by Iona Rose
I pounded on the descending call button for the elevator, and could barely stand still as I waited for it to arrive. The moment it did, I jumped in, and along with the few people in it, tried to calm my nerves as we rode down to the ground floor.
I was so worried that I wouldn’t catch him and that I'd have to wait for him to return before I could speak to him. I couldn’t allow or even permit the very loose strings between us for even a second longer. It was either we mended it, or completely yanked it out.
The elevator arrived, and I hurried out onto the massive, marble lobby. I paused for a moment to catch my breath, my hand on my chest to keep my heart from flying out.
Then I spotted him. He had just exited the building, but then he’d been stopped by two men in front of the revolving doors. I also exited the building, making sure he saw me as I came through the doors. He did, so I waited by the corner for him to finish his conversation.
When he did, the people went on their way and he started to head towards the waiting, open door of his SUV by the curb.
“Carter!” I called out.
He stopped. Then he turned around, his hands sliding into his pockets to finally give me the time of day.
I couldn’t believe how cold he acted. I stormed towards him, not even the least bit caring that he was my boss, or that he owned the company I worked for.
I took a deep breath to calm myself when I reached him, aware that if I spoke now, that my voice would be shaky and full of hurt.
“Aren’t you tired of playing this game?” He asked.
I was astonished. “What game?”
“You run away, and then I come after you, but you push me away. What’s the real deal here, Leah? You don’t like me coming after you? You prefer it when I’m dismissive and act like I don’t give a fuck about you?” He briefly glanced away.
I could feel his barely restrained annoyance in waves. He was incredibly angry with me.
“Leah,” he said. “I do admit that I feel a connection to you, and somehow I've allowed it to send me on this wild goose chase after you. But I also have an understanding with myself about the kind of treatment that I will or will not accept from anyone.”
I felt incredible remorse at his words, but I tried my best to keep my face clear of emotion, and my voice stable. “Let’s have lunch together so we can talk. Can I please have your phone number? Tell me where you’re going so I can meet you there.”
He eyed me for a bit.
I watched, completely entranced as the anger that burned in his eyes seemed to lessen.
“Trukadero,” he said. “It’s down the street.”
With that he turned around, and got into his car.
His driver shut the door behind him, and I took my leave.
* * *
Carter
Twenty minutes later, she was seated across from me in the continental Korean restaurant, in complete silence. I had just made my order of chicken fried rice, while she had gotten a cold noodle.
I kept my eyes on my phone as I scrolled through my emails, more than content to wait as long as she wanted in silence, if she refused to say anything.
Eventually she spoke, “I apologize, Carter.”
I lifted my gaze to hers, and met the blank look in her eyes, her apology seemingly devoid of any sincerity. For a moment, it made me want to smile. I couldn’t exactly say that I completely hated this little spat between us. It did make my blood boil with anger, but my libido was most definitely not spared from the effect. It didn’t help also that she looked as stunning as I remembered. The mauve jacket she wore complemented the rosy color on her eyelids, lips and cheeks. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head, and again tufts of curly hair softened the nape and sides of her face.
God, she was beautiful, and how I wanted once again to be inside her.
Anger surged through me at the reminder of all the ways she was making things difficult for us, so I looked away, unmoved. “What exactly are you sorry about?” I peeked a bit to gauge her expression.
I saw her eyes widen at the realization that I wasn’t going to let her off so easily. She sighed deeply. “For not answering the door, and ignoring you the day you came to my house.”
I remembered the day quite vividly, and the hurt I felt after I’d spent the entire afternoon in abject worry about her. But she had ignored me through it all. It was such a low point for me, so much so that I hadn’t even been able to recall the last time I’d felt that badly. Especially when I’d heard her footsteps as she’d walked away.
“I didn’t do anything to hurt you when we were in Turkey,” I said. “At least not intentionally. If you don’t want to have anything to do with me then all you need to do is to say the word.”
I waited for her response, but then our food was delivered. She instantly began to eat and I did the same.
Whatever the outcome of today would be, was completely in her hands. I had vowed to myself to only respond or react this time around.
“Why did you come here to Indiana?” she asked. “You bought the company… I thought you just worked for one in Minnesota.”
I raised my glass of water to my lips, and after taking a sip, asked, “Which question do you want me to answer first?”
“Whichever one is fine,” she replied.
“I came to Indiana because of you,” I admitted outright, and could see her entire body go still. “After Alanya, I thought that I’d be able to put you out of my mind and continue with my life, but it wasn’t the case at all. So I came over here for a chance to get to know you better… to spend time with you.”
She looked flabbergasted. “B-but you bought the company.”
“I need to work too and don’t worry I didn’t buy your company solely because of you. It’s had a great record over the years and an ad department included in its services would really make it top tier in the state. It’s a good enough investment to me.”
“You want to create an advertising department?”
I nodded in response, and said no more.
She returned to her food, as though my purchase of the company was the only thing that had been mentioned.
I allowed her to evade the main subject and continued on with my meal. When we were done, I called for the waiter to bring the check over. I reached for the tab but she immediately picked it up.
“I’ll take care of it… as an apology.”
I didn’t have a complaint, so I leaned back into the chair to watch her.
Then she rose to her feet.
“I’ll be back soon. I want to use the restroom.”
I nodded in response, while she turned around and walked away.
Chapter 24
Leah
I felt frustrated.
I didn’t need to use the restroom, but I did however, need to stare at my confused visage in the mirror. What was I going to do? To move us beyond this stage, especially as it now seemed that I had annoyed him to the point of a voluntary stalemate.
In order for us to proceed, I had to be the one to make the move, and the very thought made my limbs tingle with fear. This seemed to be a pattern between us. I would run, and he would try to hold on to me but then I'd push him away, and would have to go back begging.
My head fell into my hands.
What was wrong with me? Especially now, when there was so, so much more at stake between us, even though he didn’t know it yet.
I gazed at myself in the mirror again. What exactly did I want?
Him in my life, or not at all?
I lowered my gaze as my hand rested on my stomach.
I did …
I wanted him so badly in my life, but not just because I was pregnant. But because, like he had said, we had gotten to know each other and fallen even more madly in love with whom the other person was.
But to do that, we needed time and I was running out of it.
You can start now… a voice whispered to me.
But would he accept me now?
&nb
sp; He had come all the way here for me, and invested so much into the relationship that he wanted us to have. I felt deeply remorseful. Immediately I turned around, and walked out of the bathroom.
I got into the corridor however, and froze.
He was approaching.
I thought he’d come on my account, but instead, he regarded me quietly and went past me to head into the male bathroom. I took a deep breath, turned around and went after him.
The moment I came in after him, he turned around, his eyebrows twitching in surprise.
I stopped by the door, inhaled deeply, and began. “Carter…”
I want you. More than I've seemingly wanted anything else in my life. And thank you, for making such a leap for us, and again… I am very, very, sorry for how I’ve acted.
The words were clear as day in my mind, but as I opened my mouth to speak, they wouldn’t come forth. “Carter...” I called again
He waited.
The words I intended to say suddenly seemed weightless and inconsequential, even though I meant them from the bottom of my heart. What I desperately needed was a way to show him. I felt my eyes mist, and without thinking, went straight to him.
I threw my arms around his neck, my four inch heels having to lift up even further to be placed on somewhat equal footing with him. I hugged him tightly, too scared that he would pull away, but then I felt his rigid stance begin to relax into my embrace.
He slid one arm around my waist, and my heart went wild with excitement and relief. “You are one complicated woman, Leah,” he said.
I shook my head against his neck. “I’m sorry. I'm really sorry. I'll do better.”
He briefly pulled me away from him so he could look into my eyes. With a finger, he was just in time to catch the tear that was going to fall from one corner.
I immediately dropped my head, and tried to move away from his hold.
He wouldn’t let me. “Running away again? You absolutely do not ever want to be vulnerable do you? Especially with me.”
I kept my head lowered, and my eyes tightly shut.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Leah,” he said. “I promise you that and I'm going to try my very best to keep that promise to the best of my ability.”
“Thank you.”
“Look at me...” he said.
After a long moment I summoned up the courage to look him in the eye.
“How far are you willing to go with me?”
“As far as you’re willing to take me,” was my response.
He smiled, and it grew into a beaming grin that just completely messed up the rhythm of my heartbeat. I ignored the spazzing muscle, and focused my complete attention on him.
Being in his arms was like putting on rose colored glasses. They were so fragile, and easily broken, but at the same time… worth every second of engagement. I seemed once again to have woken up, and I never wanted to go back to sleep.
“We’ve already gone past the initial first dates phase,” he said. “So how about we become official, starting right now.
I couldn’t properly process all that was happening. It seemed all too surreal to accept, that he was saying all the things right now that I’d so longed for. My throat constricted, overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude, so I couldn’t speak. All I could do was nod.
“Alright,” he said, as he brushed the tendrils of escaped hair away from my face. “I have another request of you.” With his thumb and forefinger, he lifted my chin upwards so he could lock my gaze with his. “It’s been more than a month and a half. Any longer and I will cease to be able to function.”
My face immediately began to flush with heat as I processed what he was saying. Shy, I tried to pull my gaze from his.
He wouldn’t let me. “Leah, I'm serious,” he breathed. “I need to be inside you. How about tonight? Anywhere you want.”
Right then, what I wanted more than anything was to kiss him, hard and deep. So my hands lifted to hold the sides of his face.
He didn’t wait. With a slant of his head, he crushed his lips to mine and I tasted him again. It was like coming home from a long, arduous, and very unnecessary journey. As his tongue dipped and stroked mine, I felt my knees begin to weaken, the fire he wrought in my heart, draining my entire body of the stamina needed to even simply stand.
Thankfully, he held me up and my hand fisted his jacket. I was soon overtaken, by a wild and almost violent lust. He cupped my breasts through the light material of my sheer turtleneck, while I ground my crotch against his burgeoning cock.
We were together again, against all the odds, and I didn’t even know how to process my joy. “I can’t wait for tonight,” I told him, when we came up for air. “That stall… it should be all right.”
He glanced towards the slightly larger handicap stall, and before I could blink, I was locked inside the metal box with him.
“Carter—” I began, but his mouth had already covered my nipple. My skirt was bunched up to my waist, and my leg lifted for direct access to my sex. My breathing was erratic, my heart racing out of control, but still I managed to get the word out. I had to. “We’re going to be late Carter. We’re out of time.”
His hand grabbed my mound, and a heavy gasp escaped me. I held on tightly to his hand as he began to stroke my engorged clit through the sheer lace of my underwear. I immediately changed my tune. “Make it quick,” I muttered, my body jerking to the pleasure of his tease. “Please.”
He heeded my request. Suddenly I was lifted off my feet and my legs guided to wrap around his waist.
“Please tell me we don’t need a condom,” he rasped, as he traced sultry kisses up my neck.
I shook my head. “We’re fine… we don’t.”
He loosened the front of his slacks and soon enough, I felt the special part of him that I had missed so terribly. I was amused as I felt it poking around my sex, impatient for its acceptance into my body. I tried my best to keep my voice down but the squeal stuck in my throat demanded a release and I allowed it.
Carter slipped my thong aside, and without ceremony, he shoved his thick cock into me.
Once again, it felt like I had come home. Like we had both come home to who we were to each other... a safe place... a breathtakingly beautiful place... a fiercely passionate and engulfing place. I never, ever, wanted to be apart from him, and this scared me beyond what words could express.
He moved inside of me, and it felt like someone was wringing my soul of pleasure, so delicious that you understood immediately that you were going to lose yourself somewhere along the way.
I was ready, or at least I hoped I was. As he slammed into me over and over again, I felt and welcomed his complete and incontestable possession of my body.
“I missed you Leah...” He kissed me, his voice sounding almost frail under the weight of his longing.
I understood him wholeheartedly and crushed my body even further into his. I drove my hips with a feverish urgency to meet his thrusts, the risk of being found by one of the restaurant staff or guests now inconsequential as we chased our release with each other.
I searched for his mouth, frantic and desperate when I began to feel my mind unraveling. We were heading closer and closer to our peak, and I could feel it in the strain of his thrusts and the labor of his grunts.
I grabbed his ass and loved the clench of the taut muscles, as it brought me closer and closer onto the edge.
“Fuck… Leah..." he cursed.
I held on for dear life... until I came apart.
He exploded just as I did, his cum shooting into me in thick heavy spurts. I felt him all the way up to my womb, and I thought I would pass out. Sweet was no longer a word adequate enough to describe this moment of coalition between us. At this crux of our joining, I truly understood that we became one, in spirit, body, and soul, and there was absolutely nothing else that could compare. I sobbed quietly into his neck, as he fought to bring his breathing under control, unable to restrain himself as much as he would
have liked.
We stayed like that, joined as one as we began our descent back to earth together.
Then the man’s voice came, “Must have been a sick breakup man. Never let her go.”
We both froze, especially at the man’s accompanying chuckle as he exited the restroom. From then on things began to register a little bit more clearly. First was the fact that we were in a filthy public restroom. None of this had registered when we had come in, but now it was haunting.
“Oh, my God...” I muttered, as he set me back down on wobbly feet.
“We’re late,” he said.
My tone went up several pitches as I repeated, “Oh, my God.” I checked my watch to see it was almost ten minutes past lunch hour, so I hurriedly jerked my skirt down my thighs to put myself back in order.
“Relax,” he said.
I was already out of his arms and out of the stall. “Easy for you to say, you own the damn company.” I headed over to the mirror to check my disheveled, just fucked hair, and rumpled clothes. And if I looked clearly enough, I could see reddened kiss marks on my neck. “Oh no!” I gasped.
Carter came up to the sink beside me. He wetted a handkerchief and began to approach me.
“I’ll do it myself,” I said, not really sure I could handle him touching me again. It felt like I was about to spontaneously combust, both from anxiety and ecstasy, and it was all too much, all at once.
But he caged me, arresting me between the counter and his rock solid frame until the only thing I could do was give in. I stared into his eyes as he lifted my skirt up once again and slid my thong aside to cover it with his handkerchief.
My eyes fluttered closed, my breathing pattern now in short desperate spurts.
When he was done, he arranged my clothes back in place, and slipped the handkerchief into his pocket.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a man stopped in his tracks, startled to see us.
“Time to go,” Carter said, and grabbed my hand to lead me out of the restroom.
We returned separately to the office, but on the elevator ride up to my floor, he couldn’t help but take advantage of the returning lunch crowd from the other offices in the building, to ensure that I was leaning fully into him.
