by Rhea Wilde
“Actually… I was just wondering if you wouldn’t mind staying here. Just until I finished my dinner.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Crosby smiled politely then bowed his head. I watched him gingerly take a seat a few meters away from me. The sight of him always put a smile on my face. Maybe it was because of how kind he was to me.
“I wanted to ask you about Stephen,” I said. “I mean, I know you’re not allowed to talk about his personal business or anything you have to keep a secret. I know there are things like that. But I haven’t seen him in a long time. Is he okay?”
“Master Stephen is doing no better or worse than he was since your last interaction.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. I didn’t know what to think if Crosby actually saw me going down on Stephen while he sat on top of his piano. But I assumed that Crosby meant an actual conversation and didn’t make any mention of the perverse thoughts running around in my head.
“I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing,” I said. “Stephen seems so formal. So rigid. So uptight. He looks like a bottle that’s going to explode.”
“Miss Aria?”
“A bottle. You know? Like, when you get something carbonated… A champagne bottle for instance. And you shake it up and all of the bubbles build up. Then when you open it everything just sprays everywhere and makes a mess… I haven’t seen Stephen smile. I haven’t seen him laugh. Not so much as a chuckle. When you tell me that he’s the same as he always was, it doesn’t make me feel any better. The fact that he’s missing just makes me fear the worst.”
“I can assure you that Master Stephen is dealing with his situation quite well and you have nothing to worry about.”
“So… There is a situation then?”
“Business matters, Miss Aria. A man of Stephen’s repute is always tending to his business.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I know. I just wish that I could do something for him. Just talk to him, at least. It seems like all he does is work.”
“The best you can do is to keep doing what you are doing. Master Stephen appreciates your effort.”
“Yeah, I don’t doubt that.”
I looked down at the check on the table while I took another bite of food. It was clear that Stephen didn’t forget about our business arrangement and the fact that he hired me. But doing what he hired me to do still didn’t feel like enough.
I didn’t try to pry any further. Instead, I ate my dinner in peace while Crosby humored me with stories about his past. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised about how wild his stories were. At his age, he had a lifetime’s worth of experiences and I was sure that he would never run out of them.
When I finished my meal, Crosby escorted me down the empty corridor to my guest room. I stood just outside of the door and stopped.
“Good night, Miss Aria. It has been a pleasure spending this evening with you.”
“Thank you.”
He bowed his head to me and shuffled down the hall. I watched him until he was gone. I grabbed the handle to the door and just when I was about to open it, something came over me.
I’m not tired. I’m not ready to sleep.
I let go of the door and looked down the halls.
“There must be something I can do…” I sighed.
I walked down another set of halls in nothing but the pair of shorts and t-shirt I planned on sleeping in. I didn’t know where to go though. I never took the time to explore Stephen’s mansion, mostly out of fear of getting lost. I figured I would go to one of the few places I’d actually been to before.
I stepped through the large double doors and into the study room. The moonlight shined in from the massive windows and illuminated the bookshelves that stretched all the way to the high ceiling.
Stephen expected me to read. He didn’t tell me what to read though. He just said I should be reading something. I didn’t even bother with his suggestion. I exercised like he asked. I took the lessons with Camille. But the reading was the one thing I put off and forgot about completely.
I walked down one of the aisles and turned my head to read the books available to me.
“Law books… Geography books… Biographies… Would it have killed him to put one Nora Roberts book in here?”
Nothing caught my eye. I moved up and down the aisles, casually skimming and thumbing through the books. Some of them were so old and dusty that my finger came back discolored.
I didn’t look through all of the books. There were thousands of books available to me. I was just about to give up and go back to my room when I came upon a set of books at the end of one shelf.
“Historical cookbook… Huh… What are the chances?”
I pulled the tome from its spot then blew the dust off of it. I made my way back into the main hall of the study room and took a seat so that I could look through it. I didn’t know what to expect but it was enough to keep my mind off of everything.
I read the book as I sat there on the couch, skimming through it to find anything that might interest me. I lost track of time. I leaned back against the couch and continued to scan the text but before I knew it, the fatigue had kicked in.
Chapter 23
I felt the weight of the book shifting from on top of me. I blinked my eyes open and thought I was dreaming for a moment. When I opened my eyes completely, I saw him standing over me and skimming through the book.
“Sorry,” I yawned as I slowly sat up. “I guess I fell asleep.”
“It’s all right,” Stephen said as he flipped through the pages of the book. “What did you think?”
“Think about what?”
“The book.”
“Oh,” I said with a laugh. “I only read a few pages before I fell asleep.”
“That uninteresting, huh? Yeah, I didn’t enjoy it very much either.”
“You read it?”
Stephen took a seat on the couch next to me and flipped through the pages to the end before resting it on the table in front of us.
“I read it,” he said. “You were right to fall asleep.”
“I figured it would be interesting. How often do you come across a historical cookbook?”
“Not very. But it’s more of a reference book than anything you would actually read for entertainment.”
“What about the rest of these books?” I asked. “Are they all reference books, too? Or are they all for entertainment?”
“A little bit of both. You never know until you pick one up.”
“I don’t think there’s enough time to go through every single one of them. If I’m going to find something I want to read, I’m going to have to get lucky.”
“It takes a little luck to find what you’re looking for sometimes.”
“Yeah…”
I stared at Stephen and smiled at him. Even in the moonlight, I could see his green eyes were tinted slightly red from exhaustion. His blond beard had grown in like he hadn’t shaved in days. He was only wearing a tight white undershirt and a pair of slacks, so the rest of his suit was probably crumpled somewhere just waiting to be tended to. It had been so long since I’d seen him that I almost forgot how handsome he was. But he looked different. It was clear something happened. And I knew what it was.
“How are you?” I asked.
“I’m fine. How else would I be?”
“I heard something about you.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I know a guy. Jacob Freeman. You’re familiar with him, I’m sure.”
“How do you know Jacob?”
“My best friend his engaged to him.”
“Ah. Small world.”
“And an even smaller city.”
“And I suppose Mr. Freeman said something about me?”
“Yeah… He said you were asking for something in the city. A spot so that you could open this restaurant you had planned. He said that you were rejected.”
Stephen leaned back in his seat and sighed as he listened to me.
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br /> “Is it true?” I asked.
“Is there any reason he would lie to you?”
Stephen looked at me and I softly shook my head. I could see the disappointment in his eyes even though he was trying his best to hide it.
“This was important to you,” I said.
“Ah, well. It happens. You just have to keep going.”
“I know. But it still looks like it’s bothering you.”
“And what makes you say that?”
“I haven’t seen you for days. Crosby said that you’ve been doing business all this time, locked away in your office. But it’s not just that. I can see it in your eyes… on your face. You can’t hide it from me.”
Stephen swallowed as his face twitched. He sighed again but remained staring forward as he began to talk.
“I remember the first time I saw you. I thought you were just some pretty young girl at a dinner party. You served our table and there was something about you. I couldn’t stop staring at you… And when I watched you serve, it was clear that you had no idea what you were doing.”
“Yes, you’ve reminded me of that before,” I said with a chuckle.
“Spilling wine on someone isn’t something you see every day.”
“Right. I’m still sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. It gave me a reason to talk to your boss… But I remember when I first laid eyes on you. All I wanted to do was sleep with you. I invited you up to my room because I wanted nothing more than to ravage you like I have other women before. What I wasn’t counting on was you being so… vigorous.”
“Quite the compliment…”
“When I woke up the next morning, I saw you sleeping in bed. I don’t know why… but there was something about you that made you different. Something I felt… You looked so young and free like you didn’t have a care in the world. In a way, I envied you… That’s when I knew you would be perfect.”
“Perfect? For what?”
He finally turned and looked at me. I stared into his eyes and could see some of the emotions beginning to pour out of him.
“All my life, ever since I was a child, I was taught there was only one way to do everything. I was raised by two proper parents that wouldn’t have me even speak to someone like you. I was given lessons in multiple languages so I could speak to foreigners. I was taught how to play the piano. I was told to read every day. I was pushed physically as well as mentally. All so that I could live up to the expectations they set for me.”
“Stephen…”
“When I look at you, I see everything I’m not. A free spirit who lives her life as it comes to her. That’s who I want to work for me. That’s who I want to be there when I open this new business.”
“And is that why they rejected your proposal?” I said, half-laughing at the thought of me in charge of his new restaurant. “Were they afraid of a complete novice being responsible for its success?”
“In a way. They don’t know about you. But they know that I’m not interested in making just any restaurant. And they think it’s too extreme.”
“How extreme can a restaurant be?”
“I want to do something completely different. Something that doesn’t fit the mold of anything they’ve ever seen before. Something… like you.”
Stephen remained staring at me. The silence in the room made me feel the tension that was surrounding us. I swallowed anxiously before laughing in an attempt to ease my nerves.
“I don’t know if I can do anything about that,” I said. “I know even less about business than I do about cooking. But… I’m here. And there are other things I can do.”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you. I want you every single time I lay my eyes on you.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“That’s not who I am. I can’t indulge myself whenever I want.”
“I guess that’s why you hired me then. I’m everything you’re not. So, let me be the part of you that you can’t be. Just be yourself and I’ll be me. There’s no point in fighting what you crave. We’re two different people but deep down, you know that you and I are the same. Because our desires… are exactly alike.”
I didn’t want to think anymore. I moved forward and took Stephen by his shirt. I closed my eyes and rushed my face to his. When my lips fell upon his, he pushed back. I sighed softly into his mouth as my lips parted. Our tongues swirled against one another as our kisses became more passionate.
I moved from the couch and onto his lap. My legs spread on top of him, I could feel his length beginning to thicken inside of his pants. The insides of my panties began to get wet in anticipation of everything that was happening.
Stephen gently placed his arms upon my shoulders and pushed me away. He lifted his shirt up over his head and tossed it to the side. I marveled at the perfect symmetry of his muscles as he sat there before me. Even if he had taken off the last few weeks at the gym, it would have been hard to tell.
I leaned forward and kissed him on the center of his chest. I trailed my mouth down and around his torso. I sucked and teased his hard flesh. I worked my tongue down his center and toward his belly button. The perfect lines of his abdominals gave my tongue a path to move down. Underneath me, his cock stretched his pants upon him even tighter. There was no point in waiting any longer.
I stepped up from him and the two of us quickly removed our clothes. Stephen took his seat back upon the couch completely naked. With my shorts and shirt tossed to the side, I spread my legs and straddled him. I looked down and watched as Stephen held his firm cock up and pointed it at me. I slowly lowered myself down upon him. His tip pushed past my folds. As more of his length began to slide into my wet entrance, I felt the pleasure beginning to surge through my body.
I impaled myself completely upon him. I closed my eyes and rubbed my clit against his hilt as he held himself in me. My head tilted toward the ceiling on its own and a moan escaped from my lips.
I gripped his broad shoulders as best I could to brace myself. Slowly, I began to ride him. Stephen’s cock was so long that even when I moved my hips up high, there was still a piece of him inside of me. His length gave me the opportunity to ride him at my own pace.
Stephen held me firm in his grip as I straddled him. His hands took hold of my waist while I moved myself up and down upon his body. The slapping sound of skin grew louder as I bounced myself upon his cock. My moans echoed through the chamber.
“Yes… Just like that…”
I breathed the words of desire I knew we both had. I knew Stephen was only beginning to enjoy himself. His grip upon my waist became even tighter. He began forcefully moving me up and down upon him. I cried out even louder from how he manhandled me. I slid my hands down upon his arm and felt his muscles flexing as he worked me over.
Then he began to lift his hips up from the couch. He started to thrust into me. He slammed his body against mine. Whenever he filled me up completely, his hilt rubbed against my clitoris even more. I didn’t know how much more I could take.
Stephen worked his cock in and out of me like a piston. Sweat dripped from all over my body. My throat grew hoarse from moaning. My hair was a tangled mess that I constantly had to keep brushing out of my face. All the while, Stephen fucked me with a ravenous precision.
“I can’t… I’m gonna… Oh, fuck… Fuck…”
I tried to remain as quiet as possible but it was pointless. I shouted out the expletives before they were followed by an unintelligible and embarrassing sound. My orgasm slammed into me. I gripped onto Stephen’s broad shoulders and dug my fingers into his hard muscles, trying to brace myself from my climax. The feeling of coming upon his cock was nearly indescribable. The pleasure shot from my center and surged inside of my body. I spasmed up against Stephen’s hard body, helplessly indulging in the ecstasy he put me through.
I nearly collapsed on top of him after I came. Stephen slowed his pace down but remained fucking me. I brushed the hair from my face and looked into hi
s eyes. The focus was still there and I knew he hadn’t yet experienced what I just did.
I leaned forward and kissed him deeply. I sighed into his mouth and searched for his tongue. Our lips smacked and moans escaped from the corners of my mouth. I worked my tongue along the side of his face and moaned into his ear.
“I want this… You want this… Give it to me…”
Stephen began fucking me even harder. He raised his hips up from the couch once again and began slamming himself into me. I shut my eyes tight and wrapped my arms around his neck. I held him close while our cheeks brushed against one another. My mouth was open but nothing came out. I was in shock from how hard he was giving it to me. But there was nothing I wanted more than for him to have his release.
Suddenly, he stopped. I peeled myself from his body and he pulled his cock out of me. He stroked himself for a few moments just before his cock burst. I looked down and watched as he stroked himself to completion. His seed fired from his tip and spilled onto his stomach. I sighed from the sight of his cock erupting. The cum continued to spill out of him and cascade down the lines of his perfect six-pack. He squeezed out one final last spurt then released his cock in exhaustion.
The two of us breathed hard. I stared into his eyes as my heart raced. The satisfaction I saw in him was undeniable.
“I’m here,” I whispered. “And I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
I grinned at him then leaned forward and kissed him. When I pulled away, I remained staring at him. Then I saw something I’d never seen before. His lips twitched into a smile. I looked into his eyes and saw that it was genuine. Seeing him smile made my grin even wider.
I didn’t know much about him but I knew who he was. He was a man that worked hard. In my eyes, it was too hard. I was exactly who he needed and he was just the same to me. That’s what he saw in me when we first met. That’s why he hired me. That’s why I was still here. And I intended on working for him for a long time.
Chapter 24
I only caught a glimpse of the dining hall in Stephen’s mansion but it was enough to leave a stain on my memory. It was extravagant, to say the least. One long table at the center of the room could accommodate more than a dozen people. Surrounding the centerpiece, there were several smaller tables for more intimate groups. I’d seen some of them occupied before when Stephen hosted his dinner party. I remember him sitting at the head while everybody else lined the table in the other seats.
