His Brother's Wife

by Michelle Love

There was also a single text from Elisa, asking me if I was okay. She’d heard some mention of my being sick, and I shook my head as I read it. I told her that I missed her, and that I was hungover from that, knowing or hoping that she’d keep these communications to herself. I told her that the previous night was awful. I knew that I was babbling, but I had the sense to stop when there was nothing in return. I didn’t want to lose all sense of dignity in this process, so I ate and went back to bed.

  The next day, I started the morning with a jog, like I usually did. I was going to make life as normal as possible until this storm settled, hoping that I’d get my prize.

  Elisa

  This whole world was a parody in my eyes. I was in shock when Damon mentioned using a prop to get the rumors deflected. A prop? He was going to dinner with a woman, fake or not. Worse yet, they’d have to act like a couple even more than if they were actually together, for show. I’d heard about these things in Hollywood, never realizing that it applied to business celebrities as well. I got through the work day, assuring my team that I was free to assist them as I laughed along to their jokes and accepted their dinner invitation.

  I felt like a fool when I got home and searched for the pictures online. Not only did I find convincing ones from tonight’s dinner, but a few other occasions where Damon had dated this woman. Her name was Brooke, and she was tall and gorgeous, exuding sexuality with every movement. There was no way that they’d never slept together.

  I also found the pictures that he’d mentioned to me, and they were grainy and distant. I didn’t even recognize myself in those, but there was one in town with my back to the camera that seemed like it looked more like me. Apparently, the paparazzi in smaller cities were less aggressive than Boston.

  Conveniently, Brooke had a hair texture like mine and a hair color that could be easily mistaken for me. Did this woman do that this day for her role? I didn’t understand any of it as I pored over the pictures of them at dinner. Damon was laughing, holding her hand as they walked in and out of the restaurant, toasting her with a warm smile on his face, and, the worst one of all, the kiss outside, before they got into the car. Fake or not, it was long and intense, and it made all the food in my stomach want to rise right back up.

  Still, when I heard that he was out sick, I couldn’t help but send him a text. No matter how I was feeling, I wanted him to be happy. I hated myself for offering the olive branch and shut the effort down when he responded to me later.

  I still hadn’t mentioned the apartment to my roommates, despite thinking about it every moment. It wasn’t just for my perks, but for my mother. She’d have a better place to live, and, at this point, I’d live with her and find a way to pay some rent. That was what mattered to me the most, and I’d suffer through the job, internship, and a hundred other ones to take care of my mom.

  When Melody asked what was going on, I told her that things might have changed and went back to studying in my small bed. “That’s good. I like sharing this space with you, even if it is the size of a closet.” I smiled at her and told her the same, wondering if there might be a friendship forming there.

  Wednesday was my day to work with Damon, but I had weighed that heavily in my mind during my sleepless night. I could intern, go to school, and work a part time job to afford the apartment. It would be crazy, but tons of college students did that every day. It wasn’t permanent, and I would graduate sooner rather than later and get a great job. I did get some financial aid, but it wasn’t a great deal, and not enough to support my mother and me.

  I decided to talk to Brent and tell him that I was just going to be sticking with the internship. I’d blame school and family issues, which usually worked and were the truth. I would compose an email to Damon and send it off, feeling motivated by the offer of a weekend job at the coffee shop in my favorite bookstore. I could keep my financial aid with the few hours and hopefully budget enough in for something for Mom and me.

  I did the email from my laptop, surprised that the weak Wi-Fi was working so well. It sounded professional, and I thought that I sounded upset as I explained a phantom college issue, asking to be replaced. I offered all the items that he gave me for the new person, as well as any passwords that he’d given me. I didn’t want anything to do with the job anymore, and I hit send before leaving for my classes that day.

  I changed into a dress at the apartment and took a bus to work. I had the phone, along with everything else, in my bag, powered down. I intended to work with my team today. I’d made myself clear in the email. I stepped onto the elevator, finding it empty for a change as I glanced around and pushed the button for my floor. Surprisingly, the elevator stopped on Damon’s floor, and I stared forward into his icy blue eyes before he told me to meet him in his office and walked away.

  It was obvious that he’d received the email, that he was, at the very least, angry, and that I’d be in for it once I reached his office. I licked my glossed lips and walked out calmly, as if I was just going in for my shift. Nobody seemed to notice me as I approached his door and tapped softly, my stomach in knots. Damon was standing at his desk, staring at me as emotions crossed his face, one after the other.

  “What the fuck was that email about?” He asked, as I stood in a stunned silence, not knowing what to say. “Do you want to pretend that you never knew me, when I’ve been thinking about you every fucking second of every single day, Elisa? Do you want to pretend that we mean nothing to each other?”

  “Damon, I…” He walked over to me, his hands capturing my face as I started to talk again. “No, don’t do this.” Even saying that, I made no effort to pull away. I was intoxicated by his heat and his scent, feeling dizzy in his presence. I reached forward, clutching his shirt as I closed my eyes and dropped my head forward. “I want to be over you.”

  “No, you don’t.” His lips captured mine as he lifted my face to his, claiming me. I felt my lips part as his tongue met mine, dancing in my mouth. I felt my arms slide around his neck as he lifted me and carried me somewhere. I didn’t care where, since I was consumed with my want for him.

  Damon made quick work of lifting my dress when I was on the couch, opening my bra as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. “Oh, God,” I murmured, as his teeth dragged against me.

  “I want to take you home and tie you up, Elisa. I want to fuck you for hours after you put me through this.” He pulled away and stared at me. “I did all of that this week to protect you from the media. It worked. They think that I’m with Brooke now, after one dinner, and everyone has all but forgotten the pictures over the weekend. My ploy worked, but I know that it hurt you and I feel horrible inside.”

  “I know what you did, Damon. I am just so confused about your world.” He pressed his lips to mine softly before pulling away again.

  “I am sometimes too.” He slipped my panties down, spreading my legs as he took on my glistening pussy. I was turned on and needy for him as he slipped a finger through my folds. “Nothing happened that night. We went, and I came home alone right after. Everything in those pictures was staged, Elisa.” I jerked as he found my clit and stroked it.

  “You kissed her,” I murmured, as he continued his slow torture. “She wanted you, Damon. I could see it in her eyes.”

  “She wants her fifteen minutes of fame, any way that she can get it. I’m just a pawn in her game,” he responded as a finger slid inside of me. I arched my back and reached my hands over my head to grip the cushions as I closed my eyes. “That was the most pre-meditated fake kiss that I’ve ever given, and it made me sick. It made me want you.”

  He added a finger, and I rocked against him, weak and greedy for my release. I was torn between control or just letting go when I felt his mouth over me, sucking me between his teeth. “So close,” I whispered, sliding one hand into his hair as I continued to hold tight with the other. Damon licked and sucked at me, bringing me close before I exploded before him. Oh, fuck…it felt like it had been months since I’d been with him, when it was only
days, and the orgasm pulsed through my body as he kept tasting me. “I need you to fuck me,” I told him, as I stared into his eyes.

  I climbed onto my knees willingly as he dropped his pants, spreading my legs for him as I heard a wrapper being torn. “I want nothing more,” Damon promised me, as he took me with a hard, deep thrust. He gripped my ass tightly with his hand, making me cry out as he kept thrusting. I was wet and tight around him, just where I needed to be, as our bodies slapped together. “So fucking tight. So meant for me.” I rocked with him, my dress off and somewhere on the couch. “Come for me, Elisa. I need to feel you again.” I pushed back as my legs trembled, weak as I orgasmed with him.

  We collapsed together on the leather and I closed my eyes. All my progress was gone now and I wondered what to do.

  “Why the email?” Damon asked.

  “I wanted to avoid you and keep the internship. I can get a part time job, and, along with my financial aid, I think that I can take care of Mom and me,” I replied, as he shook his head at me.

  “You text me out of concern when you’re probably pissed off at me, and you worry about your mother. What did I do to deserve a woman like you?” Damon asked, as I honestly shrugged. “I was talking to a colleague earlier today after I got that email.”

  “Not this again. I want to do this on my own,” I groaned, as he placed a finger over my lips, one that tasted like me.

  “It isn’t what you think. It is the sister company to this one, equal in success. He is looking for an assistant to help with the growing industry. He asked about my new staff, and I told him about you, as my employee. I forwarded your resume to him, and he looked it over, saying he was quite impressed. He is ready to offer you a full-time job, at the same wage that I was paying you, Elisa. It’s still in the city and close by, and you could do everything you want to with it.”

  “He doesn’t know that I’m involved with you?” I asked, and Damon shook his head. “He really liked what he read?” Damon nodded.

  “He even contacted Brent and asked him a few questions, getting stellar feedback. This is real,” Damon told me.

  “I need to think about it,” I told him. He frowned. “This is huge, and I appreciate all of it, but I need time. Can I have his info, and I’ll call him tomorrow?” Damon told nodded, and I leaned in for a kiss. “Does anyone else know about the email I sent you?”

  “No,” he said softly, sadness crossing his face. “It’s hard to believe that you won’t be in here with me, no matter what happens in your career. It’s worth it to have a chance with you, though. That’s all I want,” Damon said, as he pulled me down for another kiss.

  “Do you still want to tie me up and fuck me for hours in your house?” I asked, as he slipped his tongue between my lips.

  “More than anything.”

  “Good,” I replied, as I moved over him, needing his warmth. “I’ll come over tonight, and we can discuss every detail of this offer over dinner before you show me how much you care about me.” I smiled. “I need the opinion of a professional after I make a call later today.”

  Damon looked down between us where my slick folds were sliding over his hard cock. “You say that sitting like this on me.”

  “Are you clean?” I asked, as a bold thought crossed my mind.

  “I get checked regularly and always use condoms,” Damon confirmed, as I looked down. I had been on the birth control shot for years now, just out of habit, and just in case I met the right guy in college. His eyes were dark and hungry as I dragged my lip between my teeth and raised myself, letting him stand tall. “Elisa…fuck, I want you bare.”

  I leaned down to kiss him as my body wrapped around him, nothing between us. The sensations were incredible, and I moaned against his mouth as he reached forward to hold my hips. Damon guided me slowly, telling me that I felt so good that he wanted to explode, in between long kisses.

  We made love there, slow and sweet. I felt his heat deep inside as he came for me, sliding my panties back on to hold it before I dropped down beside him again.

  Damon

  Elisa cleaned up and went to join her team, promising me that she’d be over at six to spend the evening with me. I returned to my desk, shaking my head as I played back the hours I’d just spent with her. I thought she was quitting and leaving me when I got that email full of excuses as to why she could no longer work for me. I thought that she was denying everything that I offered to her. The pain was incredible, and I stared at the security screens until I saw her walk in, intending to demand her to stay.

  Burt had called in that time, inquiring about my interns. He was a good man and ran the same company as I did, a branch of this one that was just a tad smaller. Kenneth needed another building to handle his overflowing client list and Mark and James became his new baby, though he handed it off to a different staff of people. I spoke to them frequently when I took over, but not on this level. I was looking for a way to compromise with Elisa’s standards, while staying with her and I brought her up, offering to forward her resume.

  Burt was impressed and told me that he wanted to speak to a few others that worked closely with Elisa, since I claimed I didn’t know her too well. I agreed, giving him a couple of numbers before I hung up.

  That had calmed me down, and I stood when I saw Elisa approaching the bank of elevators. Somehow, she stepped into an empty one and I went to meet it, pushing the button to make it stop. I knew where all the elevators went in the building, having learned those details when I updated the security in the building after we fired a troublesome intern. It was after that when I considered ditching the intern program altogether, but I was talked out of it.

  Now, I was relieved that I’d kept it going, since it brought me Elisa.

  I thought about the possibilities as I left a bit early, wanting to get some errands done before she arrived. I bought something to make for dinner, while I had Mark go get some roses at the best florist in the city. Together, we brought everything into my house, as he told me how much Brooke had sulked on the way to her condo. I laughed when he said that she met up with a guy outside and left with him a few minutes later.

  I explained that, with any luck, I wouldn’t have to pull a stunt like that again. I wanted Elisa and nobody else. I felt the need to shrink back from the public eye so much and just settle into as normal of a life as I could find. Even if it wasn’t with Elisa, I needed to go in that direction. This was exhausting.

  I set the roses up on the counter and loaded the food into my fridge. I was planning to make some salmon, fresh vegetables, and salad, as well as serve eclairs from a great bakery beside the grocery store for dessert. I felt good about the job offer and hoped that Elisa would as well, given that it was everything that she’d been working towards. She needed to see past the way that she got it and focus on the fact that she’d earned it.

  I glanced at the clock and realized that I had an hour before Elisa would arrive and went to take a shower. I gripped myself under the hot water, unable to get the memory of her riding me today out of my head. I hadn’t felt the heat of a girl against me since I was teenager, before I’d gotten smart about protection. Jerking off, I cried out her name as I shot against the tile again, breathing deeply.

  I dressed in jeans and a blue Henley, leaving my feet bare. I headed down into the kitchen and read some of my favorite salmon recipes, deciding on a simple dish, with some butter drizzled over the fish. .

  I wandered the apartment, even though my maid had been there that morning. I had her pop in every couple of weeks to make sure things were clean, even with my regular picking up. Growing up with a mother who depended on help had ruined me for life, and I’d never go back. I lit some candles and made a fire before I heard the knock at the door. Wetting my lips, I walked over to the front door.

  “Hi,” Elisa said, with a beautiful smile, as I looked her up and down. She was wearing the jeans I had bought her, which clung to her curves perfectly, and she’d paired it with a long-sleeved cashmere s
weater that highlighted her full breasts. “Is casual okay?”

  “You look downright edible,” I told her, as I held the door open and reached for her hand. Elisa laughed as she came inside and looked around with an impressed gaze. “Like it?”

  “Are you trying to woo me, Damon?” Elisa asked, as I kissed her softly while closing the door.

  “Is it working?” I asked, before I claimed her lips again, reaching down to cup her ass as I drew her closer to me. “I’m going to make some dinner, too. I have good wine. I might even let you get to second base, if you’re lucky.”

  “Mmmm, that has promise,” she remarked, as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I laughed and led her to the kitchen where she watched me prepare the fish for the oven. Elisa offered to chop the vegetables for me and sauté them in olive oil with some seasonings and garlic. She was a natural in a kitchen, and we chatted about light subjects as we got the food ready, finishing the salad together. I poured some wine, and we sat at the small table together to drink it and talk. “I called Burt today.”

  “How did that go?”

  “He’s very genuine, and I think he sounds professional. He admitted that he’s taking a chance with an intern, but with my schooling and resume, he’s willing to take that chance,” Elisa replied, as I nodded. All of that was legitimate, and I’d considered it all before deciding to hire her for myself. “I would start at a slightly lower wage, until I passed probation, but Burt assured me that you’d be willing to take me back, should anything happen. I seem to be well liked at Elkus Manfredi.”

  “You are, and I would, apart from the fact that we’ll be dating if you take that job. That might pose a problem.”

  “I even asked Brent about it, and he said to go for it,” she said, as I smiled. “I am going to. I am going to try and not be stubborn about it because of your involvement.”

  I pulled her close to me for a hug as I stood up, and she held me tightly. “Does that mean that you’ll forgive me?” I asked.