It came as a shock, initially, because I’d forgotten she was even there. The previous evening, after she arrived, we had a small dinner in silence and then she had spent the rest of the night locked up in her room. I had to make do with my fantasies of imagining her naked, in the room, pinned against the wall, her long legs spread open for me. I wanted to leave her alone for that night, to let her get accustomed to this arrangement.
But now that it was morning, a new day, I was surprised to find that my heady rush of desire for Erica had suddenly disappeared. I had expected to feel turned on by her. She was in a pair of small cotton shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Her legs were on display, her hair was messy, and she had no makeup on. As she sat on the couch, sunlight streaming in through the French windows, sipping from a cup of tea, my gaze softened as I looked at her.
She looked so natural sitting there, reading the newspaper with her legs folded up in front of her. She looked fresh, like she had had a good night’s sleep… like she was comfortable being around me, in my house.
“Morning,” I said as I came up to her from behind, catching her by surprise.
“Oh, hey. Morning.” She fumbled with the newspaper and straightened her legs. She looked a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I took the liberty to make myself a cup of tea,” she added.
I shook my head and smiled. “Of course. I want you to feel at home, not like a prisoner,” I told her as I sat down in the armchair across from her.
We looked at each other in silence, and then a smile spread across her face. “So, this is what it’s going to be like for the next few weeks. We’re both going to be trapped in each other’s presence.” She said it like a joke, smiling, but I knew she wasn’t joking.
“I don’t feel trapped. Do you?” I asked her, serious.
Erica looked around the room and shrugged her shoulders. “To be honest, it’s more like a holiday to me. Your house is pretty nice. It’s like a fancy hotel room,” she said.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Glad to hear it. It is a business transaction, after all,” I added.
She raised an eyebrow. “Much like our previous business transaction,” she replied and I licked my lips. She really knew how to shoot me down. Repeatedly.
“That’s not what I meant,” I said, but she ignored it.
“Will we have to make public appearances?” she asked me, and I sank back in the armchair.
“Not many. Lewis is issuing an official statement from me, and then we’ll release a picture of us together. Then a few grocery shopping trips. Maybe you attend one of my games and get photographed. That sort of stuff,” I explained and she nodded.
“I hope this works,” she said, and I smiled at her. Erica Lee had been an object of desire for me, even the previous night when she walked into my apartment. But in the morning light, for some reason, she felt more like a friend.
“Even if it doesn’t, will it be so bad?” I dared to ask her.
Her face darkened as she looked at me. She seemed to have been in a good mood, but she suddenly stood up. “This is not what I wanted from my life,” she said in a low muted voice and then ran out of the room and into the bathroom at the other end of the hallway.
I sat in the armchair, feeling stupefied. I was hoping that she was slowly warming to me, to the idea, to the plan. I was hoping that if she could grow more comfortable, I could rip her clothes off her again. We had ample time for that anyway.
But her recent reaction to me told me that Erica was a little more complicated than that. She was withholding herself from me. Sex was far from her mind. But I was almost certain that it had been as good for her as it was for me. She had screamed my name, she had orgasmed all over my fingers, her body had shuddered and she had sighed after she came. She had shown all the signs that she was happy when we were together.
I had no idea why she was so against it now. I wanted to utilize all the time we had with each other in close quarters to repeat what we had done. And why not? Especially now that we were pretending to be a couple. But Erica didn’t seem to want the same things as me, and I was intrigued. If there was one thing I had learned about her by now, it was that she wasn’t like any other girl I had met before.
Chapter Eleven - Erica
I was watching him from the corner of my eye while I pretended to type away at my computer. I hadn’t seen him all day. He was out training for the upcoming game.
It still felt new to be around him, to be in his house and pretend to be his girlfriend. It had only been a week, anyway. He spent most of his time training while I spent most of my time in his apartment, getting sick in the toilet and then surfing the internet.
He made it seem so easy and natural, like he’d even forgotten why I was living in his apartment. I, on the other hand, had an additional secret to carry: I was pregnant with his child.
“I thought we might have dinner together tonight,” he said, suddenly turning to me. He was washing his hands at the kitchen sink.
“Why?” I blurted out. I hadn’t been expecting this.
“For the cameras of course. Don’t worry Erica, it’s not a date,” he said with his usual nonchalance. He wasn’t even looking at me as he spoke. I didn’t reply and he continued.
“I’ve booked us a table at Georgio’s. Be ready by eight,” he stated before disappearing into his room.
I knew Georgio’s. Everyone knew Georgio’s. It was the most exclusive fine dining experience in the city, frequented by celebrities. There were sure to be cameras there to capture us together. Lewis had already issued a statement to the effect that we were a serious couple, in love, and the photograph and article were an invasion of our privacy. No sexual favors were exchanged. A dinner date, publicly photographed by paparazzi, would only solidify that statement. I knew the truth – I knew that this was all for show, and yet I couldn’t help but feel a little excited.
My phone rang beside me, and I stared at the screen. It was my dad calling, again. I might not have been in the right state of mind. My head was swimming with conflicting emotions over how I felt about the dinner. I answered the call for the first time in several weeks.
“Erica!” My father’s gruff voice came through, and I felt my muscles freeze. I knew this was a mistake, I regretted answering the phone. Thankfully, Kyle was in his room already.
“Dad,” I said meekly. I was ashamed of myself. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Just his tone of voice was enough to make me feel small.
“Where are you?” he thundered.
“Where I’ve always been. In the city. Why?” I tried to sound natural and calm.
“Why?!” he thundered again. “Because I’ve been reading a lot of shit in the papers about my daughter.”
“It’s all gossip, dad,” I tried to interject, but he didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.
“There are pictures of you, half naked… in the papers!” His voice was loud and I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
“That picture was taken out of context,” I replied, but he was thundering away again.
“It’s such a disgrace. My own daughter, bartering sexual favors for an interview. How will I ever show my face to the neighbors again? How will I even leave the house without a bunch of people talking about me and my daughter behind my back? With an NFL star, Erica!”
I remained quiet, allowing his words to seep into my soul. He was right about all those things. I had embarrassed him. I had embarrassed myself too. And he didn’t even know the whole truth.
“Just when I thought that you could actually make me proud, this is what I have to read in the papers,” he added, falling quiet himself.
I could have told him that Kyle Murphy was my boyfriend, that we were pretending for the media anyway. But I chose to remain silent. I knew there was no support to be had from him. There was no point in defending myself.
“What would your mother have to say about this?” he said quietly. I hung up.
I didn’t want to hear any more. I
didn’t want him to bring the memory of my mother into this. I knew what had happened. He didn’t have to remind me of how I had embarrassed him. These were all my decisions and I was trying to fix them.
I stood up from the chair I was sitting on and slammed the laptop shut. I could feel my stomach churning. I was going to be sick again. I ran into my room, slammed the door shut behind me, and locked myself in the toilet. After I got sick into the basin, I slid down to the floor. I splashed my face with water and ate a blob of toothpaste to freshen my mouth. Yet, nothing could make me feel better now.
I was carrying an even bigger secret, something that could change Kyle’s life entirely if he knew about it. I didn’t even want to imagine what the papers might say about that, what my father might say. I fought back tears, biting my lip, till I remembered our dinner plans. At least there was a distraction to look forward to.
Chapter Twelve - Kyle
She was glowing when she stepped out of the revolving glass doors and walked towards my car. I was waiting for her downstairs, and she was right on time.
She had curled her hair so that her slender, soft face was framed by golden curls in a wavy bob. She was in a beautiful black dress with a bare back. She wore black high heels and carried a small silver clutch. Her lips were a bright retro red. Erica Lee really knew how to make an impression.
As she walked towards me, I imagined her small, supple naked body underneath the dress. I had held her in my arms, and I wanted to hold her again. I held the door open for her with a smile. She smiled at me too, but I saw the sadness in her eyes. The same sadness I had heard in her voice a few hours ago when she had been on the phone with her father.
“I’m looking forward to this. Their shrimp risotto is the best I’ve ever tasted,” I announced when I slid into the car beside her.
Erica only smiled, and then turned her face to look out at the city streets as we drove towards the restaurant.
“Hey,” I said softly. She turned to look at me, confusion marring her face. “Are you alright?” I asked. She looked even more surprised.
“Yes, why?” she returned.
I shrugged. “Just because you don’t have any fiery words to throw at me today,” I said.
This made her laugh a little. “And since when are you concerned about my mood?” she asked, and I stared into her deep blue eyes. I wanted to reach for her hand, but I held back. This was all pretense. That would be inappropriate.
“I’m only performing my boyfriendly duties,” I explained as the car came to a stop.
The door was held open for us and Erica stepped out. I followed, and when I reached her, I placed a hand on the small of her back. We both noticed some cameras at the entrance of the restaurant as we walked in. This plan was going to work.
“Smile, you’re on camera,” I leaned in and said in her ear. Erica smiled, her bright red lips parted, flashing teeth. I wanted to kiss her.
“At least this time, we can pose for the picture,” she said. I laughed loudly. I knew that moment would be caught by the paparazzi.
I had been to Georgio’s several times in the past, and our host led us to the intimate table by the window I had booked in advance. Lewis had picked that table specifically so that we could be photographed by the paparazzi from outside.
I held a chair out for Erica, and she sat down, as delicate as always.
“I hope you’ve been enjoying your stay at Hotel Murphy,” I said after we had ordered the wine and appetizers. There was a candle burning between us, and her eyes shone in the flame as she looked at me. That sadness which I had noticed earlier had disappeared. Or was she acting for the cameras?
“You know, the room service is atrocious and I wish they offered breakfast in bed. But what can I say, you get what you pay for,” Erica replied and we both laughed at that. She was looking at me intently and I nearly blushed under her scrutinizing gaze. There was something about this woman that intimidated me.
“Am I spoiling your usual evening plans?” she asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“By staying at your house. So you can’t bring your dates home,” she explained.
I looked away from her and shook my head. “You think I’ve been going on dates since you’ve been living with me?” I asked and she shrugged. She was smiling still.
“Why not? I wouldn’t want to disrupt your life,” she said and I breathed in.
“Well, I, for one, wouldn’t want the media to catch me on a date with someone else and think that I was cheating on you. That would be a whole new disaster,” I suggested.
“Well, it might give us a good reason to split up,” she said.
We remained silent as the wine was poured for us and the appetizers were brought in.
I took a sip of my wine, but she pushed the glass away. “I don’t think I’ll be drinking tonight,” she said.
I looked at her quizzically. “Why not?”
“I’m just not in the mood, I suppose.”
“Not in the mood to have a drink?” I was confused.
“Is that a problem?” she asked.
I looked back at her. “Are you afraid that I’m going to get you drunk and seduce you again?” I asked her, and she stared back at me while biting down on her lower lip.
“Yes,” she said matter of factly, taking me aback. She seemed to be serious about that statement.
“It’s just a glass of wine. Don’t worry, I have no plans of getting you drunk. I don’t need alcohol to get you to sleep with me,” I stated, leaning on the table towards her. We were holding each other’s gaze. I was thinking about her, naked.
“You’re a very confident man, Kyle Murphy,” she said, picking up a rice croquette and biting into it.
“Why shouldn’t I be?” I asked and sipped some more of my wine. I couldn’t help thinking about how beautiful she looked.
“Because one day you’re not going to win,” she said, and I raised my eyebrows.
“I can assure you, I always win,” I stated, hardening my voice. Nobody had ever said that to me before.
Erica smiled and looked away from me like she was unconvinced. “I bet your parents are very proud of you,” she stated rather than asked. Still looking out of the window, away from me.
I didn’t reply to that and polished off the rest of the croquettes on the plate instead.
Then she turned to me. Her eyes were narrowed, and she reached for my hand which had been lying on the table.
I felt goosebumps on my flesh when she touched me. Her fingers intertwined with mine and she stroked my palm. When I met her eyes she was smiling at me, a sparkle in her eye. I felt my dick move in my pants. I couldn’t believe she had that kind of power over me.
“It’s for the cameras, Kyle. Don’t worry, this isn’t a date,” she said.
Chapter Thirteen - Erica
I was watching him walk ahead of me when we walked into the building toward the elevator that would lead us up to his penthouse. I had been staring at Kyle the whole night. I had just shared an intimate dinner with the sexiest man in the country. And boy did this man know how to polish himself up off the field.
He was in a steel gray suit and a black tie. His clothes were tailor-made and clung to his body, revealing all the toned muscles underneath. His hands were large, which I noticed again as he adjusted his tie. His face was rugged and clean. His eyes were a brilliant green. His lips were now stained slightly from the wine he had been drinking by himself the whole night. Whatever cologne he had picked for the night still remained. When we got into the elevator quietly, it filled with the musky masculine scent of him and I almost felt dizzy.
“That went smoothly,” he said after he pressed the button for the penthouse.
“Enough photographs to keep the media happy,” I said, recalling the flash of cameras that had blinded me for a few seconds as we left the restaurant earlier.
We were silent for the rest of the elevator ride till the metallic doors opened inside his
apartment. We both stepped towards it together. We bumped into each other, and, as my foot slipped, he caught me by my waist. My body swung but he held me safe, and my hands automatically flew to his arms for support.
“That was silly of us,” I said, but my attention wavered. He was looking at me, our faces were only a few inches apart. I could see what he was thinking, and I was thinking the same thing.
“Kyle.” I said his name softly. We were still in the elevator and the doors were closing. But neither of us had made a move to get out. It was like we were frozen at the spot.
“Erica.” He said my name and that was enough. Just to hear my name escape his lips was enough. And he saw it in my eyes.
His mouth was on my neck and he pulled me close to him. His teeth dragged across my skin and I flung my head back. I could feel the wetness of his tongue on my flesh as he trailed down the length of my neck to the top of my cleavage. My nails dug into his arm.
He was holding me at my waist still as I arched myself backward. The elevator was going down again, but I had forgotten about the motion.
His tongue had reached the crevice of my breasts, held tightly together by the neck of my dress. His tongue flicked between them and I bit down on my lip.
I heard the doors of the elevator slide open and Kyle pulled me closer to him. With my head bent backward, I opened my eyes and caught sight of the lobby. There were three people standing on the other side, watching us. Shocked and silent. Kyle’s face remained on my breasts. He hadn’t even looked up at them.
My head swimming with my irresistible desire for him, I closed my eyes again. He must have pressed the button for his penthouse again because the doors slid shut and the elevator started moving up. Nobody had made a move to enter the elevator.
I could feel Kyle’s fingers sliding the zip at the back of my dress down. My shoulders were bare already, and the chiffon material of the dress slid down smoothly. I hadn’t been wearing a bra, and my breasts were revealed. Kyle grabbed them with his hands.
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