doing everything perfectly. I pictured a guy with moccasins, a tie, a plaid jacket and shiny hair waiting for me in my office.

  "Give me triple, better, quadruple coffee," I whispered just before making a triumphal entry into my office, as if I wasn't surprised that an idiot had come to ruin my perfect world.

  "Mr. Spooner, this is Miss Acosta. She is the Account Manager of the Enterprise."

  When the slim man turned around, I thought it was a joke. Where was the hidden camera? Karma certainly hated me if it had decided to make me work with that chump.

  "Maria! What a surprise!" he exclaimed enthusiastically with that British accent of his.

  "Hi, Steven," I stammered as the happy imbecile fervently squeezed my hand and came closer to give me two kisses.

  "I'll bring your coffee, Miss Acosta," Ingrid said while leaving.

  "Make it quintuple, Ingrid!" I exclaimed with a terrified face.

  "Fate insists on uniting us. It must be a sign," Steven said as Ingrid walked out the door.

  "Fate?" I mocked. Rather bad luck.

  I had certainly done something bad in another life. I knew that, sooner or later, I would have to pay the price for all the good sex with Adonis. A high price, judging by the individual in front of me who kept squeezing my hand.

  "Look, Steven," I began to say as I pushed those hands away from me to go and sit behind my desk. I hoped he was aware that this situation required professionalism only. "I know our last meeting was a disaster," I said remembe
ring that I had poured a glass of wine on him and that Nerea had told me he didn’t want to see me again, "but it's better if we focus on work and put what happened behind us. Okay?" I said with the best of my smiles, hoping that our present situation could be at least cordial.

  Why of all the useless men on this planet that one had to appear in my life? I didn't know the answer and didn't believe in coincidences or that Steven was a disturbed person who was stalking me.

  Better think about the first possibility or you will have nightmares at night.

  "We can make this process tedious and extremely long or, on the contrary, pleasant and short from which your company will come out completely unscathed. You decide, Maria Acosta."

  What? Has this moron just threatened me? I’m going to throw him out the window and pretend he jumped himself. I'd do the world a favour.

  "Sorry?" I asked as if I didn't understand.

  "Come on, Maria! I know very well that you set up that scene with the boyfriend, who’s your boss, just to make me jealous. I admit it had some impact, but I forgive you."

  Give him the prize for the greatest idiot in history!

  "When it comes to women, you're more lost than Pinocchio in IKEA, aren't you?" I blurted out crossing my arms. At that moment I thanked the Lord that my secretary came back with coffee along with a bouquet of gardenias.

  "From your fiancée, Miss Acosta," Ingrid interrupted, handing me the bouquet and placing the coffee on the table.

  There you have it, know-it-all. "Now deal with it," I thought closing my eyes to breathe in the sweet fragrance.

  "They smell good!" I exclaimed smiling as I took the card from the bouquet to read it greedily.

  Are these your favourite flowers, my precious fiancée?

  If so, I'll give you a bunch of them every day.

  Forever Yours,

  Damian Devoir