by Sadie Grey
It felt good. It made me feel special. I knew it was shallow and silly to find this attractive, but I couldn’t help wanting to be with Travis even more. It’d be nice to be treated like a princess for a change, at least every once in a while.
“Right this way, madam,” the host said, bowing his head deeply. Then he led the way through the restaurant until I saw Travis tucked away in a secluded booth.
His eyes lit up when he saw me. A warm tingling spread through me at the sight of him, especially because of how excited he looked to see me. I couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at me that way.
He rose to greet me.
“Ashley, wow,” he said. “You look stunning.”
I felt the heat rising in my cheeks and I looked down demurely. “Thank you, Travis.”
He was pretty stunning himself in his dark gray suit. It fit him perfectly, accentuating the long lines of his body. I had to resist the physical urge to run my hands over his chest, just to feel if he was real.
He took my hand in his and guided me to my seat. My stomach clenched deliciously at the warm feeling of his hand on mine. I felt like such an idiot getting this excited over the slightest touch, but it’s the way he made me feel. Excited.
I sank down into the luxurious leather of the booth, and Travis sat across from me. His eyes never left my face. He seemed to be trying to take me all in, like he was trying to trace every line of my face with his eyes. I felt like I was the only woman in the world. For once, I felt beautiful.
“Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said. “I needed someone to talk to.”
I took a sip of wine that had been waiting for me. “It seems like you’ve had plenty of women to talk to these days.”
He smiled sadly. “Not as many as you’d think.”
“Come on, ladies’ man. I’m sure any of those girls would be thrilled to hear about your life.”
“Oh, I’m sure they would. Too bad they wouldn’t actually care what I say.”
“If you don’t like these girls, then why go out with them?”
He shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
“You said you wanted to talk. So talk.”
He swirled his wine and looked down at it. “I forgot to fall in love,” he said.
His eyes were brooding and far away, like maybe he was staring into the past.
“I don’t understand,” I said when it became clear he wasn’t going to continue.
“Did I ever tell you about my grandfather?” he asked.
I shook my head, not knowing where he was going with this.
“My grandfather started the company, and his one wish was that it stay in the family. When he died, he left the entire company to me on one condition. That I have an heir by the time I turn thirty.”
“But your thirtieth birthday is in a month,” I said.
“Exactly. I’ve known about this condition since I was eighteen, but back then, thirty felt like a lifetime away. I figured by then, I’d have fallen in love and started a family. Love was just something I’d find eventually. So instead of worrying about falling in love, I focused on building up the family business into what it is today. Now I’m about to lose it all because I forgot to fall in love.”
“So does this have something to do with the letter?”
“The letter was a reminder from my attorney that the clock is ticking. I’d totally forgotten about it until I saw that letter.”
“So that’s why you’ve been date crazy.”
He nodded and smiled a little. “It’s definitely driving me crazy. I can’t stand any of these women. Maybe there’s something wrong with me.”
“I suppose you have some pretty high standards when trying to find the future mother of your child. I think you have the right to be choosy.”
“I have the right, not the time.”
“What happens if you don’t meet the deadline?”
He sighed. “I lose it all. The company goes to a cousin. Everything I’ve worked for. Everything I built. All gone.”
“Well what are you doing here with me? You should be out there looking for a baby maker.”
He looked hard into my eyes. “That’s actually the reason I asked you to come out tonight. I didn’t have a date that canceled. I just wasn’t sure if you’d agree to come out with me if I told you the truth.”
“And what is the truth, Travis?”
“I want it to be you. I want you to have my baby.”
***
My head was spinning. Did he really just ask me that?
He looked at me with an eager expression. I opened my mouth to respond and then closed it, not knowing what to say. I took a long drink of wine instead, draining my glass.
I motioned to the waiter and pointed at my empty glass. “More please.”
“Look, I know it’s a lot to ask,” Travis said.
“A lot to ask?” I hissed. “A lot to ask is helping you move. A lot to ask is to work late on a Saturday. This is a hell of a lot more than ‘a lot to ask.’”
“Okay, yes, but hear me out.”
Just then the waiter appeared with the wine. He moved to pour it and I snatched the bottle from his hands.
“Just leave it,” I said and poured my own glass.
It wasn’t my classiest moment, but manners had flown out the window once Travis asked me what he asked me.
I drank down my wine aggressively, as if the answer to his question lay hidden at the bottom of my glass. Unfortunately, it was not.
“So I know it’s crazy,” he finally said. “But let me lay it out for you before you say no.”
I nodded.
“Alright, so all I want is to get you pregnant and so you can bear my child.”
“Oh, that’s all—”
He raised his palms to cut me off. “In exchange, I give you twenty million dollars, you come live with me, and we raise our child together.”
I’d fantasized about Travis and me getting together many times in the past. I figured he’d finally see me for who I was and we’d run away together to an island paradise, hand in hand, our two hearts beating as one.
Yes, it was cheesy, but it was a fantasy, okay?
I’d never imagined we could end up together like this. I hated that it was a business arrangement. I was in love with him, and I wanted him to be in love with me, too. I didn’t want some kind of formal agreement between us.
“Look, Travis, I care about you,” I started.
“I care about you, too.”
“Do you though?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean, why me? You’ve been out with a million women. Why choose me?”
“I trust you,” he said.
“Is that it?”
“Well, no. I like being around you. You’re smart and funny.” He reached over and grasped my hand. “And you’re sexy as hell.”
The words sang in my ears. It felt like I’d waited my whole life to hear those words come out of his mouth. Too bad I couldn’t believe him. No matter how much I wanted to.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” I said.
“I’m not.”
“So now I’m sexy? Now that you need me for the deal.”
“You’ve always been very attractive, but I thought it would be inappropriate to hit on my assistant. Besides, it’s not like you ever showed any interest.”
He was right. I’d gone out of my way to appear disinterested. Maybe that had come back to bite me in the ass.
“This is a big decision,” I said.
“You don’t have to answer now. How about we just enjoy the evening together, and you can give me your answer when you’re ready.”
“So what happens if I do this? Are we getting married or what?”
“Come on, try not to think about it,” he urged.
“Well it’s not like I can just switch back to talking about the weather.” I took another sip of my wine.
“I suppose you’re right. And I don�
��t know about marriage. It’s possible. Is that something you want?”
“I mean, I have to know what I’m getting in to. I want to know if this could be something more than just a business arrangement.”
“Oh, believe me, this is more than just business. If I wanted this to be purely about business, I would have asked one of those other women to do this for me. But I want someone close to me. Someone I care about. Someone that excites me.”
“I want that, too.”
“Tell me you’ll think about it,” he said, looking me in the eyes.
“I will. I promise.”
“Good, now let’s get some food and talk about more pleasant matters.”
***
I ate the best meal of my life. I drank the best wine I’d ever tasted. I enjoyed a meal with my favorite man in the world. It should have been the best night of my life, but the whole thing was clouded with Travis’s proposal.
In a way, he’d offered me everything I could have dreamed of. Money, stability, a family of sorts. But would it all be for nothing if I didn’t get him along with the rest of it?
Travis was talking about something at the office when he noticed my silence. “It’s still bothering you, isn’t it?” he asked.
I shrugged. He got up from his side of the booth and sat down next to me. Just having him so close to me sent my heart racing. I could feel the warmth radiating off his body. My own body warmed up in response.
He lifted my chin with his fingertips so that I met his gaze. “I’m sorry I laid my burden on you. I knew I would ruin what we had if I asked you. Please, forget I ever said anything.”
I nodded and leaned my head against his shoulder. He dropped his hand over mine and squeezed reassuringly. I gripped him back, feeling secure that things between us might be okay again eventually.
Even though the insane proposal was off the table, I couldn’t stop thinking about the other things he’d said to me.
“Did you really mean all that stuff you said about me?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” he said. His thumb began to trace small circles on my leg. “You’re really something special. It’s something that became even clearer to me after meeting so many other women. Not one of them could hold a candle to you.”
He continued to caress me lazily. His touch was starting to have an effect. Liquid heat rushed between my legs, and I nestled more firmly against his side.
“That’s sweet,” I said.
“My one regret is not making my move earlier, back before I was trying to figure out this inheritance situation. Maybe then something could have developed naturally and I wouldn’t have sprung this offer on you and made things weird between us. I guess it’s too late for second chances.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said, looking up at him. “I might still be persuaded.”
He looked down into my eyes. His hand detached from mine and he ran his fingertips lightly across my thigh. I wondered if he could see the desire aching in my eyes or feel the trembling in my limbs because he began to work his hand higher up my leg.
We didn’t break eye contact, even as his hand disappeared up my dress and my hips started to squirm. His finger brushed against my panties, and I let out a low moan. I was slick with desire and desperate for his touch. My legs widened, giving him better access to me if he wanted it.
He stroked me lightly through the thin fabric, still staring at my face. The bold lust in his eyes made me quiver with excitement. Travis certainly wasn’t shy.
“What if someone sees us?” I asked.
He grinned. “I guess you’re going to have to act natural.”
It was difficult to follow his advice when he circled my hard clit with his finger. I clenched my jaw tightly to hold back the moan that wanted to burst forth from me.
My hand flew to grip his wrist. “You have to stop,” I said breathlessly. “I’m about to cause a scene.”
His fingers slid my panties to the side and he stroked a finger up inside me. I leaned my head back and hissed at the sensation.
“The risk of getting caught is part of the fun,” he said, still teasing my silky folds.
I was thankful we had a booth in the back and that very few people could see us. Otherwise, I was sure someone would have already noticed that Travis had his hand up my skirt and was teasing my dripping pussy.
“You’re gonna make me come if you don’t stop,” I panted.
“Come then,” he whispered and worked his finger faster between my swollen lips.
I could feel it building inside me. Each stroke of his finger pushed me closer to the edge. I gyrated my hips into his hand in rhythm with his caresses. I was getting ready to explode.
Just then, I noticed the waiter approaching. I quickly adjusted the table cloth to cover Travis’s teasing hand, and I did my best to pretend I wasn’t about to come my brains out.
“Can I get you anything else?” the waiter asked smoothly. He didn’t seem to notice a thing.
“I think I’m all set,” Travis said, before turning to me. “What about you, Ashley? Would you like anything else?”
The waiter turned to look at me expectantly. The grin on Travis’s face proved that he knew exactly what he was doing to me, making me the center of attention like this.
I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my voice steady when I spoke. “Just the check please,” I managed barely. As soon as I’d opened my mouth, Travis has begun stroking my clit furiously.
“Very good,” the waiter said and turned away.
As soon as he was out of sight, I buried my face in Travis’s arm and tried to smother my moans. “You bastard,” I groaned breathlessly.
Any other statements were cut off when he hit just the right spot and pleasure crashed over me like a tidal wave. My whole body tightened up and shook with the sensations pulsing through me.
It seemed even more intense because I was trying to subdue the sounds of my orgasm. The arm of Travis’s suit jacket managed to smother most of it, but I was pretty sure some of the couples around us heard my little performance.
I didn’t even care any more. The only thing I cared about was how good Travis had just made me feel. I was still trying to catch my breath when the waiter returned with the check. He didn’t seem to notice my flushed face and heaving breasts, for which I was grateful.
When he left, Travis turned to me. “So what now?”
I lifted his hand from between my legs and sucked on his glistening fingers. He grunted at the sight of it.
“Now you keep trying to convince me to have your baby.”
***
We took a cab back to his place. He lived in the penthouse apartment of a tall, modern building. We got as far as the elevator before we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.
He pushed me up against the elevator wall and kissed me. The feeling of his body pressed against mine was as good as the feeling of his lips. I ran my hands up his chest, feeling the hard lines of him until I found his face.
My fingers caressed that beautiful face that I’d watched for a year, always wondering what it would be like to kiss him. It was something I knew would never happen, and yet, here I was. I still couldn’t believe it was real.
His hands skimmed over my breasts, sending shivers through my body. I managed to untie his tie and unfasten the buttons on his shirt, revealing the tight ridges of his strong chest. I could see those muscles ripple as his body moved against mine.
His hips pushed into me, and I felt the hard length of him pressing into my hip. He felt really big, like “I can’t believe that thing could fit inside me” big. I hadn’t been with a lot of men, and I’d never gone all the way with any of them, but I knew Travis was more gifted than most men.
I just hoped he knew how to use it.
I ran my palm over his thick shaft. I could feel it throbbing, filling with blood with every pounding beat of his heart. I stroked him lightly and he grunted with pleasure.
The elevator doors pinged open and
we spilled out directly into his penthouse. He peeled his jacket and shirt off, flinging them to the floor. Then his pants slid off as well. He stood like a Greek god in front of me, strong and powerful.
I barely had time to admire him before he came at me again, kissing me hard and long. Although the kiss wasn’t the only thing hard and long. I slid my hand into his boxers and gripped his stiff cock.
