Pretend Honeymoon (Romance)

by Bella Grant

  He asked his assistant to pack a travel bag for her, instructing her on what to pack. Ava would represent him, and she needed to look the part. At noon, he drove her home and instructed her to shower and change into the clothes he had laid out. “Don’t I need to pack a bag?” she asked once, and he frowned disapprovingly. After that, she did as she was asked without question, and Carter felt a surge of affection at her demure compliance.

  As they settled into their first-class seats, Ava watched everything around her, wide-eyed. She looked smart and worldly in her navy shift dress and blazer, but the awestruck look on her face gave away her innocence and naiveté. Carter found it endearing, and when she clutched his hand during take-off, he simply lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly until she relaxed into her seat. “You’re fine, my darling,” he whispered in her ear. “Relax.”

  When they arrived in Boston, she followed him through the airport, taking his hand when he offered it. They met their driver at baggage claim, and arm and arm, they exited the terminal into the crisp autumnal air. Ava pulled her blazer close about her, and Carter smiled affectionately at her, slipping his overcoat around her shoulders.

  Once they checked into the hotel, he pulled her tight against him and kissed her long and hard. “What’s that for?” she asked happily.

  “It’s for you,” he answered, barely catching himself before he could add because I love you. But he did catch himself, so instead, he said, “Call your friend. Tell him we’ll meet at Mistral at seven.”

  “Okay,” she said with a grin.

  Carter could tell how excited she was to see Mateo, and he tried not to let it bother him. Mateo was her friend, he reminded himself. Still, he needed to know for sure, to see for himself, and until he did, he would never feel fully connected to her.

  Noticing the time, he put down his phone and said, “We should get dressed. It’s quarter past six.” Ava nodded and hauled herself off the bed, reaching for her bag.

  “What am I supposed to wear?” she asked.

  “Wear this,” Carter said, pulling out a form-fitting black dress that tucked and folded in all the right places. He knew she would look irresistible in that dress, and he wanted her to wear it for two reasons—partly for his enjoyment, and partly because no man would be able to take his eyes off her if he found her sexually attractive. If Mateo had any real feelings for her, this dress would make them impossible to hide.

  When Ava stepped out of the bathroom, Carter’s heartbeat quickened and his cock stiffened at the sight. He pulled a trench coat from the hanger on the closet and helped her slip it on, tying the belt around her slim waist. “Ready?” he asked, full of anticipation and anxiety.

  “Yes,” she replied, placing her hand in his and looking up at him, her face full of trust. “I’d go anywhere with you.” She laughed.

  When they arrived at the restaurant, they took a seat at the bar until Mateo arrived. Carter ordered a martini on the rocks and a club soda with a twist for Ava. He noticed she’d glance up every time a shadow crossed by the window, and each time, the look on her face was excited and hopeful. Carter sipped his martini and watched her, studying her expressions.

  When Mateo finally arrived, Ava jumped off the stool to greet him, throwing herself into his arms. He wrapped them around her in a bear hug, holding her close and lifting her off the ground. Setting her down, he pushed her back, holding her shoulders and getting a good look at her.

  “Holy shit, it’s good to see you!” He laughed. “Who are you? What have you done with my scrubby little sister?”

  Hearing the words “little sister” softened Carter and immediately returned his presence of mind. He stood and walked towards them, extending his hand to greet Mateo.

  “It’s all him.” Ava laughed, gesturing with her head. Carter noticed she seemed eager and excited, a childlike enthusiasm shining through her composure. He loved her for it, for the way she looked gleefully from one of them to the other, evidently hoping they would become best friends upon first meeting. Carter rested his hand on Ava’s back and smiled politely at Mateo.

  “It’s very good to meet you,” he said, shaking the young man’s hand. He was probably seven or eight years older than her friend, and he could see in these first moments that Mateo was no threat to him. There was nothing romantic between them at all, and the way Ava clung to his arm was like any little sister reuniting with her favorite brother after a long time apart.

  “How’s everything?” she asked rapid-fire, not waiting for him to answer. “How’s classes? Your friends? Where do you live?”

  Carter had never seen her so animated, and he sat back to enjoy the spectacle until she ran out of steam. She did, eventually, although it took longer than he expected. Meanwhile, Mateo did his best to answer questions to her satisfaction in the limited time she allowed for it, often giving yes or no responses unless she pressed him for more.

  When Ava finally ducked away to use the ladies’ room, Carter had a moment of alone time with Mateo. “I’ve been very interested in meeting you,” he said honestly, studying the stranger across the table. “Ava talks about you all the time.”

  “I talk about her all the time,” Mateo answered without pretense. “She’s my family and I love her more than anyone.”

  Carter was glad to know she had family who cared about her. Ava was too special not to be loved by more than one person, and knowing now that the love they shared for her in no way overlapped, he felt himself breathe a little easier. She was his, in all the ways he needed her to be, and he knew Mateo was no threat. He was simply her brother.

  “I understand you’re attending Harvard Law?” Carter asked, turning the conversation to Mateo.

  “That’s right.” The young man smiled. “I’m going into family practice, I think. I want to try to make a difference for kids like me and Ava.”

  “That’s commendable,” Carter replied thoughtfully and nodded in respect. Mateo seemed like a good kid, and the world needed more people like him. “I don’t know if she’s told you, but Ava has also decided to take that path. Not law school, I mean, but advocacy. She wants to be a counselor and work with kids in the system. I don’t know if it was your influence, or if she found her own way there, but I think it’s amazing. You’re both going to change the world for someone.”

  “I think it was you,” Mateo answered, cocking his head to the side and giving Carter a hard look. “Before you, she had no idea what she wanted to do. In a matter of months, she’s decided what she wants in life. She’s confident and happy. I’ve never seen her like this.”

  Carter didn’t know what to say, so he gave Mateo a nod and watched his beautiful girl approach from the other side of the room. She did look happy. Her confidence made her the sexiest woman in the room. When she arrived at the table, Carter pulled her chair out for her and kissed the top of her hand.

  Chapter 20

  Ava

  When they left the restaurant, Carter offered to give Mateo a ride home in their town car, but he refused, insisting that the T would be the fastest means of getting home and he didn’t want to trouble them at all. Ava hugged him for a long time, wrapping her arms tight around his skinny waist and pressing her cheek to his chest.

  “I miss you all the time,” she said, suddenly feeling very sad.

  “I miss you all the time, too,” Mateo said, kissing the top of her head. “But I’m happy you’re doing so well. You’ve landed on your feet, kid.” He ruffled her hair and gave her a light, playful sock on the shoulder. Turning to Carter, Mateo extended his hand once more. “It was good to meet you,” he said with a genuine smile.

  “Likewise,” Carter smiled. “I hope we have the chance to do it again sometime.”

  Ava watched Mateo fade into the dark night, down the old brick streets of Boston, before disappearing into the subway station. When he was no longer in sight, Carter opened the door for her and helped her slide into the town car.

  On the drive back to the hotel, he was s
ilent, and Ava watched him curiously. Finally, she gave up and looked out the window, but Carter took her hand in his. “I owe you an apology, Ava.”

  “What for?” she asked, suspecting what he would say.

  “I didn’t trust you when you said Mateo was family,” he said remorsefully. “I assumed that even if he was family to you, you might not be to him. I thought he might be in love with you. And I was wrong. I get it now. And I feel like an idiot.”

  Ava looked at his apologetic face and felt the hard line of her mouth soften into a smile. “It’s okay,” she whispered back. “Truly. I was kind of irritated by your jealousy before, but now that you’ve met him, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m glad you can see that.” She intertwined her small fingers through his and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “So you forgive me?” Carter asked.

  “Of course I do,” Ava replied sleepily. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

  With her head on his arm and the weight of dinner settling on her, Ava stifled a yawn and looked out the window of the car at the buildings passing by in the streetlight. This is a beautiful city, she thought. It was a city of culture and history and beauty. And it had Mateo. Carter had given her this experience, and she could never thank him enough for that.

  As the old buildings slipped by, Ava breathed deeply. The smell of Carter’s cologne and the warmth of his body against her made her feel safe. She blinked dazedly as sleep crept upon her, and she sighed softly to herself.

  I love you. As Ava thought these words, her eyes opened wide, struck by their meaning. She glanced at Carter, afraid he might have somehow heard the words reverberating inside her head. He sat placidly in the seat next to her, scrolling through emails on his phone, unaware of the tumultuous feelings roaring through her.

  What did it mean, to love him? She was wide awake now, both horrified and entranced by the idea. Ava did not let people in easily, and it had happened without her even acknowledging it. She went from being a lone wolf, independent and isolated, to the girlfriend of a high-powered man, traveling in a town car and living in a mansion. It was more than just his station in life, though. He had opened her up without Ava knowing. It was so subtle and gentle that she felt no discomfort from the intimacy.

  She couldn’t tell him. Not yet. What if he doesn’t feel the same? she thought, her heart beating fast with worry. Without any warning, the stakes were raised, and Ava realized how much she had to lose. Until this moment, it hadn’t dawned on her that she could lose more than simply a roof over her head. Carter was the first man she’d been with romantically, the first man who understood what made her tick. She felt safe with him…until now, knowing he might not feel the same. He might take it all away.

  Ava sat uncomfortably in her seat, squirming. Carter pulled their intertwined fingers towards him and kissed the top of her hand absently, still scrolling through his emails. “Tired?” he asked, glancing at her.

  “Wide awake, actually,” she said, feeling anxious. Luckily, he seemed not to notice the fact that she grappled with a new reality, one where she desperately wanted to hold on and was terrified of everything being taken away from her. Ava was used to chaos and hardship, but something in her had softened since she met Carter. Now she felt irrational and sensitive, unable to gain control. All she could do was ride it out.

  When they arrived at the hotel, Carter led her through the gold doors and the marbled foyer to the elevator. In their suite, he loosened his tie and threw his jacket over a chair. Then he turned to Ava. “I want you.”

  Ava felt herself blush and stood shyly in the doorway.

  “Something seems different about you,” he murmured, tilting his head to the side as he examined her. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she replied, eager to get away from this conversation before she admitted how she felt. The most effective method was distraction, so she slipped one strap of her dress off, then the other, and unzipped the back carefully, allowing it to fall in a gentle heap on the carpet. Carter had picked out her lingerie set, and he observed her now. Ava suspected he was pleased with his choice. The black, lace demi-bra hugged her curves and the low cut of the panties slung over her smooth hips.

  “Good God,” Carter whispered, and Ava noticed the bulge in his suit pants. “You are magnificent.”

  She didn’t speak. Instead, she looked at him with all the emotion in her heart radiating out of her and into him. Biting her bottom lip, she tried not to fidget and ruin the sexy scene she’d created by acting like a bashful child.

  “Come here, Ava,” Carter commanded, and she obeyed instinctually, her legs wobbling a little as she walked across the floor in her high heels.

  “I want you to do something for me,” he said, brushing the hair out of her face. “I want you to call me ‘sir’ when you address me, and I want you to ask permission before you do anything that I have not explicitly directed you to do. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” she said demurely, looking up into his strong face.

  “Turn around,” he instructed, pulling the tie from his neck. With her back to him, she felt the smooth fabric of his silk tie wrapping around her wrists, the blood throbbing in her veins. The knot was tighter than she expected, and she sucked in a deep breath when he yanked at it.

  Carter positioned himself in front of her and unzipped his fly. Her legs wobbled weakly against him and threatened to buckle, but when he told her to spread her legs and remain motionless, she complied.

  “Ava, I’m going to make you come,” he told her. “I want to try some toys on you. Are you all right with that?”

  “Yes,” she whispered almost inaudibly. Her heart beat fast in her chest. She was fairly sure she wanted to experience whatever he offered, but she couldn’t know for sure. In this moment, all she could do was trust him to take care of her and make her feel everything she wanted to feel—or defy him and ruin it all. She knew deep down if she failed this moment, there might not be another. With a deep, shuddering breath, she nodded, repeating louder. “Yes.”

  Behind her, she could hear him rummaging through his suitcase, and the soft padding footsteps of his feet on the carpet as he approached her. The smooth, light touch of the fabric surprised her as Carter looped the silk blindfold across her face, tying it tightly behind her head. As soon as her vision was taken from her, Ava felt each of her other senses amplify, her arousal destroying any sense of calm she might have once possessed, her body aching for touch, even more so now that she could not anticipate it.

  As cold metal brushed her nipples, she jumped a little, and she felt Carter’s hand steady her. She didn’t know what it was or what he would do to her, but she felt his lips on her earlobe, whispering, “Relax, darling girl.” She did her best to slow her heartbeat and calm herself. The metal tinkled softly against itself, and Ava held her breath as she felt the chain slide over her small, peaked chest again.

  Carter held her breast in his hand, rolling her delicate pink nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it until it grew erect. The sensitivity would normally make her pull away, but the arousal deep inside her mixed with the pain became a delicious swirl of pleasure and desire, and she stood perfectly still, allowing him to use her body however he saw fit.

  “Kiss me,” she whispered, waiting to feel his lips on hers. He did not kiss her, and Ava hesitated. “Carter?” she asked softly, the uncertainty evident in her voice.

  “Ava, do you trust me?” he asked, his words gentle and soothing.

  “Yes,” she answered after a few seconds.

  “Then do as I say,” he urged, standing behind her and kissing her shoulder.

  Ava’s heart beat heavy in her throat. Although her bonds were not tight, Ava couldn’t resist the urge to pull her wrists apart, testing her mobility. She had none, and the anxiety flared through her. She had given up all control and no longer had the ability to stop him or resist. She had to come to terms with the reality that she could no longer t
ear the blindfold from her eyes if she felt the need to see, no longer reach a hand out to stop him if she felt it was too much. She was entirely at his mercy. The thought sent a shiver of excitement through her.

  As if he sensed this, Carter ran his hands over her body, turning her so she faced him, her sight obstructed and her hands bound tightly behind her back. He held her face in his hands, and Ava felt her whole body trembling as their lips met, his tongue dancing against hers, coaxing a soft moan out of her.

  The arousal was slick between her legs, and when the chain grazed her chest, Ava stood firmly on the carpet and did not shy away. The clamp squeezed tightly against her nipple, and she felt Carter adjust the screw until it stopped on the border of tolerable. When he traced his tongue over the pink bud squeezed between the pinchers, her legs shook and she pressed herself forward to meet his mouth.

  Her flesh was cold and wet in the absence of his mouth, and by the time he moved to her other nipple, it was stiff in anticipation. He placed the arms of the brace easily on either side of her bud, and steadily, the pressure grew as he let the metal squeeze down on her.

  Ava made no attempt to stifle the moan that escaped her throat, deep and heady. With her eyes blindfolded and her arms bound with the wide silk ribbon, she had no choice but to stand there and let the metal clamps press against her nipples like clothespins, the cold chain swinging loosely against her torso as she moved.

  A soft buzzing startled her. As Carter sucked her nipple, teasing the flesh protruding from the brace, he placed the vibrator against her clit briefly before slipping it inside her. The vibrations hit the part of her that made everything feel swollen and potent, and her muscles squeezed tight against it.

  “Get on your knees,” he directed, pulling the chain gently, compelling her to lower herself to the ground. All she could feel was the humming vibration in her pussy and his mouth on her breast, licking and sucking, melting the pain from the clamp away until nothing but pleasure and desire remained. The buzzing in her pussy was replaced by his strong fingers, their deft, flexing gestures urging her to come, a sensation so acutely felt but unable to complete. She felt as if she had to pee, but not quite, a fullness she didn’t recognize filling her core with each swift stroke of his fingers inside her.