by Elle Woods
It might be easier, he thought to himself. Being alone with her in his car was going to be nearly impossible. Still, it would look too strange if they came separately.
“I’ll pick you up with a car and driver. When the event is over I can have a separate car bring you home, if you’d like.”
“That’s probably a good idea. Is it ok if I wear a silver dress?”
“Silver will be lovely.”
Chapter 7
Counter-Offer
It had only been two days since he and Sarah had decided to stay away from each other. Dylan had to admit he was not handling it well. Each time he tried to push her from his mind, he failed miserably. In fact, she was pretty much all he thought about.
Maybe it was the sadness in her eyes when he last saw her. The thought of her being in pain didn’t sit well with him. It didn’t help that it was somehow his fault. Things had gotten way out of hand between the two of them. He had let it happen. She was right when she said there was no future for them, but something within him rebelled at the thought. He tried to write it off as his usual issues with being told what he could or couldn’t do. Whatever it was, it was keeping him up at night.
He sat in his apartment and stared at the bare walls. It had never bothered him before. In fact, he had always prided himself on how modern and minimalist his apartment was. Everything in it was carefully chosen for its look. Now, he couldn’t help but think of the painting and photos in his office that gave it such warmth. Sarah was there. She had never even been to his apartment and it felt colder.
The storm raging outside matched his mood. He usually found storms annoying. They were a hindrance to his daily activities. This evening's storm was the only thing soothing him. He knew it was right to stay away from Sarah as she had asked. He just wasn’t sure how he was going to do it when it felt so wrong.
A bolt of lightning lit the entire sky. Everything went dark. He stood and rushed to the window. To his shock, there wasn’t a light to be seen in the entire city. If it wasn’t for the faint lights of cars on the street, it would have been total darkness below him.
In that moment, his thoughts went straight to Sarah. Where was she? Was she safe? What if she had been out and was stuck somewhere in the darkness?
He grabbed his phone and dialed her number without a moment’s hesitation. If she got angry with him, he could handle that. He just needed to know she was safe. Dylan had expected to hear her voice on the other end of the line. Instead, it went straight to voicemail. All he could think about was what that could mean until he couldn’t stand it anymore. What if she was hurt? The storm was a violent one and anything might have happened to her. What if she had been outside when it broke or out on the roads?
He grabbed his keys and ran from the apartment, consumed by the need to see her safe. As he drove towards her place, everything he saw between his apartment and her home made him more anxious. There were groups of people wandering around outside in the darkness and he passed three different car accidents as he made his way towards her.
By the time he parked his car in front of her place, he was in such a state that he wasn’t comforted by the glow of candlelight coming from inside. The only thing that was going to soothe him was seeing her.
He jumped from the car and sprinted through the rain to her door. By the time he reached her door, he was soaked. He pounded on the door, worried that even if she were inside, she wouldn’t be able to hear him over the storm. Minutes passed and he was on the verge of letting himself in with his own key. He was her landlord after all and the property belonged to him.
Finally, the door swung open and there she stood, bathed in candlelight. He had always thought she was attractive, but in that moment, he couldn’t breathe. Her hair was damp and was curling gently around her shoulders as the wind of the storm blew it back. Her skin glowed. Sarah was wrapped in a pale blue robe and the silk garment skimmed the curves of her body in such an inviting way that it was all he could do not to reach out and touch her.
Whatever words he had planned to say when she opened the door escaped him. All he could think about was how desperately he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her close.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted out.
She looked shocked, but not upset. Seeing her washed away all his anxiety. He felt whole being near her again, even if it was just for a moment. The storm faded away. The rain pouring down no longer mattered. All he cared about was that she was standing there, unharmed by the chaos of the blackout. He realized his reaction had been extreme, but he hadn’t been able to control it. All he could feel in those moments was panic as the need to know that she was alright.
“Is everything okay, Dylan? You’re scaring me. ”
“Sarah,” he whispered, still staring at her as if she were a miracle.
“Come inside,” she said. She reached out and took his hand, as though she had just noticed the pouring rain. “You’ll catch your death in this storm.”
He let her lead him inside. She closed the door with some struggle as the wind blew ferociously against it. It was only once the door was closed and the sounds of the storm were muffled that he began to come to his senses.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have come here to bother you.”
“Don’t be silly. What’s wrong? You look so pale.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I shouldn’t have come here to bother you.”
Now it was her turn to stand there in silence. She just stared at him. The candlelight reflected in her eyes as she watched him. He suddenly wanted to capture the beauty of the moment. He wished he had a fraction of her talent with a paintbrush.
“You were worried about me?” she whispered, so low that he almost hadn’t heard her.
“Of course,” he replied.
“Why?”
“Because I care about you. The entire city was in chaos. I needed to know that you were safe. When I called, you didn’t answer.”
He hated admitting that, especially because she had made it so clear that she wanted to have space and time to help her deal with how they felt about each other. Still, she needed to know the truth.
“Oh, my battery was so low that I turned it off. Just in case I needed to make some kind of emergency call. Sorry I worried you.”
She looked a bit disappointed, wrapping her arms around herself and turning her beautiful eyes away from him.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“No, I do. You shouldn’t have had to come here during this storm.”
“I didn’t have to do anything. I needed to make sure that you were okay.”
She was pulling away from him. He could feel it. Sarah looked so uncomfortable in that moment, embarrassed even, and he couldn’t understand why. Only moments ago, she had looked at him as though she were glad to see him. He needed to tell her the truth.
“I would have come anyway.” The words were difficult to say.
She turned back to him, eying him as if she was confused by his words.
“It’s true. I’ve missed you. I would have been at your door sooner or later. ”
“What are you saying?” she asked. Her eyes locked with his as she spoke.
“I’m not sure what I am trying to say. I just know that I needed to see you.”
Now it was his turn to look away. She hadn’t missed him like he had missed her. He wasn’t ready to see her reaction.
“You’ve missed me?” she said, still clearly in disbelief. When she spoke, he turned back to her. He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her for long.
“Dylan,” she whispered, taking a step towards him before stopping herself.
“I know you asked me to stay away. I should have respected that. After this, I will. I just needed to see you. I couldn’t think straight when the storm came. When you didn’t answer my call, I panicked. All I could think was that something happened to you or you might need me. I know you haven’t missed me like I�
�ve missed you. You deserve your space, especially after all you’ve done for me.”
“You think I haven’t missed you?” she asked with a sad little laugh.
“You asked me to stay away. I heard you, loud and clear.”
“I asked you to stay away because I was becoming too reliant on you. I was getting too used to having you by my side.”
“I know that.”
“I’ve missed you every day,” she confessed, tears welling in her eyes.
His restraint dissolved. He closed the distance between them in two steps and pulled her into his arms, his lips crashing down on hers with the same fury as the storm raging outside. Dylan half expected her to push him away after a moment. After all, she had asked for time apart and he couldn’t seem to stay away from her or keep his hands off of her. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her body against his.
Her encouragement was all he needed. One of his hands went to her hair and he luxuriated in the feeling of the silky strands against his fingers. The other hand went to the small of her back, holding her body close to his so that he could feel her luscious curves against him.
“I’m getting you all wet,” he whispered when he finally broke their kiss, suddenly aware of how drenched his clothes were from the rain.
“I don’t care,” she moaned, going up on her toes to kiss him again.
That was all he needed to hear. In one quick motion, he scooped her up in his arms, cradling her against his body as he devoured her with his kisses.
“Dylan,” she moaned as her eager hands explored his broad shoulders.
“Where,” he choked out.
“Down the hall, left,” she gasped.
They continued kissing as he carried her down the hall, following the trail of candles until he arrived at the room she had indicated.
Dylan expected her to have directed him to her bedroom. Instead, he found himself in her art studio. There were candles everywhere and it was clear that she had been in the middle of working when the power had gone out. There were works in progress everywhere, leaning on easels and against the walls. It was as if he had stepped inside her very soul. It was magical, but it wasn’t enough. He needed it all. He needed to be inside her, to be as close to her as he could be.
He noticed a little lounge in the corner with a small bed on the floor covered in silk pillows and blankets. He didn’t hesitate to carry her towards it, placing her down. She looked up at him with a desire in her eyes that he was sure matched his own.
“Sleep in here often?” he teased as her nimble fingers went to the buttons of his shirt.
“Sometimes when I work I just need to lie down for a few minutes. It keeps me from getting paint on my sheets,” she said before she yanked his shirt off and pressed her lips to his neck.
“Understood,” he said as his hands went to the tie of her robe. He untied it slowly, savoring the moment. As the robe parted and revealed the glory of her body, he froze, mesmerized by her beauty.
She however, didn’t freeze. Instead, she let her robe fall to the ground before her hands went to his belt. Sarah made quick work of that and moved to the fly of his pants, unzipping him slowly before pushing his pants and boxers to the floor in one quick motion. His cock was already rock hard and ready for her.
She lay down on the bed and held her arms out to him.
“Please, I need you,” she whispered.
Those words set him on fire. He stepped out of his pants and lunged for the bed, wrapping her in his warmth. Her tongue darted out and licked his throat and, impossibly, his cock got harder. His hands explored her body, the soft orbs of her breasts and the sweet curve of her bottom. She did the same, tracing the ridges of his muscles and the flat of his back. It was as if they were freed, doing all that they had held themselves back from for weeks.
She wrapped her legs around him, pressing her sweet femininity against him. He nearly lost control. It was all he could do to keep from rushing himself. He wanted to take his time and give her all he had to give.
When he reached between her legs and began to tease her with his fingers, she gripped his back, her nails digging in as she moaned and arched up against him. Seeing her find such pleasure was amazing, but it still wasn’t enough. He wondered if it would ever be enough. It didn’t seem possible to get enough of a woman like her, but then she placed her palm against his cheek and he stopped thinking.
“Please, I need you inside me. Dylan, I can’t wait anymore. Please,” she cooed as she stared up at him.
“Yes,” was all he could manage before shifting his body so that he could put on a condom. He paused for a moment, savoring the feeling of having her underneath him. When she arched her back and moved her hips in anticipation, he couldn’t wait any longer. As he slid into her, he felt her legs and arms wrap around him, as if she was holding onto him for dear life. It felt like coming home. It was a feeling he had never known before.
Dylan has meant to move slowly, to make sweet gentle love to her. Being inside her for the first time made that impossible. The sounds she made and the way she moved made him wild. He couldn’t hold back. His thrusts grew erratic but the look in her eyes told him that she was feeding off of his energy.
“Yes,” she cried. “Dylan, yes!”
“Sarah, oh Sarah. I’ve missed you so much,” he said as he felt himself getting closer.
“I love the way you feel inside of me,” she cried as her hands went to his hair, twisting it and pulling him down until his lips were on hers.
He gripped her hips and felt her channel begin to flutter around him. The moment she began to orgasm, he crashed over the edge with her. She writhed beneath him, pulling on his hair and crying out as she came. Enveloped in her warmth, he wished he could stay there forever.
“Wow,” she gasped when she was finally able to speak.
“Wow is right,” he replied as he shifted to remove himself from her.
“No,” she sighed, tightening her legs around him. “Don’t leave me. I love the way you feel.”
“I am going to crush you.”
“No, please. Stay.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
With that, he settled down. She ran her hands through his hair, massaged his shoulders, and gently rubbed the small of his back. It was as if she knew exactly what he needed without him saying a word. He felt himself getting drowsy and he attempted to fight sleep as long as he could. The last thing he wanted was for the moment to end. As beautiful as their lovemaking was, he knew in his heart that it might be the only time that he would have her like this. The situation between them hadn’t changed. They still weren’t the kind of people who could have a real relationship. Lying there, he wanted nothing more than to be the kind of man who could give her that. She deserved a man who could put her first and stand by her side while she achieved all of her dreams. The thought that another man might give her that was painful. He didn’t want to let it ruin what time he had left with her in his arms.
When his eyes lids got heavier and he could no longer fight sleep, his last sight before drifting off was of her peaceful face. The thought of having her be the last thing he saw each night and the first thing he would see each morning was something he suddenly desperately wanted. Knowing that he might never have it again made his chest ache.
Chapter 8
The Approval
Dylan looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in approval. The suit had been custom made for this event. The celebration of Erickson’s retirement was the culmination of everything he had been working towards. Sarah’s presence in his life had basically confirmed he was about to be offered the job of his dreams and he looked the part. There, with his carefully styled hair and crisp suit, he looked every bit the future CEO of the company. He should feel jubilant. Instead, he felt empty.
After the other night with Sarah, he had been a mess. When he had woken up, he had found her lying against his side, staring at him. The look on her face had said ever
ything before she had had the chance to.
“Good morning,” she said, a sad smile on her face.
“Do you regret it?” he had asked, unwilling to make small talk when his heart was aching.
“Not at all. Last night was beautiful.”
“Then why do you look so sad?”
“Because it can’t happen again.”
“Why?”
He was sure that he wasn’t going to like her answer, but he needed to hear it. He needed to know that she was feeling all the things that he was. It was the only way he could get through the pain of staying away from her.
“Because we’re still the same people. It can’t last. If we try to make this work, we’re both going to get hurt.”
It was true, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.
“So that was the first and last time we can do that.”
“I know,” he said. Instead of saying more, he just held her and she clung to him. Lying there in the early morning light, they had just stared at each other as if they were both trying to memorize the feeling of being wrapped up in each other.
When he had been with her, he had felt such warmth. Ever since leaving her place that morning, Dylan had felt a chill he couldn’t shake. He was on the verge of having everything he had ever wanted, and somehow he felt less for it.
With the exception of a few text messages, they hadn’t spoken since. He was to pick her up in an hour for the retirement party. Even though it would be awkward to be near her again without being able to hold her and kiss her, he was still looking forward to it. All he wanted was to see her again. Though he wanted her to be happy, he hoped he might see signs that she was longing for him too. The thought that she might move on without looking back was difficult.
He couldn’t stand the silence of his apartment for a moment longer. It wasn’t helping his state of mind. Maybe if he got to Sarah’s place early, he could spend a bit more time with her. This would be the last time they were truly together. After his promotion was announced tonight, it would all be over. Their fake relationship would end and she could go back to being one of his tenants. If this was going to be the last time she was on his arm, he was going to do all that he could to enjoy it. He called the car service and in a matter of minutes they picked him up. Before he knew it, he was at her door.
