by Katie Dowe
“You have been ignoring me all evening.” She poked him hard in the chest. “That’s not nice. People are starting to think that you do not want to be with me.”
“Please don’t start this again.” He was starting to get tired of her constant nagging and whining. He steered her out of the room, but she pulled out of his arm and stumbled back, almost falling if he had not caught her. He grabbed her arm roughly and felt rather than saw when her brother took her arm.
“I will handle this,” he told the man coolly.
“Be my guest,” he sneered and walked away.
“Eleanor, let’s go.” He guided her out of the room and into one of the private sitting rooms where he made sure she sat down before getting her a glass of water.
“Your bride is going to miss you,” she said as she drank down the water and handed him the glass. He crouched down in front of her.
“Let me worry about my wife.” He took her hands in his. “What’s going on?” he asked her softly.
“Nothing.”
“Eleanor.”
She bent her head and burst into tears! He got up and lifting her he placed her onto his lap. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed loudly! Theodore waited until she had finished and reaching into his breast pocket he handed her a snowy white handkerchief.
“I must look a mess,” she sniffed.
“Never,” he teased her. “Darling, please talk to me.”
“Jeffry does not love me,” she sniffed.
“And you love him.”
She nodded. “I watched you with Ebboni and realized that I do not have that. I also look at the other wives in that clique and know for sure that what I have with Jeffry was a far cry from what you guys have.”
“What are you going to do?” he asked her quietly.
“It’s too late to-”
“Better to call it off now than to marry him and be miserable,” he told her gently.
“I said it to Mother and she had us sit down and talk, but he ignores me most of the time.”
“What do you want to do?”
She looked down at her clasped hands.
“Maybe I am spoiled.”
“No doubt about that,” he told her with a smile. “But what do you want to do?”
She shrugged. “I need a break.”
“Go to Europe and see what’s happening with the apartments there.”
“The invitations and the gifts!” she exclaimed.
“Are those your only worries?” he asked her.
“I guess so. I still love him.” She sighed disconsolately.
“I know you do.” They both looked up as they heard footsteps.
“I am sorry, but they are ready for us.” Ebboni looked from one to another. “Everything okay?”
“It is going to be.” Theodore got to his feet and put her to stand before him. “Are you coming back out?”
“No, I think I will retire for the night.” She looked over at her sister-in-law. “You really make a beautiful bride,” she said wistfully.
“Thank you, Eleanor,” Ebboni said quietly. She had seen the drama between her and her fiancé and had watched it played out before Theodore had excused himself and gone to her rescue.
“Is she going to be okay?” she asked as soon as the girl had left. He linked his hand with hers.
“She will be.” He brought her hand up and kissed it tenderly. “Mrs. Amberville, how about that dance?”
“I thought you would never ask,” she told him with a smile.
*****
He watched as she kicked off her shoes and joined the other ladies on the dance floor. Mark and an up and coming female artist serenaded them and after that the floor was open. She looked over at him and flashed him a brilliant smile as she moved to the music. He was not the only one watching her and his eyes narrowed as he saw the single men looking at her. He put away the glass and cutting the conversation short he strode over to her and caught her in his arms.
“Time to go,” he whispered. She squealed a little as he swung her into his arms. “Friends and other guests, I am afraid our time with you is over. Thank you for coming and enjoy the rest of the evening.” He bowed at the laughter and walked swiftly from the room!
*****
He carried her across the threshold of their apartment. They would not be going on their honeymoon tonight. Eaton was going to spend the night at a friend’s place to give them some privacy so they were all alone. He took her straight into the bedroom and placed her in the middle of the floor. His blue-grey eyes drifted over her exquisite face, his expression unreadable. “I had no idea you could dance like that,” he whispered as he tilted her chin up. “You were obviously enjoying yourself.”
“The other wives are fun to be with,” she murmured unconsciously looping herself with them. “I can relax around them. They are not stuffy in the least.” She became busy as she pushed his jacket off his shoulders. “You make a very handsome groom.”
“A perfect complement to my exceptionally beautiful bride.” His eyes narrowed as she unbuttoned his shirt and ran her fingers over his chest. “I was thinking that we could drink some of the champagne on the balcony and have slices of that delicious hazelnut almond wedding cake that you never got a chance to really enjoy.”
“My favorite part of the wedding,” she said dreamily. “I have an incurable sweet tooth.”
“I am offended, darling,” he said softly. “I would have thought that the favorite part of the ceremony was when we said ‘I do’ or when we kissed.”
“That too.” Her eyes were slumberous and heavy as he slid the zipper down and ran his hands over her buttocks, squeezing and pulling her closer. “Theodore-”
She broke off with a gasp as he bent his head and nipped at her throat, his teeth nibbling at her and sending darts of undiluted pleasure through her body! She sank her fingers into his broad shoulders, her body convulsing as he cupped her and she felt his erection against her.
“The wine,” she moaned as she arched her back.
“I am thinking of other ways to use it.”He lifted her up and carried her to the bed.
“How?” Her voice was breathless as she looked at him.
“How about I show you?”he suggested with a slight smile. He took off the rest of his clothes standing totally naked before her. He walked to a small table and took the wine from the bucket there that she had not noticed before. He popped the cork and caught the bubbles with his mouth before he came over to her. “Open your legs,” he told her huskily. She did as he told her, her body trembling in anticipation. He put some of the wine in his mouth and bending his head he bent to her pubic area, dribbling the wine on her mound. Ebboni reared up in shock, her body rigid as he sucked the liquid off her, his tongue toying with her!
*****
Ebboni could not believe that it was possible for him to make her feel anything more than what he made her feel before, but she was wrong! He took his time with her, his tongue driving her to the brink of madness and beyond! He brought her over and before she could erupt inside his mouth he moved and came over her, hovering slightly as he stared down at her flushed face. Her body was vibrating against his and he could feel the movement on the bed. He used his hand to guide his achingly stiff penis slowly inside her, delaying the moment and causing her to reach for him impatiently. He lifted her hips and sank deep inside her, his fingers tight on her hips. Ebboni wrapped her legs around his waist tight, digging her fingers in his muscled chest, not caring that she was pulling the fine blond hairs there. She felt the control slipping away and the madness climbing through her at a rapid pace!
Theodore felt his heartbeat hammering inside his chest, almost drowning out the sounds their bodies were making as he plunged into her over and over again. He could not get enough! It was beyond his understanding that enough was not an option where she was concerned. He felt the tightness of his testicles and knew that he would not last long! He switched their position so that she was on top of him an
d pulling her knees up he gave himself more access to her. Ebboni clenched her fists into his chest as she rode him helplessly, her body on fire! They came at the same time, the cries echoing around the room indicating the immense passion that could not be contained!
*****
They drank the wine and ate the delicious cake wrapped in a thick blanket on the balcony. She was settled inside his arms as he fed her the cake at intervals.
“Sleep?” he murmured as she snuggled into him.
“A little bit.” She looked up into the velvety sky studded with millions of stars and felt incredibly happy! Surely this was the real thing. Except for one problem. The thought came unbidden to her mind. She sat up abruptly and looked at him. “Tell me about your childhood.”
He looked at her searchingly before answering. “It was a small boy’s dream,” he told her lightly. Her hair was mussed and some parts of it stuck to her cheeks. “My own suite, chauffeur driven everywhere we went, the best toys, and the most expensive clothes. We did not want for anything.”
“It sounds like living in paradise.”
“It should have been except my dad believed in pouring all the love he had for his daughter and none for his son. He believed that being a man meant not showing any emotions whatsoever.”
“That’s awful and so wrong,” she whispered.
“Yeah, well.” He shrugged a little. “He was not the best father to me and not the best husband to Mother.” His mood changed suddenly and he grinned down at her. “Ready for round two?”
She squealed as he lifted her up and carried her back into the room.
Chapter 10
“Socialite Eleanor Amberville ditched her fiancée and has ran off to Europe!” the headline screamed. It further went on to say that both families had refused to comment, only to say that the wedding was postponed indefinitely.
Theodore put away the paper in disgust. “Have you heard from her?” he asked his mother. It was their first day back from Europe and they had come over to have dinner with her.
“No.” Emma nodded to let the maid know that she could start clearing away the dinner dishes. “I heard from her when she got to Paris but not since. You gave her the idea to go away, darling.”
“Because she was unhappy and Jeffry was being a jerk to her.”
“So we end up with another scandal on our hands. I have the staff working overtime to send back all the gifts to wherever they came from. It’s humiliating.”
“You would have preferred that she marry him and regret it after?” Theodore asked with his brows raised.
Ebboni looked from one to another and made no comment. She had no intention of becoming involved.
“I would have preferred that she be certain before having us plan such a lavish wedding. She knew what she was getting into and as usual she is gone and has let us in the thick of it,” Emma told him dryly. “Your sister has been entitled her entire life and she is irresponsible darling. You know that.”
“I had no intention of standing by and seeing her unhappy,” Theodore said firmly as he handed his wife her wine.
“You are right, of course, but I wished she would think before she does something. Eleanor has a way of wanting to get her own way even if it is not what is good for her.” She smiled suddenly. “I am sorry, Ebboni, darling. Here we are discussing my daughter’s flaws and I end up not telling you how simply lovely you look. Europe agrees with you.”
“I would like to think that it is being married to me is the cause for that.” Theodore lifted her hand and brought it to his lips with a twinkle in his eyes.
“A bit of both,” Ebboni said with a laugh. “I went to Paris for a week when I was in college. I was on a very meager budget so I did not get to buy anything but a lovely scarf in one of those stores on the boulevard. I am afraid your son encouraged me to buy out several stores.”
“I could not help it, you should see the excitement on her face,” he said softly as he looked at her.
Emma’s breath caught at the look on his face and fervently wished she had taken up Manuel on his offer. She might just do so.
“I am so happy you had fun.”
“Thanks, Emma.”
The conversation switched to business and Ebboni found herself covertly watching her husband as he spoke to his mother. She had seen an indulgent side of him that had her realizing that he was far from the man he had told her his father had been! They talked way into the night and he revealed more and more of himself to her. She had told him of the relationship she had had with her parents, especially being ignored by her dad and he told her gently that it would never be that way when they had children.
“What if that does not happen?” she had asked him casually.
“What?”
“Suppose I cannot have children?”
He had stared at her quizzically and then smiled. “I suspect that you might be pregnant now.”
She had spent the night long after he had fallen asleep staring up at the ceiling, her mind in a turmoil!
*****
“It’s coming along so nicely,” Ebboni murmured as she walked around the almost-completed building. It had been two weeks since the wedding and a week since they had been back from their tour of Europe. She was definitely falling in love with Theodore! She could not help it, the man treated her as if she was the only woman on the face of the earth! She had told Andrea that she never imagined that someone could treat her the way he did! But there was something missing and the more the time passed, the more she was worried about it! She did a check every morning when he left for work. She checked her ovulation time and each night they made love she hoped desperately that it would happen. They were happy now and they got along fine, but what was going to happen when he discovered that she could not give him an heir!
“We are hoping to finish it by the end of December,” the contractor said with a pleased smile. “The men are going off for the Christmas break so we are working overtime to make up for that.”
“The columns polish up nicely.” Ebboni ran her fingers over the thick walls. “It’s so beautiful.”
“We have managed to keep the original structures, Mrs. Amberville.”
She turned to look at him startled. She was still not used to being called by her married name. “That I can see,” she said swiftly.
“I understand that you are going to be working with the interior decorators?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Good.” The man nodded.
“I will let you get on with the work.”
*****
“May I help you with something?” Eaton asked her politely as she stood there looking around the spotless kitchen. It was almost six, but her husband had told her he would home late as he had meetings. “I am hoping that you will wait up for me, darling,” he had told her teasingly.
She jumped and turned to look at the man standing in the doorway. He was always dressed the same way: black dress pants, snowy white shirt, and an apron covering it when he was cooking. A woman came in three times a week to silently do the housework under his watchful eyes which left her with nothing to do when she was there. She had tried to strike up a conversation with him but to no avail and she had not bothered to try again. “Oh, Eaton! I did not see you there. Friday will be Theodore’s birthday and I was thinking of preparing him a meal.”
“Like what?”
She waved her hands a little anxiously as she thought about it. “I make a very tasty meatloaf-” She stopped as she saw the expression on the man’s bony face and could not help but feel resentment. He knew Theodore better than she did and she could never compete with that!
“Might I suggest a reservation at Claude’s for the occasion? Miss Eleanor is coming back tonight so you should include her and Miss Emma.”
“Oh, I did not know she was coming back right now.”
“Would you like me to make the arrangements?” he asked with his thin eyebrows raised.
Ebboni opened her mouth
to say no but had a feeling that it was not something he would like to hear her say. “Of course,” she said with a forced smile. “You know him better than I do.”
“That’s true,” he said with a nod. “Just leave everything to me.”
“I really care about him you know,” she told him as he started to turn away.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I know you do not approve of me and think that I am only here because of the money, but that’s not true.”
His pale silver eyes stared at her for so long that she started to feel uncomfortable. “I really hope so,” he told her coolly before leaving.
Ebboni stared after the man in frustration! He was polite to her and made sure she was well taken care of, but he never gave her the time of day and made her feel as if she was an interloper! She had opened her mouth several times to say as much to Theodore but had not done so. She had seen them together and knew the closeness they shared. She had no intention of coming between them. She knew the man thought she was a gold digger and could not blame him. She had married him because of the debts he had gotten her out of but it was much more than that now! If she could not convince Eaton, how was she going to convince him!
*****
“Thanks for meeting me,” Ebboni said a little breathlessly as she hurried into the restaurant. “I am sorry for being a little late. I went to take a look at where they reached with the building and lost track of time.”
“Darling, that’s okay,” Leesa said, waving her hand carelessly. “I already ordered us a delicious shrimp salad. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
“So how is it going with the building? I understand that you are in charge of the renovations?” Leesa stared at the girl curiously. She looked chic and absolutely beautiful in a rose pink dress with a white jacket. Her hair had grown a little bit and she had brushed it back from her face. Diamond knobs glinted at her lobes as well as on the pendant she was wearing suspended on a chain.
“Very good,” she said distractedly. “I have a huge favor to ask you.”
