by ANDREA SMITH
My entire body bowed up at the orgasm, and I heard Easton’s growl as I felt him fill me entirely with his own cum. I felt his teeth on the tender place where shoulder meets neck. Soothing the bite with a soft kiss, he pulled out, moving off of me. He lay on his side and brought his arm around me, bringing my back to his warm chest. I remember the feel of Easton’s lips against the back of my neck, placing silent and soundless words there.
And I had never been happier in my life
chapter 46
I was entwined in Easton’s strong arms, our bodies still damp from our lovemaking. He was fingering through the tangles of my hair that were splayed across his bare chest. I was snuggled up against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart, my finger lightly tracing patterns on his taut belly.
“I’m spent, love,” he said with a sigh. “I’m definitely going to need a quick power nap after that.”
“I think we both need showers after that,” I replied with a smile.
“Later,” he remarked. “I want my scent on you for a while.”
I poked my head up to look at his face. His expression was serious, as if he was contemplating something.
“What do you want to do this evening?” he asked, giving me a slow smile. “We can go to dinner, clubbing—whatever you want.”
I propped my elbow up, resting my face on my hand and studied him. “Let’s just stay in tonight,” I said, as I ran a finger idly on the skin of his arm. “I really don’t feel like getting dressed up, and I’m thinking that curling up with that really good book sounds pretty tempting right now.” I gave him a wry smile. “Plus, clubs and restaurants probably wouldn’t approve of you being shirtless and barefoot. And I really, really like you shirtless and barefoot.”
He quirked a brow as he gazed down at me through shuttered lashes. “What’s happened to my party girl?” he quipped. “Turning into somewhat of a homebody these days,” he teased.
I laid my head back down against his shoulder. “I guess I just don’t need all of that any more. You’ve tamed me, Easton.”
I heard his soft chuckle. “Don’t go getting all domesticated on me, love,” he chided. “I love your cheekiness. But if you want to stay here, that’s fine. We’ll order in. I’ve got a few things to finish up for work. Let’s grab a nap.”
I wasn’t tired in the least, but Easton seemed to want me beside him at the moment, so I complied. He must’ve been exhausted, because in a matter of several minutes, I felt his warm, even breathing on my neck. As much as I hated moving away from him, I was in desperate need of the loo. I quietly and carefully extricated myself from his arms, and allowed myself a comfort break. I was still naked and decided I’d heed his instructions to shower later. My supply of clean clothing at his place was dwindling, so I went in search of the clothes he’d so expertly removed from me in the sitting room.
I shrugged them back on, pulling my wild, just-thoroughly-fucked hair up in a ponytail, slipping the elastic hair tie around it. I was thinking maybe I could actually read a few chapters of the book while he napped. Then we could shower together and maybe order a pizza. We hadn’t had one of our “pizza and a horror flick” evenings in a while. I looked under the sofa for my book, but found my flip-flops instead, so I pulled them out and slipped them on my bare feet.
Where the hell’s my book?
I looked around the bare floor and finally spotted it under the chair where Easton had been working earlier. How the hell had it gotten clear over there? He’d left his laptop on the table, the lid still opened to whatever he’d been working on.
“Way to go, Easy E,” I said to no one. “You’ll be bitching later when the battery’s dead.” I picked it up, taking it over to the desk to put it on the charger. As I prepared to close the lid, my attention was immediately drawn to what was pulled up on the screen. I felt my eyes widen and my mouth go slack as the comprehension sunk in.
It was the organizational chart for Baronton-Sheridan. I’d put the current one together, complete with company photos of the employees listed. This one had been amended by Easton just today, showing an effective date of Monday, June 17th.
Easton’s photo was no longer at the top of the chart under the title of ‘Acting General Manager.’ It’d been replaced by Colin Devers’ name and photo. I saw that my dad’s name still showed as a dotted line to the acting G.M. My name and photo still showed as ‘Executive Assistant to the G.M.’ As I glanced through it, nothing else had changed other than Easton having been eliminated, replaced by Colin.
I slammed the lid shut on his laptop, slowly backing away from it, my mind working furiously to process the information, or lack of it at the moment.
Easton’s leaving. Leaving D.C. Leaving me. Leaving our baby.
My stomach roiled at the thought. My heart was starting to crumble, taking my ability to breathe in air with it. My pulse quickened. Respiration was shallow. I felt my hands clenched at my sides, opening and closing repeatedly, my fingernails digging into my palms as I shook my head ‘no.’ There has to be more to it, I thought. I was still in a semi-trance, when I felt myself back up against a hard, warm body. I whirled around, coming face-to-face with Easton.
My eyes dropped, his nakedness registering in my mind, his cock still damp and glistening from our sex. Our lovely goodbye sex, it would appear.
“What is it?” he asked softly, drawing my gaze back up to his face. “I awoke and you weren’t next to me. Not sleepy?”
He had no clue what I’d seen. I knew by the faint smile that graced his lips and his love-filled eyes.
Traitorous bastard!
“You’re leaving,” I said to him, making it more of an accusation than a question. “You’re fucking going to leave me, aren’t you?”
His eyes quickly skirted the room, seeing that his laptop was now closed, which meant he now knew I’d been the one to close it. And that in doing so, I’d have seen what was on it. I watched as his expression morphed from soft and loving, to shielded and masked. He was silent.
“I saw the org chart,” I explained, reaffirming what he already knew. “I mean, I went to put your laptop on the desk, and it was just there in front of me,” I rambled, my hands now clasped together in front of me.
“Come with me,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me behind him to the bedroom. He grabbed his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. This conversation was evidently one he preferred not to have with me while naked.
My stomach butterflies were swarming in all directions. They were coming within millimeters of each other apparently on a crash course of destruction. He pulled me down next to him on the bed, taking my hands in his. “I was going to tell you tomorrow about Colin being assigned as acting G.M. of Baronton-Sheridan.”
“I see,” I replied, a feeling of dread seeping in. “Why tomorrow, Easton? Why not tell me today? Or yesterday? Why not tell me whenever the fuck it was that you made the decision?” My voice had regained some strength, and the anger was now finding its way inside.
“I felt I needed to reward him for his faithful service to the corporation…and to me,” he continued, as if that was of any importance to me. He took his gaze from my face, now studying his clasped hands instead.
Always keep eye contact during a presentation, Darcy. Remember, our customers need to feel the honesty and the integrity that is Baronton-Sheridan…
My throat was closing up, restricting my air intake. I could do nothing but nod.
“Anyway, Ronnie’s from the States and with their wedding coming up, I felt it might be best for all concerned to assign Colin here permanently. He needs to spend time with his wife. She needs to be closer to her family—”
I placed my fingers on his lips, stopping him mid-sentence.”I really don’t care about Colin and Ronnie right now. My interest lies in where you’re going.”
He rubbed his chin with his fingers. There was no mistaking the fact he was having a difficult time cutting to the chase.
/>
“I’m making my office in New York starting next week…at the U.S. headquarters. The merger and acquisitions team’s there and I’ve a host of potential companies to visit.” His voice faltered just a bit. “Darcy,” he said, sighing, “I’m going to be traveling extensively in the U.S. for the next several months, looking at potential prospects to acquire. These things aren’t done overnight, you realise.”
Huh? It sure felt like overnight when you merged with my father.
“What are you really saying, Easton?” I demanded, scooting further away from him. “Why have you been so secretive about this?”
“It’s just that I’ll be traveling so much, love. I mean it’s not like you’d be seeing me much anyway, you know?”
“I guess you are leaving me,” I responded in a voice that wasn’t much more than a whisper. I quickly tried to cover up the dumbfounded tone in my voice. “Well, it’s probably for the best that I found out tonight. I mean, it could’ve been worse. You were probably just going to e-mail it to me in the morning, letting me know that I didn’t have to go through the trouble of wearing any sexy lingerie to work.” I couldn’t help the sarcasm that blanketed my tone.
“I was going to tell you, and I was going to explain,” he replied with a scowl. “Calmly.”
I tilted my head, and ignored the scowl. “Kind of like what I did back at my apartment, right? Before you left the first time and went back to London?”
I didn’t wait for his response, exhausted at the quick turn of events of the day. As it turned out, my butterflies had been on a suicide mission as they crashed and burned, falling to the pit of my stomach in charred ashes. I turned abruptly, heading for the bathroom to grab some of my stuff. I felt myself hauled back by his strong arms.
“Listen to me,” he growled, his fingers digging into my shoulders. “That’s not it at all. It’s just…better this way. I’m not taking you with me. I can’t take you with me.”
“Why not?” I challenged, sounding borderline pathetic. “You owe me an answer, Easton. Why the hell not?” I was glaring at him impudently now. Waiting for an answer or something—anything—that would help make sense out of the pain that was engulfing me.
He raked his hand through his tousled hair and turned away from me, unable to say whatever he was going to say while facing me. He moved a couple of steps away.
“Because,” he faltered, “it’s just that…you’re not part…of my long-term plan. I’m sorry.” The last part came out as a hoarse whisper.
Breathe, Darcy. Just fucking breathe.
“Got it,” I said, feeling my hands ball up into tight fists at my sides. I quickly closed the distance between us. I didn’t recognize the guttural sounds of rage I was making as I flailed my fists as hard as I could against his bare chest, over and over again.
Easton didn’t attempt to shield himself, or even try to stop me. He let me continue to pummel him with all of my strength. Maybe it allowed him to feel less guilty about what he’d done.
“I loved you, you son-of-a-bitch! I fucking loved you!” My sobs cut loose with a vengeance now, blinding me with pain and rage. I tore myself away from him, not giving a shit about my things. He could trash them for all I cared. The bastard wasn’t going to see me cry one more second. I’d shed the tears I needed to shed, but my audience wouldn’t be Easton fucking Matthews!
“Darcy,” he called out, his arms outstretched as if pleading his case, as if there was more he wanted to say. I hesitated, but just momentarily. No words followed. There were a million fucking words he could’ve said at that moment:
4 words: “I didn’t mean it.”
3 words: “I love you.”
2 words: “Don’t go.”
1 word: “Stop!”
But he said none of them as I turned and headed towards the door. I slammed out of his suite, tears now blinding my eyes as I smacked the palm of my hand hard up against the button of the elevator, over and over again. Fuck! My handbag with my car keys, cell and everything else was still in his suite. I’d be damned if I’d go back for them. I tore the hair tie out, running my fingers through my long locks hoping to cover my tear-stained face from the general public. The humidity made my hair fan out in wispy, wavy, kinky strands.
By the time I reached the lobby, the tears had stopped. I could only imagine how I looked to the doorman, clad in tight little shorts, my hair askew and mascara running down my cheeks, making me look like some grunge rock groupie reject.
“I don’t have my cell.” I tossed the numb words to him. “Would you please hail a cab for me?”
He nodded.
“Certainly, Miss.”
His face was soft with compassion. He’d seen me many times before coming in and out of the hotel with Easton. He’d held the door for us numerous times, always smiling and cheerfully greeting us as we came and went.
He wouldn’t be greeting me again.
He went out onto the sidewalk and looked up the street. I saw him wave his arm, beckoning a cab to the curb outside. As soon as it arrived, I hit the pavement. He had the door to the cab opened for me. Tipping his hat to me, he wished me a good day.
I prayed Eli was home so he could pay the fare.
The cab ride home didn’t even register in my mind. It was a total blur, just like every other thought that was bouncing around in my murky, fog-cloaked mind. I was surprised I’d remembered my address when the cab driver asked.
As he pulled up to our building, I felt myself exhale seeing Eli’s car parked in his slot.
“I’ll be just a minute with the fare,” I said briskly to him. “I’m going right up there to Unit C,” I explained. I couldn’t imagine what he’d thought when I’d plopped into the back seat of his cab looking the way I looked, sniffling post-tears and looking like the broken-hearted zombie I was!
I ran up the few concrete steps to our townhouse, my fists pounding on the front door, hearing someone’s voice screaming, “Eli! Eli!”
The door flew open and Eli was standing there, a look of alarm on his face.
“What the hell, Darce?” he asked, his eyes raking over my face. “Oh God, what is it?” he asked, opening the screen door.
“Please pay the cab driver for me, okay? I’ll pay you back, I promise.” My voice was strangely calm—and monotone. I saw the look of concern cross over his face.
“Sure,” he replied, checking his back pocket to make sure his wallet was there. “I’ll be right back, Darce. Let’s talk then, okay?”
“I’m really, really tired, Eli,” I sighed. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
He was ready to say more, but the impatient cabbie leaned on his horn.
“Stay right there, sweetie. Don’t move,” he instructed, loping across the small patch of grass towards the parking lot.
I didn’t do as he asked. I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready to spill my guts to anyone because, if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I climbed the stairs to my room and collapsed on top of my bed, drawing my knees up to my chin, wrapping my arms around my calves, essentially drawing myself up into a safe, tight ball, rocking back and forth as I let the tears quietly flow down in rivulets onto my cheeks.
Several minutes later, Eli was pounding on my closed and locked door. “Darcy, honey, let me in. I want to find out what happened. Please?”
“Go away, Eli,” I called out. “I just need to be alone for now, okay? We’ll talk, just not right now. I’ve got to work it all out in my head.”
“Are you sure?” he replied, reluctantly. “Because I could just…Fuck, I don’t know, stand next to you? You don’t even have to say anything, I swear.”
I didn’t answer through the door, but I still knew that he was standing there.
“Darce, you really looked like you didn’t need to be alone right now.”
“Maybe later,” I replied. “I’m just so tired. I want to sleep and then take a shower. Later, okay?”
“Okay,” he replied,
sounding concerned. “Hey, I’ll be right downstairs if you need me. I’m staying in tonight.”
“‘Kay,” I called out. “Later.”
I heard him retreat back downstairs. I continued to rock back and forth in the fetal position, until, blessedly, I dozed off into a restless sleep.
When I woke up, it was dark outside. I glanced at my bedside clock. It was a quarter till ten. I could hear Eli downstairs, the sound of the television muted any conversation, but I could tell he was on his phone. Probably apologizing to Cain for standing him up tonight so that he could babysit his pathetic roommate.
I crawled out of bed, pulling clean underwear and a nightie from my dresser. I wanted a shower more than anything. I needed to wash off Easton’s scent for good.
My hot shower felt nice. I scrubbed my skin so hard it was a dark shade of pink when I emerged from the shower. I’d washed my hair furiously, remembering how he’d touched it multiple times earlier, wanting his fingerprints gone.
I patted my skin dry, pulling up my clean panties, and tossing the silky nightgown over my shoulders. I started towel drying my long, damp locks, spritzing detangler on it. The bathroom was so steamed up that I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror. Maybe that was for the best.
I took a hand towel and wiped the fog from the mirror over the sink. I studied my reflection now. I’d managed to scrub all remnants of the mascara and eyeliner off my cheeks where they’d streaked from my tears.
I picked up my wide-toothed comb, and started trying to run it through my hair, bringing some semblance of order to it. It was well past my shoulders. It was the hair that Easton had loved, forever touching it, running his fingers through it, and breathing in the scent of it. He’d been minorly obsessed with it. Not anymore. My hair, like me, wasn’t in his long-term plan.
My comb hit a major tangle and came to an abrupt halt.
Damn! I hate when that happens.
I set the comb down and tried to work through it with my fingers. Shit. I had no patience with this right now. I opened the drawer to the vanity and found Eli’s trimming scissors for his goatee. Maybe I should just snip this one extremely stubborn tangle out. I mean, Christ! My hair was super thick. It wouldn’t be missed.
