by Katie Dowe
“That’s the problem with you, darling,” Martha said a little wearily. “Your lack of self-confidence. Sometimes I wish it could be shared. Your sister and brother have tons of it, but you have none. You don’t wear makeup, your clothes look like you bought them in the ice age, and your hair needs styling. You concentrate more on work than you do on anything else.”
Marilyn went stiff with disapproval. “I know I am your least favorite, Mother, but at least I care about the company, about Daddy’s legacy. David and Marissa only concentrate on spending as much money as they can.”
“I have no favorites,” Martha lied. “I love all my children and I am concerned. You spend too much time here and that is not normal.”
“I am fine, Mother, don’t worry about me.” She turned to leave. “And we all know that David is your favorite. I hope you won’t be disappointed.”
Martha watched her daughter leave, grimacing at the long black wool skirt and shapeless silk blouse she had on. Her unremarkable brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck which did nothing to flatter her face. She looked too much like her father. On Daniel it had been attractive but unfortunately for her it made her looked plain. She had also inherited his height which made her appear gangly and awkward. But her daughter was right. She favored David above all three of her children and it showed. The boy - she shook her head! The man because he was far from being a boy! He was a man and he needed to settle down!
******
Hailey put the music on and went to sit on the stool in front of the painting she had been doing for the past week. It was a replica of the creation of Adam by Michelangelo and so far she was doing a lousy job of it. Whenever she was frustrated, she painted and when she was angry she sculpted. When she was feeling overwhelmed she would go into the vast library and find a good book to read. Art surrounded her and soothed her in ways no person could do. Her friends never understood her need to be around the creative arts, but somehow they give her assurances of a higher being and were a kind of fascination for her that had never faded over the years. She dipped her brush into the paint and stroked the canvas slowly, feeling the energy flow from her to the canvas before her. She had met several famous artists: singers, writers, and painters and had been to many museums opening and concerts. She taught the arts so it stands to very good reason that she should see it all up front. Her mind drifted a little bit to Todd. He had been a lecturer at the university and for two years she had thought that he would be the one. They had gone to museums and the theater and had had so many things in common that she had been fooled into thinking that she had found her soulmate. Yes! She was romantic enough to think that there were two souls who belonged together! But when he had proposed to her and made it clear that after they were married he would expect her to stay at home, she had looked at him as if he had lost his mind!
“What?”
“We are not getting any younger, Hailey,” he had said soothingly. “If we want to have children, we are going to have to start immediately and I will not have you working when you are pregnant. That is of course out of the question.”
Hailey had gotten to her feet and stood there staring down at him. “I spent a lot of time studying. While the other girls were busy chasing after football players, I was at home studying. In college, it was the same. I was determined to get what I want and what I wanted was the highest education. I hesitated when I got my master’s and wondered if I should settle at that, but I wanted more. I am in debt up to my ears because of student loans, but you know what, Todd? I am happy that I did it. I am not about to make a man dictate to me what I can or cannot do. So go to hell!” She had left him sitting in the restaurant staring after her!
She dipped the brush into the water to rinse it off and quelled the regret that touched her briefly. She had made the right decision. If he had loved her at all, he would have loved her just the way she was!
Chapter 3
“It’s a designer party,” Hillary said enthusiastically as she sat on one of the ottomans at the foot of the sofa in Hailey’s living room. It was Friday night and both friends had come over to drink wine and watch some comedy on Hailey’s big screen television.
“What does that mean?” Hailey asked as she handed both girls the glasses of wine and took a seat on one of the sofas.
“It means that famous designers will be there and it is being sponsored by Snyder’s Sports which also mean that it is going to be big and fantastic. I am inviting the two of you.”
“Tomorrow?” Marge wrinkled her brows. “Can you imagine me telling my husband that I am going out tomorrow night again?”
“That’s the price you pay for having a husband!” Hillary said impatiently. “Hailey, we are two single gals, what do you say?”
“I have papers to grade-” Hailey hedged.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Hillary exclaimed as she put her wine glass away. “This is going to be the party of the year and I am inviting my two best friends.”
Both Marge and Hailey looked at each other. “Okay, we are in,” Hailey said with a laugh.
“Great! Now to the part of what to wear.”
******
David sipped his champagne and tried not to appear bored. He had been warned by his mother and sister that he had better show up or else! He had left the clinging Sierra somewhere with some associates of his and wondered how he was going to tell her that it was over. It had been fun while it lasted and it had lasted two weeks but now he wanted out. He sighed as he felt the box with the necklace burning a hole in his pocket. He really was going to have to stop doing this! He was just reaching for another glass when he saw the three women come into the room. His eyes skimmed over the tow at the end and zeroed in on the tall slender one in the middle. She was wearing an ice blue dress that skimmed her long coffee and cream legs that seemed to go on forever. Her hair was cropped short and suited her small beautiful face. She had on big hoop earrings and when she laughed at something one of the women said to her, he caught his breath. She turned her head suddenly and her eyes met his and then looked away without interest. David sipped his wine and looked at her knowing that some point in the evening he was going to have to get an intro!
“That’s David Snyder!” Hillary hissed as they accepted the glasses of champagne passed to them.
“Who?” Hailey asked.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Relax. I know who he is,” Hailey teased her friend. “You are star struck, honey.”
“Who wouldn’t be?” Hillary asked, her eyes looking around the room at the dazzling array of talents. “I am going to mingle.”
“Go ahead.” Hailey waved her hand. “Marge and I will just sit in a corner and watch.”
“Nobody puts baby in a corner,” Hillary said with a wicked grin.
“Really?” Hailey said dryly. “Come on, Marge, let’s find seats.”
They were sitting there for a few minutes when Marge nudged her in her ribs. “He is coming over.”
“Who?”
“David Snyder,” she whispered.
Before she could say anything, the tall handsome man was right in front of them. “Hi.” He glanced briefly at Marge before turning his gaze on Hailey. “I was watching you from across the room and had to come over.”
“Watching?” She lifted her tapered brows at him in amusement.
He laughed softly at that. “It makes me sound downright creepy. I think noticing is the right word. How about a dance?” Ge extended a hand to her.
“Are you sure your fan club would approve?”
His eyes glimmered at that. “I don’t really care.” He held his hand out and she placed hers into it.
“I will be right back, Marge,” she told her dazed friend and walked onto the dance floor with him. He pulled her into his arms and they started swaying to the soft sound of a popular artist.
“I did not get your name,” he murmured as he looked down at her.
“Hailey Donaldson.” Sh
e looked at him quizzically. “You are David Snyder.”
“You are not a groupie, are you?” he teased her.
She laughed and he felt his body tighten. “I have no idea how to be.”
His eyes lingered on her lips. She was wearing a shimmering strawberry lipstick that was so alluring that he was finding it hard to concentrate. “What do you do, Hailey Donaldson?”
“I am a teacher,” she told him casually.
“You don’t look like a teacher.”
“What does a teacher look like?”
“Certainly not like you,” he said softly as they circled the room. “If I had teachers like you when I was going to school I would have found it very hard to concentrate on learning.”
“I guess you were not focused enough,” she said lightly. She knew he was flirting with her and knew enough to realize that that was what he did best.
“I guess not.” His hands tightened around her waist and her breasts brushed against his jacket. “I feel like getting some air. Would you like to accompany me out to the lovely gardens they have here?”
“What about your date?” she asked him softly.
“She is otherwise occupied.” He glanced over to where Sierra was holding court with a group of men. “She will not miss me.”
“I find that hard to believe,” she murmured.
“Please?”
She nodded and he led her out swiftly. He held her hand as they made their way outdoors through the back entrance. The flowers were in full bloom and the sultry May air wafted towards them. He took them into a kind of maze where privacy was sure and turned her into his arms.
“Now what?” she asked him.
“This.” He pulled her into his arms and she did not resist. From the minute he had come over, it had been leading up to this. She looped her hands around his neck and angled her head up to his. David bent his head to hers and teased her lip with his own slowly, feeling the fire building up inside him. His tongue entered her mouth with an expertise that he had honed for the many years of his life. She sank into him with a murmur and a sigh as he deepened the kiss. He broke off the kiss and his lips wandered down to her neck where he placed fleeting kisses along the column of it until he reached the hollow of her throat. Hailey’s head dropped back and she moaned as his tongue touched the space in her throat. She brushed away the thought that this was madness and that this was not something she would find herself doing. It was a magical night and demanded a magical moment and this was it. He bent his head and moved away the material to discover that she was not wearing a bra. He lifted his head and looked at her as if waiting for permission. She sighed and brought his head down to her. He sought her nipple and his tongue swirled around it slowly, taking his time. Hailey shuddered and clutched at him tightly feeling the desire shot through her body! It had been such a very long time and this was unbelievable! He lifted her up and walked backwards to a seat there and placed her into his lap, his mouth still on her nipple. She was not wearing stockings but had on flimsy underwear that seemed a part of her skin. His hands wandered up her thighs and she opened her legs and eased back against him. In silence, he reached between them and passed his hand over the material before easing it away to touch her warm flesh. Hailey uttered a moan as his fingers found the core of her and dipped inside. He lifted his head and his blue eyes searched her face pleased to see the look of intense passion there. He played with her, his thrust slow and painstaking. She bit her lip as she looked at him.
“Yes,” she whispered as he continued. “Oh, yes!”
She mirrored his movements, her eyes closing briefly and then opening to look at him. She was the one who pulled away and turned to straddle him. He released his aching penis, for the first time not concerned about protection. She sank down onto the warm hard erection and arching her back, she moaned softly. He pulled her dress down so he could feast on her nipples. His hands guided her hips as she moved over him. His penis hardened even more as he pushed into her. His body felt as if it was on fire and there was nothing he could do to quench the flames! Hailey was almost delirious with pleasure and felt her body singing in response! It had never been this good! This random sex with a stranger! She lifted her head and grasped his thick dark hair as he plunged into her. The sex was hard and fast and they felt as if they were being carried away by a maelstrom that was trying to tear them apart. He lifted his head and his mouth captured hers in a deep punishing kiss that shuddered through her body and had her clinging to him tightly. Her body went rigid with shock as the unfamiliar feeling flooded her being. The times she had had sex she had been mildly satisfied with that something missing from it. She had told herself that maybe she had not been relaxed enough and it had been on her, but now she found it clawing through her demanding to be released. She dragged her mouth from his and arching her back she let go with a cry that echoed around the stillness of the maze. He gripped her hips, his fingers digging through the material of her dress as he followed behind her, his seed spilling inside her as if it would never stop!
*******
“She left without saying anything to us?” Hillary asked with a frown as she looked around.
“The last time I saw her she was dancing with David Snyder,” Marge told her.
“Knowing her she probably decided to leave. She did not carry her phone.” Hillary sighed in frustration. “Let’s go, Marge. She is probably home by now.”
******
“I have to go,” she murmured huskily. “My friends are probably waiting for me.”
“Not yet.” He was still inside her and his lips were busy on her upper body.
She arched sensuously as the delicious desire shivered through her. He started moving inside her again and she moaned. “I really have to leave,” she gasped as he pushed into her.
“No,” he whispered. He took a wet nipple inside his mouth and pulled it between his teeth. He was not ready to let her go yet. The seat was padded and Hailey gasped as he switched positions until she was lying beneath him. He wrapped her legs around his waist and started thrusting into her. His dark blue eyes held her in a hypnotic stare. She moaned and panted as she moved with him, her lips parted. He bent his head and nibbled at her bottom lip, causing the sparks to flare right through her body. It was delicious and naughty and more so because she knew she would never see him again. He eased out a little and taking her hand he wrapped it around the width of his wet penis. She slid the skin up and down, reaching a finger to touch the reddened tip, sliding the finger over the head. “Put it back in,” he whispered hoarsely, his body shuddering. “Please.”
She slid it back in and lifted her bottom up and against him as he thrust into her. They came together and he captured her cries inside his mouth, his fingers hard on her!
*******
She did not go back in. She could not. She smelled of sex and his potent expensive cologne. He finally released her and she ran to get her coat and look for her friends. When she did not see them, she hastily hailed a cab to take her home. She had seen him go to the men’s room and made her escape. Now sitting in the back of the cab, she relived the moments with her eyes closed, a smile playing on her lips. She had no intention of telling her friends about this – it was something that she was going to keep to herself. She sighed and felt him inside her and the powerful orgasm that had rocked them both. It had been magical and unreal and something she would not soon forget!
******
“I have been looking everywhere for you!” Sierra’s tone was petulant as she walked over to him.
“I am here now,” he said in a distracted voice as he looked around the room. She was nowhere to be seen and neither were her friends. He had only gotten a name and not a number.
“You have been avoiding me.”
He finally looked down at the girl. “I am leaving.”
“I will get my coat.”
“I am going home alone,” he told her coolly. “I will have the driver take you to your place.”
“
I am sorry for what I said,” she told him tremulously.
“You did not say anything to be sorry for,” he said impatiently. “I am tired and need to go home. I will tell the driver to take you.” With that, he walked away leaving her staring after him.
He spoke to the driver who had taken them and looking around for one of his friends, he took the keys and drove home slowly. His hand tightened on the wheel as he made his way home. Christ, the sex had been so hot that he felt as if he had been burning up! He did not know her, but he had never felt this way before. Hailey Donaldson, a school teacher. How the hell was he going to get in touch with her?
He pulled up to the sidewalk and took a deep breath as he stared out into the night. His heart pounded as he remembered being inside her. He groaned as his penis hardened. He had to find her!
*****
Hailey reached for the constantly ringing phone impatiently. She glanced at the clock and sat that it was almost ten. “Hello?”
“Where did you go off to?” Hillary demanded.
“Good morning to you too.” Hailey got out of bed and threw the covers off. “I came looking for you guys and you were gone.”
“Where were you?”
“I went to get some air.” Hailey went into the kitchen to put the coffee pot on.
“That must have been some air. Marge said you were dancing with David Snyder.”
“I was and then I went to get some air.”
“So did you have fun?”
“It was okay,” she said casually.
“You are never impressed by anything,” Hillary grumbled.
“How about you?”
“I met some people and got some names, so yes, it was a productive time for me.”
“I am happy for that. Now that you woke me up, I think I will go and get some work done.”
“Talk to you later.”
Hailey hung up and went to pour her coffee taking it with her into her little study. She wandered over to the window to admire the bright Sunday morning sunshine. She planned to go out and sit on her balcony for a little bit, but for now she had work to do. Her body felt languid and relaxed and a smile played around her lips as she remembered why it was so. She stretched sensuously and felt the tightening of her nipples. What a night!
