She was amazing.
In my head that became my new name for her.
Amazing Amelia.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
When we returned home I slowly undressed her, but I didn’t tie her up, or spank her, or do any of those things. Instead I kissed her softly, languidly gliding my lips over hers. I gently sucked her nipples and softly played between her legs. I laid on top of her and slid my cock inside her wonderfully warm, wet pussy, then stroked her until she was making those gorgeous gasps that told me was going to orgasm.
We made love.
We’d crossed some sort of invisible line, and when I woke up the following morning I was very happy she was at my side. Sadly there was no sex, romantic or otherwise. We both had to bolt out of bed and dash off to our respective steel towers to do what we do.
The weeks that followed were idyllic. Sometimes I’d stay in her luxury suite at the Four Seasons, but most nights she would stay with me. She liked being in a home. We were happy, exceptionally so, and we’d made some progress locating a psychiatrist who specialized in sleep disorders, but she often told me she’d never slept so well in her life, and I could sense she was questioning her need to seek help.
“It’s only been a short time,” I reminded her over dinner. “I still think you should see someone.”
“But I feel—I don’t know—better, more relaxed. Even the people at work have commented about it, though I suppose you’re right. Yes, okay, I’ll pursue it.”
The matter was settled and I was confident she’d get the help she needed. I’d be there to support her, and we would continue our lives together in the Big Apple, but the following day she called me late in the morning and her voice sounded anxious. The words, expect the unexpected, suddenly rattled through my brain. I prepared myself.
“Can we meet at Luigi’s for lunch?”
“I wish I could, but I have a business meeting.”
“It’s terribly important.”
I paused, but only for a moment; something was up and it wasn’t good.
“Yes, sure, of course. I’ll see you there at noon.”
I re-scheduled my meeting, and at the appointed time I was pushing through the door of our favorite Italian eatery. I spotted her immediately. She was sitting at our table and I immediately noticed she was playing with her napkin. That was a bad sign. My pulse ticked up. Striding briskly forward I kissed her on the cheek and sat down.
“Tell me right away,” I said firmly, “I’ve been worried.”
“I don’t know an easy way to say this.”
“Then just say it.”
“I’ve been offered an unbelievable job back in London.”
It took me a moment to process what she’d said.
I’ve been offered an unbelievable job back in London.
It was as if the reality of the words refused to connect.
“James? Did you hear me?”
“You have a job offer, yes, I heard you.”
“It’s an absolutely incredible opportunity.”
“Wow, well, yes, brilliant,” I managed. “Good for you!”
I immediately hated how I’d sounded. It had been patently false. That’s not who we were. There was no pretense between us and I’d just thrown her a load of crap.
“You’re happy about it?”
“I’m happy for you that you got such a great offer.”
Shit. What the bloody hell was I saying?
“Oh.”
She was staring at me; I could see the pain and disappointment in her eyes, and I had absolutely no idea what to say or do. I felt like a complete idiot. I didn’t want her to go, not for a second. We were great together, really great. Was she asking me to stop her? I couldn’t, could I?
“Amelia,” I said quickly, “if this job is something you want, then…wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Is it? Is it a job you really want? Tell me about it.”
She did, in painstaking, fabulous detail. She’d been right when she’d said it was unbelievable, but then, she was an unbelievable woman. What was it they’d said about her? That she could be the next Margaret Thatcher if she wanted to be? The opportunity sitting in front of her was a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime, pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
“So, what do you think?” she finished, begging me to give her the answer to an impossible question.
“It doesn’t matter what I think, it’s what you think.”
“Geoff said I’d be crazy to turn it down.”
Geoffrey Archer was the man who had brought her over from England, and at that moment I wanted to march over to his office and demand that make he make her an even better offer than the one she’d just received, but it was a ridiculous thought. Even if I dared to act on such a hair-brained idea, there was nothing he could offer her that could match the job in London. It would expose her to the highest ranks of the British business elite.
“Amelia, forget about Geoff, forget about what anyone else thinks, how do you feel about it?”
A lone tear suddenly appeared and began to trickle down her face. Did that mean she was going to take it? Practically speaking she should, but just the thought was killing her. She didn’t want to leave me just as much as I didn’t want her to go, but I also wanted to support her.
“Amelia, take a breath. I understand, I totally understand. You know the job is bound to bring you back here, and I can certainly get away to see you.”
My words had sounded trite. I knew it. She knew it, and I hated that I’d said them. The expression on her face told me she did too.
“Sorry. That didn’t come out the way I wanted it to,” I sighed. “The truth is, I honestly don’t know how to advise you. No-one can make this decision for you.”
“I know.”
She’d barely managed to get the words out, and reaching for her water glass she took several large gulps. She was trying to extinguish the flames in the back of her throat.
“When do you have to let them know?”
“They’ve given me seven days, then they’ll make the offer to another candidate.”
“Good. You’ll have time to really think this through.”
The water hadn’t worked. More tears materialized, and her fingers curled into fists.
“I hate this,” she whispered. “I hate this. I hate this.”
My heart was breaking for her, for me, for us, and I wrapped my hands over her white knuckles.
“How about we both call in with some really stupid excuse and take the afternoon off. We can go to a movie or something.”
“Yes, yes, let’s take the afternoon off, and please, I want the something. I want to stop time. Will you take me home and stop time?”
“Absolutely.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
We did stop time, and we did it together, starting with a long sensuous bubble bath. As I languidly roamed my hands over her wet slippery body, and closed my eyes as she wrapped her fingers around my very stiff member, images of how I wanted to spend our stolen hours formed in my mind. When the water began to fall tepid, I climbed from the tub and instructed her stay in the bathroom until I called for her to join me.
Quickly drying off I donned my robe, and entering the bedroom I set about closing the drapes to lock out the light of the day, then filled the room with every candle I could find. Opening my wine cupboard I found a bottle of outstanding cabernet, grabbed two bulbous crystal glasses, and a cake of expensive dark chocolate I had been saving for a special occasion.
Can I describe everything we did? It would be impossible, not because I can’t remember, but because everything melted into everything else.
She met the flogger for the first time, and after each lash she offered her backside for the next. Her pussy was positively dripping when I was done, and I vigorously fucked her, taking us both to the brink of our release countless times before withdrawing to tie her up and tickle her with an ostrich feather. I laid my weight on top of her so she couldn’t move, and stayed there, still and quiet, me
lting into her body. I blindfolded her and fed her the chocolate from my mouth, brought the wine to her lips and carefully poured the ruby liquid on to her tongue. I dove between her legs and lapped her honey until she was begging to come, then made her slowly worship my cock until I was at my bursting point. There was no time, only feelings, whispered words, pleasure and delicious pain given and received, until finally, after explosive orgasms that I thought would never end, totally and utterly drained we fell asleep. It was the early hours of the morning that we both woke up and padded into the kitchen for a snack. Sitting at the kitchen counter sharing chicken soup and toast, she leaned her head against my shoulder.
“Wherever I go in this world,” she purred, “whatever happens to me, this day will be with me forever.”
“Me too.”
I had mumbled my reply. I was so awash with emotion I honestly didn’t trust myself to hold it together if I offered much more, but once again she proved to be braver than me. She said, or rather, she whispered, those terrifying and beautiful three words.
“I love you, James.”
Laying down my spoon I turned to face her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were soft, softer than I’d ever seen them, and I placed my hands on either side of her face.
“I love you, too Amelia.”
We were both fighting back the tears, and gripping my arms she stared up at me, her eyes filled with confusion.
“This isn’t fair,” she muttered, swallowing hard. “Why did I have to get this offer now?”
“No, it’s not fair, but you can’t make a mistake.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your choice will be the right one.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
“Because you already know what it is. You just haven’t tuned into it yet, but you will.”
I still don’t know from where those words came. They had just drifted into my head from the ether making me sound much wiser than I am.
“Wow,” she said breathlessly, then wrapping her arms around me she nestled her head into my shoulder. “That feels true. I think I’ll be able to sleep now.”
We sat there and hugged for what felt like a long time, then leaving the dishes on the counter we ambled back to bed and fell asleep.
The rest of the week, though I was consumed with worry about Amelia leaving, I was also experiencing an unfamiliar euphoria. Very little bothered me, not even frustrated clients or long, boring, drawn-out meetings that I usually found maddening. We spent every night together, and though we didn’t talk about the elephant in the room, I sensed that she was coming to a decision, and on Sunday she chose to spend the night alone in her suite. She had only a short time left to make up her mind and I understood why she needed the space. Did I want to beg her to stay? Absolutely, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Winter had truly set in. It was cold and blustery with a hint of snow in the air, and though I’m not a big pizza fan I decided to order one anyway. Late that night, sitting in front of the fire watching a terrific show on one of the premium channels, drinking red wine and eating the amazing cheesy gooey mess, I was missing her like crazy. The wine had made me fuzzy, and glad of its relaxing effects I meandered into the bedroom, pulled off my clothes and crawled into bed. It felt empty without her, but I quickly dozed off into an alcohol-induced sleep. I was sure, when the buzzer sounded, it was the beginning of a wonderful dream; Amelia had arrived and I was going to share my bed with her after all. When it buzzed a second time, with a jolt I realized it was no dream. I glanced at the clock. 2:30 a.m. I couldn’t believe it.
Expect the unexpected.
Staggering from my bed I stumbled down the hall and pressed the button.
“Amelia?”
“You were expecting someone else?”
I pressed the button to let her in, then realized I was absolutely freezing; the fire was long dead and I hadn’t put the heat on. Unlocking the door so she could let herself in, I hurried back to the bedroom to put on my bathrobe. By the time I returned she was walking through the door.
“Hey, you,” I said softly, not wanting to disrupt her sleep-state. “Why don’t you come into bed?”
“I’ve made a decision,” she declared in that dreamy voice she often had in the middle of the night.
“You can tell me about it under the covers.”
She took my hand as we walked down the hallway, and once in the bedroom, just as she had the very first night she’d arrived at my door, she began unbuttoning her coat to reveal her naked body beneath. She was also sporting those amazing black boots, and I found myself wishing I hadn’t had quite so much to drink.
“Get into bed. You’ll catch your death.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“You don’t have to call me sir.”
“Thank you, James,” she murmured, unzipping the boots and crawling in next to me.
“Is the car still downstairs waiting for you?”
“No. I knew I’d be staying so I let it go. May I tell you my decision now?”
“That would be good,” I replied, though I’d put her off because I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear it.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she announced, and though her voice was subdued it was filled with resolve. “I’ve been waiting for you my whole life. Geoff says I’d be crazy to turn down the offer, but I think I’d be crazy to walk away from you.”
The relief that flooded my body was unbelievable, and I actually understood the phrase, it feels like a weight has been lifted. That’s exactly what I was experiencing. Even so I needed to press her. She was about to make a huge sacrifice.
“Are you absolutely sure about this?”
“Yes, James, I’m very sure, one-hundred percent sure.”
Suddenly I was wrapping her up in my arms and holding her as if my life depended on it, but I could sense she was exhausted, and I was too, so saving our passion for the morning we settled in to go to sleep, then just as I let out a heavy, relieved sigh, an uncomfortable thought floated into my head.
Would she remember her decision in her waking state? In her heart, she knew what she wanted, but in the clear light of day would her head agree?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I didn’t sleep well, and when the alarm beeped through my brain, in spite of the amazing news Amelia had delivered just a few hours earlier, I found myself once again on tenterhooks. Would she remember?
“Morning,” she purred pressing her delectable breasts against my back. “Did you sleep well?”
She showed no surprise that she was in my bed. It was a good sign.
“Sorta kinda,” I said honestly. “How about you?”
“Great,” she sighed, then raising herself up she peered past my shoulder at the clock. “Bloody hell, is that the time? I have to go. I have a breakfast meeting.”
“Cancel it,” I said earnestly. “I need to jump on your beautiful bones.”
“Oh, James, I wish I could. Sorry.”
She was suddenly out of bed and sprinting to the bathroom, but she was obviously very happy so I assumed she must have remembered delivering the news of her momentous decision. It was enough to convince me that all was well, and with a long stretch and a big yawn I got myself up, pulled on my robe, turned on the heat, and headed to the kitchen to start the jug for a pot of tea. After dropping the loose leaves into the teapot I called my car company. It was a chilly day and dark clouds were threatening and I didn’t want her chasing around for a cab. As I continued puttering around I found myself smiling, and when she came in dressed in one of her elegant power suits and declaring the bathroom was all mine, I couldn’t help but give her a bear hug.
“What was that for?”
“Just because, and you look like you’re ready to kill. It’s just as well you have clothes here.”
“I agree. Is that toast I smell?”
“Yep, and the jug’s boiled and a car is on its way.”
“James! Thank you. I hope I have time fo
r a quick bite. I’ll have to take off the minute it arrives.”
“If I’m the shower when you leave I’ll understand, but there’s nothing like a cuppa to start your day. Have it if you can, then you’ll be at your best strong self.”
“Being weak with you helps me tough out there, do you know that?”
“Of course,” I winked. “I’m going to take my shower, and if you’re gone when I’m done I’ll call you later.”
I gave her a warm kiss, then headed to the bathroom expecting to find the kitchen empty when I returned. Though I’d wanted to talk about her late night visit, as the hot water streamed over my body I told myself there was nothing to discuss. Everything seemed fine, and I pushed it out of my mind. As I expected, when I returned to the kitchen she was gone, but she had made the tea, and there was a piece of buttered toast with strawberry jam waiting for me on a plate. She’d made the jam into the shape of a heart. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
When I arrived at the office I found myself deluged with emails, normal for a Monday morning, so I had my lunch at my desk. Half-way through my afternoon I received a last minute summons to a dinner that night. It was all perfectly normal, and when I called to tell her I wouldn’t be able to see her after work she understood.
“It’s probably just as well. I need an early night.”
I was about to make a remark about her visit in the early hours of the morning, but one of my colleagues poked his head in my door and made it clear he needed me right away.
“Sorry, Amelia, I have to dash. I’ll speak to you later.”
“Okay, bye, James.”
“Bye.”
The rest of the day and the endless dinner were uneventful. It was late when I got home, and not wanting to wake her I decided to wait until the morning to call. Taking a quick shower I collapsed into bed, and that’s when the fatigue hit me. Seconds after my head hit the pillow I was asleep.
The following morning, as I was reading the paper and having my morning tea, I picked up my phone and called to say hello, but when she answered she sounded out of breath, as if I’d caught her in the middle of something.
Amelia's Awakening: Expect the Unexpected (Erotic Novella Series: Ultimate Control Book 2) Page 7
