Eventually, her mother and I became good friends, thanks to our shared love of classic cars and old movies, and Mona had a hard time having a conversation with her without being asked if she could talk to me, too. Honestly, I was open to hearing any tips and tricks on parenting because I had no clue where to begin.
Mona met my family, too, though that went a little less smoothly. They were aware of the Jeannie affair, and I guess they saw this relationship as nothing more than an extension of that. She was about three months into the pregnancy when she met them and already starting to show, so it wasn't as if we could pretend like it was nothing serious.
There was no arguing that both of us were in this for the long haul, like it or not, and I suspected that maybe my family thought she was trying to pin me down with a baby to get a hold of my money. And I was too doe-eyed and in love to see what she was doing. It took a lot of convincing to assure them that wasn’t the case, but we got there in the end.
My family was a lot less expressive than hers, so the most we saw from any of them indicating their approval was a tight smile or a pat on the back every now and then. I would take it, though, as long as they would agree to be a part of my our child’s life when the time came.
While they might not have approved of Mona and me, they were beyond excited at the thought of having a little one in the family. It would be my parents’ first grandchild, and I knew no matter how much they disapproved, they were ridiculously excited at the thought of having a baby in the family.
“I should probably get back to work,” sighed Mona. “I’ve got so much to put together for the launch tonight, I don’t want to get distracted.”
“I’ll see you at home?” I suggested, leaning over to plant a kiss on her temple.
She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, smiling softly, and nodded.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” she agreed and fluttered her fingers at me as I made my way out the door.
I closed it behind me and paused for a moment. It seemed absurd to me that I could be this happy, this content. I spent my whole life chasing down this business, chasing down women, chasing down anything I thought would make me happy, even if only for a split second. I poured all my time and effort into hunting down a lifestyle I convinced myself suited the kind of person I was – booze, women, and success, success, success.
All of that left me feeling empty, as though there was something fundamentally missing in my life, something I had never been able to put my finger on, because who wouldn’t want to live the life I had built? Who wouldn’t want to have a half-dozen gorgeous, successful, brilliant women on speed-dial at any given time? Who wouldn’t want to run an enormous business like this one that came with all the perks and rewards that Artemis offered? Who wouldn’t want to spend their days working alongside their best friend?
I convinced myself that I was happy like that, but looking back, I knew I wasn’t. I had never truly been happy before Mona. Everything was a façade.
A warmth, deep in my soul, started as soon as we settled down together. I spent so long chasing after the life I thought I should have instead of taking the time to think about what kind of life I really wanted. Now, it seemed like this one with Mona, where I would get to spend as much time as possible at home with our child, was about the best one I could think of.
I headed back to my office and finished off my work for the day. I wanted to have plenty of time to get ready for the launch tonight. Truth be told, I was finding it harder and harder to find the motivation to stay late in the office these days.
Before, I had myself convinced that was the best thing for me to do because time at the office translated into financial success. None of that was as important anymore, though, and I found myself craving the comfort of the apartment I shared with Mona.
She moved into my old place briefly, but it soon became clear that it wasn’t a practical place to raise a baby. So, I took my savings and spent a good chunk of it on a stunning townhouse for the three of us, not far from the city center.
It was close enough to work that the commute wasn’t too terrible for Mona, but far enough away that I felt I was actually putting some space between me and the office when I returned to it in the evening. I had to admit, it was beyond fun putting the place together, finding ways our personal styles jived with each other’s to create something that was utterly and completely our own.
We set up the nursery in bright, gender-neutral yellow, as we didn’t know the sex of the baby yet and didn’t want to. We decorated the walls with a mixture of my minimalist art and her quirky, modern paintings.
We weren’t far from Neil and Jennifer, and we found ourselves around at their place at least once a week for dinner. I knew Neil was glad I’d finally settled down, as it meant we actually saw a little more of each other. We were no longer squeezing in time between the many women I had on the go.
Neil and I met back in college, where we got on so well because we were at similar points in our lives, and had similar goals. Now the same thing was happening again. It made me happy we were becoming close again.
I turned off my computer after sending out the last of my emails and took a step away from the desk to look out the window. It would be strange not coming here every day, but it was exciting. I never thought I would be able to say that and mean it.
I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed since she walked into it, barely ten months ago now. The nights were getting shorter, and I was reminded that only a year ago, I’d been dealing with the Jeannie fiasco. After all that I swore to myself and anyone who would listen that I would never, ever, ever date someone who worked for me again.
And now here I was.
I grinned to myself as I left the office to walk back to our place. I was getting a lot more exercise these days in preparation for the amount of time, effort, and energy I was going to have to devote to raising our baby. I had already committed myself to the late-night feedings so Mona would be rested for work, and I figured now was as good a time as any to get fit. After all I’d been saying I would for years. As an added bonus, it made our sex life that much better, as I was more flexible and could bend into unlikely positions, as well as picking her up so I could fuck her standing up.
In fact, only a few days before, we’d had a pre-work quickie against the refrigerator, and even now, I could hear her desperate little moans in my ear. Yeah, that was a good one, but then again, they were all good.
I arrived back at our place and went to the fridge to grab some leftovers, then upstairs to choose a suit for tonight.
I looked forward to a time when I would be able to hang up my suit jackets and wear more casual outfits., even though I knew Mona loved me in my suits.
Not that I would have a whole lot of time to think about fashion while I was running around after a little one. At least, that’s what Mona’s mom kept warning me.
I got dressed slowly, taking my time, doing up the buttons carefully, one-by-one, and pulling out a jacket I knew would go perfectly with the gray shirt I’d chosen for the occasion.
I always put the effort in when it came to stuff like this because I knew it meant a lot to Mona. She carefully planned every detail of these events to make them seem effortless and run smoothly, and the least I could do in return was put my glad rags on.
Besides, she liked me in a suit. It brought us back to the days when she was my assistant. I had been her boss, and we came up with some very enticing role play, when the urge to relive those days struck.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I had never felt this content in my life before. Even though the Masterson group signing on with the company led to more work than I’d ever had before, it didn’t matter because we had laid all the groundwork for the future of the company ahead of time.
I didn’t know why I waited this long to take some time off. The place wouldn’t fall apart without me. We had a great team. It was a strong ship.
Besides I wouldn’t be far away. That’s what
I kept telling myself and my family – Mona, Neil, anyone who thought I was sacrificing an enormous part of myself to do this.
I couldn’t believe, at this time in human history, that a man leaving work to look after a baby was such a big deal, but it was. I couldn’t have given less of a damn. I was finally going after what made me truly happy.
I rolled my shoulders back, ran my fingers through my hair, and grinned at myself. Yeah, I was looking pretty good, and I was looking forward to going out tonight with Mona on my arm. She was the start of it all, my true beginning, and I would never forget that.
I pulled open the top drawer of my wardrobe and rummaged under my socks to pull out a small, square box.
Popping it open, I looked at the diamond ring glittering inside and felt my stomach flip with nervousness and excitement.
Suddenly, I heard the door open downstairs.
“Oli?” Mona called from the bottom of the stairs and I quickly closed up the box and stuffed it back in the drawer.
“Up here!” I called back and smiled as I heard her footsteps hurrying their way up the stairs.
Chapter 27
Mona
“How long has it been since we were last here?” I asked as I ran my finger along the rim of my glass.
It was only sparkling water, but they served it in fine crystal, which made me feel at least a little like I was having a grown-up drink. It had been months since I had so much as sniffed a beer, and I actually didn’t miss it nearly as much as I had thought I would.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, cocking his head and furrowing his brow as he tried to put his finger on it. “Maybe… was it when you told me?”
“It couldn’t be that long ago, could it?” I widened my eyes.
“I know, it doesn’t feel like that long ago,” he admitted.
“Jeepers, so much has happened since then.”
I leaned back and closed my eyes, thinking over everything that had transpired – the job, the townhouse, meeting each other’s families, moving in together.
“Definitely,” he replied, and there was a flicker in his eyes that I couldn’t explain.
“Come on, let’s get the bill and get out of here.” He called the waiter over, and soon enough, we had paid up, and he was helping me to my feet.
“I’m not an invalid, you know,” I grumbled, but honestly, I didn’t mind the attention. I was getting so big now that sometimes, I had trouble getting up in a hurry, and the hand on my elbow was comforting.
He wrapped an arm around my waist as we stepped out onto the street, and instead of flagging down a taxi, he turned a corner and started in a direction I didn’t recognize.
“Where are we going?” I asked, but I suspected that he wasn’t going to give me an answer.
“You’ll see.”
He flashed me a smile and raised his eyebrows playfully.
“Don’t worry, it’s not far.”
“Thank goodness,” I sighed.
My feet were already beginning to ache, but I didn’t care. I had a sneaking feeling about what was about to go down, and there was no way in hell sore feet were going to get in the way of it.
After a few minutes, we arrived outside a park. He glanced at me with a wide grin and gestured for me to go in. I did as he asked, moving in front of him, placing my hands on my stomach and sighing slightly into the cool evening air.
It was a nice night, the light from the street lamps surrounding us, bathing us in a warm, romantic glow.
The park was gorgeous. In front of us stretched a long, meandering path that led to an enormous fountain quietly babbling with water a few dozen feet away. The place was lined with trees from top to bottom.
I turned to find Oliver catching up with me, and he quickly found my hand.
“What’s going on?” I asked suspiciously, and he shrugged, playing at being casual.
“I just thought it might be nice to take a stroll after dinner,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes.
“Sure thing, Oliver,” I muttered, letting him know I knew there was something going on. I glanced around. “It’s really quiet here,” I remarked.
He looked at me with such adoration and I felt something flare up inside me. Maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones, but the urge to have him right then and there overwhelmed me in a way that I never would have expected.
“Shall we?”
He grinned, playfully, and I raised my eyebrows, questioning his seriousness.
I could have said no, but it would have been denying myself. Besides, the baby would be here in a matter of weeks. Why shouldn’t I indulge while I still had the time?
“We’ll have to be quick,” I giggled as he pulled me into the small thicket of trees that surrounded us. “Someone could come along any minute.”
“I know that,” he assured me and flipped me around, pressing me carefully against one of the thicker trunks around us, so as not to put too much pressure on my belly.
He leaned across and kissed the back of my neck, and I melted at his touch. It hardly seemed possible considering how good the sex was when we first started hooking up, but it had just gotten better and better since then.
He slipped his hand between my legs, and I parted them at once, welcoming him, needing him.
“Mmm, you’re so wet,” he purred into my ear.
I moaned softly. I didn’t care if someone walked by and heard us because, at that moment, all I wanted in the world was him inside me.
“Stand on your tip-toes,” he ordered and I did what I was told at once, lifting myself slightly out of my flats and biting my lip as he stroked my clit while he unzipped himself.
His fingers were soft and light, teasing, a precursor to the main event. Then, I felt him press himself against my opening. I cried out in pleasure, my body already sensitized by the air on my bare skin. He quickly pushed two fingers into my mouth to quiet me, and I tasted myself on his skin and sucked hard.
“Fuck,” he gasped as he entered me, and had his fingers not been keeping me quiet, I would have let out a moan that would surely have alerted the entire neighborhood.
He moved slowly, his strokes deep and long, and I flattened my hands against the trunk of the tree so I could brace myself and push back against him. I needed him deep, and I needed him now.
“I love it when you get this wet,” he moaned into my ear, the contrast of his hot breath and the cool air a fantastic sensation.
“I always want you,” I managed in response.
I had been getting better at dirty talk these days, gaining my nerve, and I knew he loved it when I talked back to him while he was taking me like this.
“Your pussy feels so good on my cock,” he groaned, leaning back and holding my hips so he could move a little faster. “Fuck, Mona…”
I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in feeling of him inside me. Something about being out here, knowing we were doing something so deviant, made it all the more hotter.
His breath was coming fast, and I could feel his fingertips digging into my sides, the pressure telling me he wasn’t far from coming. A flicker of fear passed over me as I realized that anyone could walk past, anyone could stroll by and see us, and the panic mixed with the passion of feeling him inside me formed a potent combination. Just like that, I came.
“Ah!” I yelped as the feeling tore through me.
My pussy clenched and released over and over again around his cock, the sensation rippling out over my body like aftershocks from an earthquake, and I found myself slumping up against the tree for support as my legs threatened to buckle out from beneath me.
He made three more long, deep thrusts, and then his cock exploded, buried up to the hilt in my pussy. I felt his body release, and he slowly pulled himself out of me.
I reached down to quickly pull my panties up and glanced around to make sure no one had been watching. It seemed as though we’d gotten away with it. I turned to find Oliver regarding me, all doe-eyed.
“Is that what you brought me here for?” I cocked my head in faux-scolding mode.
“Actually, no,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Thanks for reminding me.”
And just like that, he got down on one knee in front of me, in this quiet park, a slice of paradise in the middle of the city.
He reached into his pocket, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.
Oh my God, it was actually happening.
“I know it’s been a crazy year,” he began, shaking his head with that silly grin I still couldn’t resist, even after all this time. “And I know that the immediate future is going to be just as crazy. But I don’t want any of it without you. Will you marry me?”
“Of course,” I replied without thinking.
I didn’t need to think. Oliver made everything feel utterly effortless. Being with him wasn’t just natural, it was obvious. He was the one for me. There was no denying it.
As he got to his feet and slipped the ring on my finger, I felt as though my heart might explode with love for him, for our baby, for the life we had built together and the one we would build in the future.
I didn’t expect any of this when I walked into that office all those months ago. Not in a million years. I still remembered reading all those articles about him, spying those grainy back-page photos of him with other women and wondering how they could fall for someone like Oliver, how they could be so taken in by him. But then…I met him. And I understood it. More than that, I lived it. I would have appeared on a thousand back covers on a thousand papers if it meant I could be with him. Everything in my life had changed for the better since I’d been with him – my career, my love life, my future.
He’d given up so much to take on his new role as a father to our child, more than I ever expected from him, more than I ever dreamed he could give me. A year ago, Oliver was the kind of guy I’d have tried to talk myself out of a fling with. Now, he was a dedicated partner in business and in life, and was ready and eager to be the amazing father of our child. Everyone had noticed a big difference in him. It was impossible not to.
Bridesmaid for Hire Page 61
