Promise of Souls

by Holly Hampton

  When my pleasure was about to die, he moved his hips again and revived the pleasure. We sweated more profusely as he got ready for his climax while I prepared for another. My moans became faster and softer as his strokes became harder, faster and deeper. Even the bed joined our noises as it creaked from his intense thrust.

  “Maddie,” he called repeatedly.

  I forgot who I really was and became Maddie in his arms. The Maddie who clung to him hard when we were about to erupt in an orgasm together. We pushed our crotch against each other, feeling my walls and his cock pulsed against each other. Then, we both exploded. His warm seed flowed inside me and intensified the pleasure that rippled over me. He tried to pull away, but I kept him close to me, enjoying the beautiful sensation of his pulsing cock inside me.

  “Be mine forever,” he uttered as he dropped on my chest.

  “Yes,” I adhered under a heavy breath.

  He kissed me and I wanted to keep kissing him, but the pleasure swayed me into a happy sleep.

  #

  I stepped out of my apartment with a heavy heart. My neighbor, Chelsea Lorin, gave me a teasing look. I looked away from her and headed to the stairs. She giggled and ran after me.

  “Your apartment was too noisy all night,” Chelsea teased. “You finally got fucked, huh, Maddie?”

  I turned to Chelsea and gave her a frown. Chelsea was the woman screaming last night. She was partly one of the reasons I got tempted to give myself to Max. My attraction to Max was already over my limit and I had to hear her screaming for more. Her scream urged me to have more with Max, too, but I had too much. That it ended fast.

  Max was already gone when I woke up. Sure. I woke up late and even missed my work, but he could have woken me before he left. It was his fault I slept late. We ended up making love again after I woke up from my short nap. We had so much fun together in my bed that I did not want it to stop. Fun. That was just it for him. He had fun with me and now it is done. I bet he would not show up on Monday.

  “As much as you did, Chelsea,” I answered in a sarcastic tone.

  “Your boy is hot,” Chelsea said. “Mind if I join you sometimes.”

  I forced a smile at her and said, “He’s just a one-night-stand.”

  A knife pierced through my heart as I said those words. It might not be certain, but it looked that way. Max had taken what he wanted from me. I was nothing to him now.

  “Sick girl,” Chelsea said with a laugh and went back to her unit.

  Stupid. That should be the word, I thought. Get yourself together, Larni. I reminded myself. Max made love with Maddie. If he leaves me, he does not take away anything from me. I was still going to be Larni and I will continue to live my life without him.

  #

  Max

  “How could you be smiling?” Henry Mayes, my assistant, asked.

  I looked at Henry and smiled even wider. Maddie. She had not left my mind since I left her apartment. Our date might have started shaky, but it ended excellent. It ended with us shaking her bed the whole night. Maddie was an inexperienced lover, but she learned fast. Her inexperience made her reluctant sometimes, but it made her dependent on me. I had better sex with other women, but no sex had filled me with this overwhelming happiness.

  The edges of my lips curved into another smile when I remembered how she let me cum inside her. I did not know if she forgot or she was only naïve, but she let me cum inside her with no questions. Had it been another woman, I would have forced her to get some procedure to avoid some unexpected pregnancy. Everything was different with Maddie. The thought of getting her pregnant excited me. Having children with her would make everything perfect.

  For some it might be crazy, but for me it was not. Love at first sight? No, it was not. Then, why was I too eager to give all my life to someone I just met for two days? I still did not know. I never believed in magic or destiny, but with Maddie – I felt like I was in love with her all along even before we met. It seemed that our souls were promised to be for each other. Christ! I must have been really in love to even think of those cheesy stuff.

  “Max!” Henry yelled.

  “What?” I snapped.

  “Robert is pissed and he would be here in a few minutes,” Henry explained.

  “It was the board’s decision. There was nothing I could do about it,” I told Henry.

  I had Robert Stall fired from the company. The old man had been using the company funds for his corrupt practices. For the past six years since he became the COO, he had created four paper companies and used the Buttons Corporation funds to cover up his malversations. He was not only fired from the company, but the directors and stockholders wanted to file a suit against him, too.

  The dismissal from his position was a slap on Robert’s face and he did not accept it well, as expected. He had been harassing the directors since he received the notice of dismissal yesterday. He was the reason I had to fly to New York and leave Maddie without a proper goodbye this morning.

  “You stupid arrogant brat!” Robert yelled as he barged into my office. The guards tried to hold him back, but he resisted them. He walked towards me, grabbed my collar and added, “I helped this company grow, you fool! You can’t fire me!”

  I wrestled Robert and shoved him away from me. I raised my head and told him, “You never helped this company grow. It’s the other way around. You used this company to get a life of luxury, Robert.”

  The guards rushed and pulled Robert away when he tried to punch me. He glared at me with furious eyes and warned, “You think all this is yours? I can make you lose everything you have, boy!”

  “Take him,” I ordered the guards and ignored Robert’s threats.

  Robert resisted the guards again and told me, “Don’t mock me. I’ll take everything away from you. Including that slut, you bought at the auction.”

  My body turned numb at Robert’s last threat. I walked closer to him, but Henry blocked me. Robert flashed a victorious smile at me and said, “Now I know she’s not just one of your girls. But I can turn her into one of mine.”

  Rage filled me and I shoved Henry away. I grabbed Robert by the collar and pushed him on the floor. The guards tried to stop us, but I refused to let him go. He kept laughing as it became obvious that my feelings for Maddie was my weakness. The guards pulled me away and Robert stood from the floor.

  “Don’t underestimate me, Max. You probably know what I’m capable of by now,” Robert said arrogantly before walking out of my office.

  Fear crept in my heart and defeated my rage. Maddie. Robert was right. I knew what he was capable of and Maddie was a vulnerable prey he could use against me. I gritted my teeth in anger. No one can harm Maddie. I would not let that happen.

  #

  “Max?” Maddie asked after opening the door to her apartment.

  I calmed when I saw her beautiful face. She was in her pajamas and with no make-up on, but she still looked more beautiful than any woman I had been with. I flashed a wide smile at her but she answered with a frown. She wanted to shut the door on me, but I stopped her.

  “Come on, Maddie. I flew back tonight to be with you,” I told her in a pleading tone.

  “What? You want to have sex with me again and leave me alone like I’m some hooker,” Maddie snapped.

  Her words stunned me for a moment. I did not come to her to have sex. But it would be nice if we would end up making love again. The reason I flew home was to be certain that she was safe. I had been filled with worries since Robert made his threat this afternoon.

  I regretted reacting carelessly to Robert’s threat as it only confirmed to him that Maddie was my weakness. Robert had always been a sinister man. He rose in his position through threats and illegal acts. I did not believe that Robert would be capable of committing a heinous crime, but he had his ways in getting what he wanted. Turn her into one of mine. I would not let Robert take Maddie from me.

  Robert was one of the reasons I refused to be involved in serious relationships.
I did not want to have someone with me that can be used as a threat until I could secure the company from him. My grandfather had to put up with Robert because he wanted to protect me. I did not want to be Robert’s puppet just because he can harm those I love.

  But Maddie … Loving her was something I could not hold off. I did not know what got into me, but I had never been sure about wanting something in my life other than her. Everything that I had was handed to me. The company, my billions and even the women that I flaunt as my flings. I was willing to lose everything as long as I could have her.

  “I’m sorry. You were too tired and I did not want to wake you up,” I explained.

  “You could have called me,” Maddie snapped.

  “I flew back for you. Isn’t it better?” I pointed out.

  Maddie looked at me for a while. She smiled a little and opened the door. I stepped inside and quickly grabbed her close to me. Her mouth parted as she gasped and I took the opportunity to kiss her. She was shocked for a moment, but then returned my kisses with the same passion.

  “Thank God, you’re safe,” I whispered as I pulled away from her.

  “Is something wrong?” Maddie asked. “Why would I not be safe?”

  I wavered whether to tell her about Robert, but I did not want to worry her. Maddie saw my worries and gently caressed my face. She gave me a questioning look and I could not lie to her. I held her by the waist while explaining about Robert. Her eyes widened with fear.

  “Why would he think of using me to threaten you?” she asked. “I’m nothing to you.”

  “You’re everything to me right now, Maddie,” I quickly confessed. I placed my forehead on hers and explained, “I don’t know why, but I don’t want to lose you. I want… no. I love you.”

  Maddie turned pale at my confession. Her eyes turned misty, but she walked away to hide it from me. She turned to me to speak, but hesitated. Her eyes were shaky, as if it was filled with guilt. A sharp pain stung my heart. Could what I feel be a one-sided love? Did she not feel the same way I did?

  “What is this, Max? Are you trying to get me on bed again?” Maddie asked. “You can’t be in love with me.”

  “I am,” I quickly replied.

  “Bull! Do you want me to believe that a CEO like you would just fall in love with a woman he met two days ago?” Maddie countered. Her voice was shaky as she withheld her cries. She avoided looking at my face and added, “You can’t love me.”

  “I know that it’s fast and seemed surreal, but it's the truth Maddie,” I insisted.

  “Stop it, Max. You can’t be in love with me,” Maddie repeated.

  I grabbed her closer to me again and caught her mouth with mine. I kissed her torridly and she returned them with passionate kisses. Liar. Her kisses proved that she had feelings for me. I might not be sure if it was love, but it did not matter. I will do everything to turn it into love.

  “Tell me to stop and I will stop,” I threatened Maddie.

  Maddie’s lips trembled and her hands turned into fists. I could tell that she wanted to go against her feelings, but she could not. Her eyes were still full of hesitation, but they looked at me lovingly. She pushed me away and shook her head. I gritted my teeth in frustration.

  “Tell me why?” I demanded. Maddie stepped farther from me when I tried to grab her back. I looked at her with stern eyes and said, “Your kisses proved that you feel something for me. Maddie, I’m not forcing you to love me instantly, too. I just want a chance.”

  “You don’t even know me,” Maddie said. Her voice sounded heavy - as if she hated that I did not know her.

  “Then, let me know you,” I replied.

  Maddie did not reply and remained staring at me. I wanted to open her head and see what was bothering her. What was keeping her from taking a chance on me? The obvious reason could be my reputation as a playboy, but her eyes showed an answer different from it. Her reason seemed too deep that the guilt in her eyes remained despite the tears that covered it.

  “Let’s just stop this while we still can, Max,” Maddie said. She walked to the door and opened it for me to leave.

  “I won’t stop, Maddie,” I told her and stepped out of her apartment.

  #

  I slammed the door of the car as soon as I entered. Henry looked at me and I just frowned at him. He looked at the chauffeur and gave him a sign to leave. I clenched my hands into fists and punched my thighs lightly while trying to contain my anger. Something was bothering Maddie. Something was stopping her from admitting that she feels something for me, too. I had to find it. I could not just let go without a fight.

  “Would this be a right time to tell you something about Maddie?” Henry asked.

  I turned to Henry with sharp eyes. He handed me his smartphone and showed me an email from his investigator. Rage covered me and I pushed the phone on his chest. “Who told you to investigate, Maddie?” I asked angrily.

  “I’m sorry. I only wanted to check if she has any connection with Robert,” Henry replied. He looked at the email and explained, “She doesn’t, but you have to see this Robert.”

  “One word about her and I’ll throw you out of the car,” I warned sternly.

  Henry blew a sigh. He had been my assistant since I began my training in the company. I trusted him with almost everything I needed. He cleaned up my messes if I ever made one. He also ordered investigation of people around me to avoid any threats against me. I understood his reason for investigating Maddie, but I had my reasons for not letting him investigate Maddie.

  I want to know Maddie through her and not because of an investigator. If she was hiding something, I wanted her to reveal it to me on her own. I wanted to trust her as much as I wanted her to trust me. What could she be hiding that would affect or threaten me? She was a beautiful and kind-hearted woman. Did she have someone or something to protect?

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t hide this,” Henry suddenly said. He gave me back the phone and said, “Maddison Morgan is not who she says she is.”

  I grabbed Henry by the collar and told him, “Shut the hell up, Henry!”

  Henry looked at me with determined eyes. I knew him well and he told the truth. No. He only told something that he was certain of. His investigators never failed me. They were the ones who helped me find out the truth about Robert and the ones who made it possible for me to fire him. Henry would not go to the trouble of telling me about Maddie if he had not found anything strange.

  Maddison Morgan is not who she says she is. Then, who was Maddie?

  “Stop the car,” I ordered.

  Larni

  Then, let me know you. Max’s words kept repeating in my head since last night. I would have loved to let him know me, but my life was not just my own. Larni Johnson should never exist while my father was still trying to prove his innocence. I could not let my father’s efforts to keep me alive go in vain just because I felt an attraction to a billionaire. Max should not be involved in my life for his own safety, too.

  The people behind my father’s case would be threatened if a billionaire would be there to protect me. They might harm Max just to deter him from helping me. He already had a problem with a guy named Robert. I should not add to his burden. I was just another woman to him.

  A pain stung my heart. I felt like a large hand squeezed it hard, torturing me to admit the truth. My feelings for Max were not mere attractions. It was love which I refused to grow inside me. Like our date, I tried finding reasons not to fall deeper with him, but all I could think of were reasons to love him.

  When he held me, when we became one, I became certain that he was the romance I had been waiting for. I should not have a life with someone while I was Maddison Morgan. Falling in love was a contingency I had expected while being Maddie, but Max was more than a contingency. I hoped and believed that he could be my destiny.

  But he was not. The fact that he came into my life where I should not love anyone made him impossible to become my fated love. I should learn to st
op loving him before this growing love inside me becomes strongly rooted inside my heart.

  “Maddie!” Mica called again. I looked at her with a blank reaction. She frowned and commented, “Is your name really Maddie? You keep forgetting it.”

  I forced a smile at Mica and said, “I’m sorry. I was only thinking of something.”

  “Max Button’s again. Was your date with him really that great that you can’t stop thinking about him?” Mica teased.

  “Yeah. It’s so great that we won’t see each other again,” I said with a wry smile.

  “What happened?” Mica asked. She sat closer to me at the table and added, “We were all excited about the two of you getting together. Everyone could tell that you like each other.”

  A small smile formed on my lips, but I made it fade when I thought of Max. He loved Maddie not me. He knew nothing about the real me and he might never know anything about me. I looked at Mica. She had been my friend for more than two years, too, and like Max. She would never know anything about who I really was.

  “Maddie, you’re drifting again,” Mica said.

  “I’m sorry. Things between us will never work,” I told Mica. “Do you really think that a billionaire like him would see me more than just a one-night-stand?”

  Mica’s eyes widened with surprise. “You had sex with Max Buttons? Damn, girl. You’re so lucky!” she blurted aloud. She moved closer to me and said, “Are the rumors true? Is he really THAT gifted?”

  I blushed at Mica’s words. Yes. Max was gifted and an experienced lover. A tingling feeling rushed over me when I remembered how he kissed every inch of my body and how his muscles pressed on mine as he thrust hard inside me. My heart galloped as I recalled the way he looked at me when we became one. But the joy of reminiscing died when I remembered how he called my name. Maddie. I was his. He repeatedly told me. No. He repeatedly told Maddie.