by Terri Lane
“Oh my goodness, really?”
He turned me around and slid my hair out of the way. As his fingers brushed my neck I felt an intense prickle running all over me. It took all that I had to keep myself fixed in the same position. All I wanted to do was turn around and kiss him.
The necklace snaked around me, and as Evan fastened it up I felt exactly like a princess. This was officially a date like no other. Maybe it was only a holiday romance, but it was the best that I’d ever felt.
“There,” he spun me back to look at me. “Now the look is complete.”
“Thank you so much,” I replied sincerely, running my fingers lightly down his cheek. “I really appreciate you inviting me out tonight. I’ve never done anything like this, so I’m very excited.”
“Trust me, I’m the one who should be thanking you. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had a pretty girl on my arm.” He rested his forehead against mine, staring deep into my eyes. “I’m so glad that you said yes.”
There was a romance to the moment, an intensity that I soaked up. It seemed like we were totally stepping out of character today, that we were upping this thing between us for one night only. Actually, I didn’t mind. I felt like it was going to be really interesting to know what it would be like to be Evan Hawlin’s girlfriend.
“Are you ready to go? The limo is waiting outside…”
“Limo?” I squealed happily. “You’re kidding me.”
“I figured that I might as well go all out, since this will be the first night out I’ve had in ages that I’m looking forward to. So let’s go…”
***
I stepped out of the limo, feeling like I was living in a dream. That car was so huge that it actually had booze, food, and a television screen back there. I probably could’ve lived in it given half the chance. Of course, Evan wasn’t fazed at all, but he didn’t seem to mind that I was so ridiculously happy.
However, that all changed as we got inside. Living out my fantasy in the car with Evan was one thing, but standing among a massive group of extremely wealthy people who seemed to see right through me no matter what I looked like, was something else entirely. My insides froze over, I felt sick to my stomach, all I wanted to do was turn around and run.
“Come on,” Evan smiled at me, totally ignoring the rest of the crowd. “Let’s go and get another drink. I’m going to have to get a little tipsy if I want to put up with these bores.”
Hearing him put himself much more in my category than theirs helped somewhat. If we were both outsiders, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
“Thank you, I might just pop to the bathroom. I’ll meet you at the bar if that’s okay?” I just needed a minute to myself, to recover from the initial shock of walking in here. I loved that sensation of feeling special and princess like, and I really wanted to reclaim that.
“Yeah, I’ll see you in a minute.”
As I raced past the luxurious tables set out throughout the room, I kept my gaze fixed on the floor. Any confidence that I’d developed over the last few weeks was now long gone, and without it I wasn’t sure how to behave. Still, a moment alone in one of the stalls, practicing some deep breathing would have me back on an even keel, I was sure of it.
I staggered in and locked myself away, before sucking in some air. All I needed to do was calm down the panic tearing around inside of me, I just needed to sort myself out, once I was calm everything else would be okay.
Just as I felt ready enough to unlock the door and let myself out, I heard the door creak open and some people enter. I wasn’t anywhere near ready to face anyone in this close a proximity so I decided to remain where I was until they left. Hopefully this would only be a quick make-up trip, I didn’t want Evan to start wondering where I was.
“Oh my God, did you see who Hawlin was with?” A bitchy voice rang out, causing me to freeze dead where I stood. “Who do you think she is?”
I wasn’t sure that I could sit here and listen to these strangers talking badly about me, my heart wasn’t strong enough to take it. Still, I couldn’t leave now, how humiliating would that be?
“I don’t know,” someone replied. “But I haven’t seen him with anyone since his wife. I even messaged my friend from back home who goes to all the same social events as him and apparently they all thought that he would never move on.”
This was a very strange conversation to be having about someone who only lost his wife eighteen months ago, but then again these people were totally different from me, who the hell was I to judge?
“Do you think she’s new money?”
I could almost hear the disgust rolling off her tongue, like ‘new money’ was a dirty word. I had to stifle a laugh at the thought of them discovering that actually I was ‘no money’.
“I don’t know, no one seems to know her. Maybe I would’ve expected Evan to be with someone a little… more, but each to their own, I suppose.”
I wondered if Evan knew what he would unleash by bringing me here. Did he realize that he’d made us into something a lot more monumental? I would probably be the talk of the town for a very long time now.
“Yeah, it pains me to admit it because we all know how much Clarissa had her eye on him, but he actually looks happy.”
Oh wow, I thought that I was going to be hated, I assumed this eavesdropping would have me running for the hills, but this was the total opposite. Okay so these girls obviously didn’t think that I was good enough for Evan – and I couldn’t help but agree with them – but they thought I made him happy, and that was the most important thing of all. I actually had tears welling up at the mere thought of it.
“Anyway, food will be served soon, we better get back out there.”
I remained frozen in the same spot for a little while after I heard them leaving, slowly working up the courage myself, but as I eventually left I felt a lot more positive. I could do this, I could face off anything to make Evan happy, even if it was only for tonight.
“Hey,” I pinched his sides as I joined behind him. “How are you?”
“I got you a champagne, I hope that’s okay.”
As he handed it to me, and I took a sip, his arm flew over my shoulder. I couldn’t help but glance at the image of us in the mirror on the nearest wall, and for once we did look even. I could see how these people had mistaken me for something I wasn’t. It might only be for tonight, but we actually matched, and that felt nice. The rest of the time despite the fact that he went out of his way not to make me feel like that, I was acutely aware of our positions.
“Shall we take our seats? I think they’re going to serve food in a minute?”
“Please, lead the way.”
As his fingers interlocked through mine and I followed him to our seats, I had the magical feeling that this would be the happiest moment of my life. I wanted to remember every single minute of it. If this night committed to my memory, nothing would ever be able to bring me down again, I was sure of it.
All I had to do was never mention the dreaded Clarissa who had been eyeing him up forever more…
Okay, maybe after a couple of drinks I would mention what I’d heard, just to tease him and to try and work out how he felt about her. Hopefully she was nothing to him, because much as it’d be a joke, I wasn’t sure how I would react if I discovered he wanted her too.
***
As we fell into the limo, me and Evan were laughing wildly like absolute loons. The night had gone amazingly, much better than I ever could’ve hoped for, and now I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next.
“So, I have to ask you,” Evan leaned in close to me as he whispered, “are you wearing the panties I sent you?”
I wiggled excitedly in the seat, glad that I was. “Maybe,” I replied seductively, “but you’ll have to wait until we get back to the villa before you find out.”
“The hell I will!” he exclaimed, as he pressed a button to close the partition between us and the driver. “We have all the privacy we need ri
ght here.”
“Are you serious?” I gasped in shock. “This isn’t private.”
“Trust me, he can’t see a thing.”
I tried to resist, but as Evan kissed me hard it was very difficult. I found his mouth incredibly intoxicating, every time I experienced it I was left wanting more. In fact, I got so distracted by his lips that it took me a moment to realize that his hand was up by my underwear.
“Oh God, you are,” he groaned excitedly. “And you’re so wet too. You feel amazing. I don’t think I can resist.”
“Well you’re going to have to try,” I attempted to use a bossy tone but it fell on deaf ears. The issue was it was hard to keep trying to put someone off wanting me when my feelings matched his exactly. “Oh shit.” My resolve fell apart as my head lolled to one side. He was inside my underwear now, pushing his fingers deeper and deeper into me, and that combined with the vibrations of the car rumbling along the road was sending me off to somewhere else entirely.
His fingers roughly massaged my insides, he was hitting spots I didn’t even realize that I had, and much to my utter humiliation I fell deep into the abyss of sheer pleasure almost right away. It was as if my body had been preparing for this moment all night long, and the mere brush of Evan’s fingers had pushed me over the edge.
“Fuck,” I cried out much louder than I intended to. If the driver was dumb enough not to know what was going on before, he did now. Maybe he couldn’t see us, but there was no chance of him not hearing. “Oh my God, Evan.”
He held me close as I shuddered violently because of him, and as soon as I collapsed into an exhausted mess, he sent me a smirk that proved he was pleased as punch with himself.
I decided right there and then that I would turn him into a quivering mess too, just to get my revenge…
***
The moment came around the second we got back into the villa. I had my strength back, my desire too, but this time all I wanted to do was give Evan some raw, thrilling pleasure. I let him pay the babysitter and send her on her way, while I waited naked in the bedroom for him. All I had left on was the high heels and the diamond necklace – a classy and slutty combination all in one go.
He’d barely even made it through the door when I pressed him up against the nearest wall, a dirty glint in my eye.
“What are you…?” he started, before he saw me drop to my knees in front of him. I wasn’t messing about here, there was no time for tenderness and kissing, I was delving right in there.
I kept my eyes fixed firmly on his while I unbuckled his trousers. I felt them fall to the floor, but still I didn’t look. I wanted to make sure that Evan was watching the whole time. His breaths had started coming out sharp and ragged, clearly the pleasure was already making this a little hard for him, but he refused to move his gaze too. It seemed that he already knew that he wanted to watch me do this, which suited me just fine.
I pulled his thick, throbbing length free from his material prison and I slowly ran my fingers up and down his shaft. I noticed that his groans got louder the quicker I moved which meant I knew exactly what to do as soon as I moved my mouth to him. If he was in the mood for quick, hot, and passionate, then that was what he’d get.
As my mouth grew nearer, his moans became louder, then as I wrapped my lips around him and I slid him right down to the back of my throat, he cried out in sheer joy.
“Oh my God, Ali, you feel incredible.”
I slowly moved my head up and down, flickering my tongue all over him, but it quickly became obvious that he was far too desperate and needy for that, so I picked up the pace. He grabbed onto my head, fisting my hair as he started to shudder, but he didn’t do anything to control my movements, he seemed content to just let me do exactly what I wanted to him.
His thick thighs tensed even more, his whole body became stiff. I knew that meant he was trying to control himself, which wasn’t what I wanted at all. I needed him to absolutely lose it, so I ran my fingers over his thigh, trailing them dangerously close to his groin area, allowing me to trace his balls in a way that had him absolutely falling apart.
“Fuck, Ali, I can’t… I can’t control myself anymore…”
And then he exploded, filling my mouth with his sweet, salty desire. I enjoyed the taste of him as it slid down my throat, I loved turning him on, sending him to that place. In a strange way, that seriously dirty ending to the sweet date was absolutely perfect.
“Come on,” Evan smiled and held his hand out to me. “Let’s go to bed, James and Lorna will be up early, you just know it, so you better get some sleep while you can.”
And there it was, the harsh reminder of what this trip was. Still, I was looking forward to a night curled up in Evan’s arms, even if I would have to get up early to ensure we weren’t caught out. The night of being a princess might be over, but at least I would always have the memories.
***
In… and out… in… and out…
I knew that propping myself up onto my elbows to watch Evan sleep, to examine his breathing, was a bit much, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. My heart was still racing, my emotions still dancing, my tummy still twisting and turning. I was falling, my feelings for Evan had been developing into something more the entire time. I’d been trying to convince myself that this was only a fling and that after a month I would never even think about him again… but I was wrong.
Deep down I knew that, it had been occurring the entire time, but there was a specific moment tonight that had highlighted that for me, and surprisingly it’d happened before we got into the limo.
I stood in front of him, at the bar after the most magnificent tasting food that I’d eaten in my life, and I smiled happily at him. To be honest I felt invincible, things had been going so well, which made me bring up the conversation that I’d been yo-yoing back and forth in my mind.
“So,” I grabbed his waist and shimmied into him, totally ignoring the rest of the room. “I hear you have an admirer.”
“Oh yeah? Please tell me it’s you.”
He’d been making little comments like that all night long, ones that confused me greatly. I knew it was a fantasy, that we were play acting out a date, but still it made me feel special. I couldn’t resist falling for the compliments that highlighted the positive emotions in my chest. Real or not, they felt incredible.
“Well, maybe,” I cocked my head coyly to one side as I stared deep into his wonderful, soulful eyes. “But according to bathroom gossip, there’s also someone named Clarissa.”
As soon as I said her name, my heart dipped with fear. Maybe I should’ve run with my initial instincts and said nothing after all. This could hurt me really bad! But then Evan’s expression darkened and I could tell that thankfully this wasn’t good news for him.
“Oh, I know, she’s been causing me issues for years. She met me just after I married Phoebe and made her feelings clear even then. The fact that I had a wife didn’t seem to bother her at all. She’s never been an issue though, and Phoebe understood that. I guess she just assumed that once I became… single again, she would be first in line. Family names are important in this circle. Although I made my money by myself, my family did have money way back which makes me an acceptable part of their world.”
“And is she? First in line, I mean?” I still didn’t get how this money stuff worked, they seemed to have totally different rules from the rest of us. Maybe even if Evan didn’t necessarily want her, he would eventually have to give in.
“No way,” he tugged on my dress, bringing me in even nearer to him. “I have my eye on someone much closer to home.”
Then he pulled my mouth towards his and he kissed me in front of everyone. The entire world faded away and it became only me and Evan. A fire could’ve broken out and I wouldn’t have even noticed. I was lost, too happy for words, kissing the only man that had managed to make me feel this way.
In that exact moment, I recognized that he said what I wanted to hear, I needed him to like me li
ke that, because I did him. Those words completed my night as a princess, I felt like the love story was coming to its conclusion. I became his, and Evan became mine, there was no lost glass slipper getting in our way.
But as I gazed down on his sleeping body, all I could think about were the practical side of things. Realistically, there wasn’t anything that I could do to really make him mine, he lived in his world, I existed in mine. He hired me to be the nanny to the kids, doing anything to change that could have catastrophic consequences. It could undo all the progress this family had made. Plus, there was the huge possibility that Evan only saw this as a holiday romance. We’d never had the conversation stating that exactly, but I felt like the assumption was there. Evan could’ve said all those things thinking that I was on the exact same page as him.
I slid out from the sheets and padded into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a moment alone to think. Everything had been so crazy in my life recently, it’d all turned upside down on its head. I lost everything that I knew back home, including the two steady relationships that had been in my life for as long as I could remember. Maybe I’d thrown myself so much into this as an overcorrection of that. Maybe all of my attraction to Evan was down to the fact that he was so utterly different from Max.
Maybe, there was a slim chance, that when I got back home it would all become a distant, happy memory.
I sighed deeply and slumped into the nearest chair gazing out the window to the beautiful Hawaiian night sky. There were stars twinkling everywhere I looked, serving as a stark reminder that everything wasn’t quite real.
What happened in Hawaii would have to stay here, I was just going to have to do what I could to mend my shattered heart before I even got home, because if I left it that long there probably wouldn’t be any of it left. In fact, I had the strong feeling that this heartbreak would put what I felt for Max to shame. He hurt me, but that was mostly the betrayal, and because my best friend had been involved. I didn’t really feel like I would die without him.
