by Amy Brent
Damn it. I wanted to cancel them, but it was just a few hours. Lily was at my apartment, and nobody should know where that was unless Marilyn had gotten nosy while she’d worked with me.
The partners and I all agreed that we could eat again before we rested for dinner, so we hit a local pub. Everyone ordered beers, and I glanced around the table, waiting until everyone had finished their first one. They might be a little more relaxed that way. “I heard that Marilyn got around the week of the annual conference. I can’t remember who said it, but there might be some pictures or something. You guys weren’t stupid enough to do any of that, were you?” My voice was casual, with a hint of laughter in it, and Kevin glanced at me with a smile.
“Fuck, no. I might have done her one night, but there was no evidence of that. I was drunk, and shit happens,” he replied, and my stomach twisted. “You sure she didn’t get any of you, Landon? She was pretty happy the morning of the luncheon.”
“Nothing happened between us. She stopped by the cottage, but I wasn’t up for anything. Too much whiskey.” I was vague about it. She’d obviously said we’d been together, but I wasn’t going to play it up into something it wasn’t.
I pressed a little further and saw some of the pictures the guys had taken, taking special notice of their cottages. James had a couch similar to mine and he resembled me a bit, though he didn’t mention anything about Marilyn. I didn’t see everyone’s accommodations, so I didn’t know if everyone had the same furniture, but it was a start. I wanted to go home with something to tell Lily to calm her down. It was humorous that she was worried about the women I’d slept with during our break since they meant nothing to me.
I was more concerned about her relationship with Brian. They’d lived together and he’d wanted a future with her, so he was damn sure going to be pissed off right now. I didn’t even know the names of my hookups and hadn’t gotten their numbers. It was over the moment I left their places to go home, more miserable than when I walked through the door.
We headed back to the hotel to rest, and I went over what information I’d gained. I called Lily again, pleased to hear her voice on the other end. She sounded a little happier now and told me that Jasmine was going to come over and they would order some pizza and watch movies. Lily didn’t seem that eager to go out on the town, and I was glad. I relaxed on my bed and talked to her.
I got my orgasm, but only when she suggested it. I could tell she was a little horny and lonely herself, and she initiated the long session of aggressive phone sex. We both had stress to work out, and we did, coming for each other as she cried my name and I shot into the towel that was wrapped around my cock to catch the mess. I told her how much I loved her before we ended the call and I dropped off to sleep, feeling much better than the night before.
Earlier, I’d called the desk of my building to up the security a little bit, asking them to pay slightly more attention to who was coming in and out of the building.
I might have given a description of Marilyn and Brian as well. I claimed some clients were a little upset with me and you could never be too safe, right? That old gag.
I woke up in time to shower for dinner, and then I dressed up for the best steakhouse in the United States before I left with my friends. I reminded myself to bring Lily here for a weekend soon, to take her out to eat and show her the town.
It was a relaxing night of food and laughter. We drank beer and talked shop, as always, but then one of the partners announced that he was getting married in the upcoming year. The other guys scoffed at him in a good-natured way, pointing to me as an example of why not to get married. I laughed along with them, but it hit me that I would marry Lily. Nadine hadn’t tarnished any of that for me, because I was a different man with Lily. I was happy.
We talked about the destination wedding in Belize, a favorite place of his and his fiancée. It made me feel bittersweet, knowing how much had happened there that I looked back on with regret. The good news was that it wasn’t close to the former resort and I could find somewhere better to stay, proving to Lily that it was a beautiful, romantic place.
I looked at the faces of my friends at the table. I hadn’t revealed to anyone that I was dating Lily, wanting to give it a little time first. I was going to be officially divorced in three months, and they might give me shit for jumping into another relationship so soon. The general rule of thumb among my group was to fuck other women and maybe settle down in time, something I no longer agreed with. I’d tell them later since the spotlight was on Mitch tonight. He deserved to bask in his happiness, and I supported him with my words and my tone.
When I got back to the hotel later, I packed my clothes and left something out to wear to the airport. I wanted to be ready to go, as I was feeling anxious to see Lily again. It had felt like a long weekend with everything going on, and I wanted to hold her. I also made reservations for a great restaurant, where I planned to ask her to move in with me again. Hell, I’d propose if that was what she wanted from me.
I’d called her before leaving to go to dinner and told her that I loved her, so I fell right into bed to sleep. I rose early, grabbing a coffee on the way to the airport to quicken the process. I boarded on an earlier flight than the others since I had a lot to go home to. I settled into first class and accepted the offer of another cup of coffee from the flight attendant before I flipped through the morning paper. The sun was rising over the horizon as I looked out the window, hoping everything was going to be okay. It had to be.
The flight wasn’t long, and it seemed like I was getting my bag in a timely manner and catching a cab to my apartment. I made my way upstairs, nodding to the staff as I headed toward the elevator, punching the button firmly. I walked to my door and unlocked it gently, pushing it open as I looked around the living room. It was spotless, meaning Lily had cleaned up before she went to bed, even though I’d told her not to worry about that. I had a woman come over to clean every two weeks to catch what I missed, so it wasn’t a big deal. I set my bag down and grabbed some water before I made my way down the hallway and through the open door to see Lily sleeping on her side with the blankets half covering her naked body. She knew how I liked her, and I grinned as I stripped off my clothes and slipped underneath the blankets with her. I pulled her body to mine and kissed her hair as she told me hello.
“I missed you, baby.”
“I missed you,” she told me as I slid my hand up her body to cup her breast. Her nipple hardened as she whimpered, and I began to stroke her gently. I kissed her neck, sucking on her soft skin as she pressed against me.
“I don’t want you doubting us, Lily. I am going to get to the bottom of all of this shit,” I whispered as she nodded and slipped her hand over my cock. One thing led to another quickly, and I was happy that she at least let me come inside her again as she moved to her knees, begging me to take her. I drove myself inside her, crying out her name as she tightened around me. Fucking Lily was like nothing else I’d ever done; she was like no women I’d ever been with.
I gripped her hips as I moved harder. She came first, weeping my name before I jerked inside her and filled her, calling out her name. I dropped beside her, gasping for breath as she reached over me for a glass of water. Lily kissed me quickly before she curled up next to me, smiling into my eyes. “Have fun last night?” I asked her as she nestled against me.
“Yeah. We ate a ton of pizza and drank margaritas while we watched chick flicks. Thank you for having such a great kitchen, Landon.” She kissed me, and I slipped my hand into her hair.
“You know it can be yours as well,” I whispered. She pulled away, looking at me in the light from the window. “I mean that, Lily. I asked you before any of this was happening.”
“I know. I don’t think you’re asking because of that at all. I’m just scared . . . like we’re going to be caught or something. I mean, we’re not exactly spreading the news about us out there.” Lily looked at me, making me feel guilty for not telling my colleagues. Not t
hat she was an open person either, but I wondered of she’d feel better if I outed us.
“We don’t work together any longer, and after some time, it won’t matter that we ever did. I’ll tell everyone I know, Lily. I’m not scared of that. I was just letting some time pass so we knew where we were at.” I kissed her again as she wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled herself closer to me. “I love you.”
We made love a second time, slower and with a bit less urgency. Then Lily took a shower and dressed in some worn jeans with a thick sweater, slipping some boots on before we left to get some lunch. I held her hand as we left the building, leading her toward a deli I’d been craving all weekend as we laughed and talked.
We ordered and found a table in the back, where I asked for her phone. I watched her frown as she handed it to me. I pressed a few buttons until I was looking at the text. She’d kept it there, which didn’t surprise me since there was no reason to hide it. I jotted down the number it was sent from for future research and then handed it back to her as she licked her lips. “Do you recognize it?”
“No, I don’t. I have ways of finding out who it belongs to, though. I talked to some of the guys, and she was sleeping with several people that week. She could have taken a picture of any of them and sent it to you, maybe encouraged by him.” I looked at her as she nodded and took a small bite of her sandwich. I didn’t want to say names, as I wanted to keep the information between us. “They won’t get away with this.”
“I know,” she said with a weak smile. They hadn’t even done too much yet, but I could see the worry in her eyes.
Lily
Landon talked me into stopping by the apartment for some clothes so I could continue to stay at his place. We walked in, and he took a good look around as I grabbed a bag and threw some necessities into it. We hadn’t had the locks changed yet, and I just hoped Brian didn’t have a copy of the key. Landon was going to call the following day and explain the situation, getting the procedure moved up quickly. I sighed as I looked around the apartment that had once brought me so much happiness, angry that it was now tainted by my uncertainty. Maybe I should have moved when I’d broken up with Brian, but this was my home.
The guilt of my cheating hit me again as I was zipping the duffel bag closed. I wished I could go back and change the order of things, but that was impossible. Brian just needed to let go and forgive me. We hadn’t been happy, and likely weren’t going to be, and he would find someone who appreciated him the way he deserved. Landon told me it looked like everything had been left alone, and I smiled brightly and followed him out of the house. We went to his car that he’d gotten for this particular purpose and drove to his apartment, where I set my stuff on the bed and stepped out onto the balcony.
The air was cold, and I felt someone step behind me. “Want to get a tree and decorate it here? I saw you did some stuff at your place. It looked nice,” Landon said, and I smiled and nodded. It was still early afternoon, and we had plenty of time to do that and still be in bed early enough for work the next day.
He took me to a lot, which was just a few blocks from the house, to pick the tree. “Have you had a tree lately?” I asked as I looked around and considered each one.
“Not for years. Nadine preferred to travel during the holidays and didn’t see the point. I haven’t been in my new place that long. I think it will be fun, though,” Landon said as he eyed a tall tree with a smile. “You’ll have to sit on my lap and tell me what you want under the tree on Christmas morning.”
I giggled. “I haven’t done that in forever. My parents were so into the holidays and had a lot of traditions. Once I went to Amy’s, we tried to keep the important ones at first. It was hard to find a reason to celebrate anything.” I glanced at him. “I have some of my mom’s ornaments on the tree at my apartment. I could bring them to your house for yours.”
I watched him smile, suspecting he took that as a positive move toward his idea about my moving in. “That sounds great, Lily. I’m honored to be a part of your traditions this year.”
“I love sharing them with you,” I said as he walked toward me for a slow kiss. We made our way around the lot, picking out an eight-foot-tall Douglas Fir that Landon paid for and loaded onto the roof of his beautiful SUV. We drove it home, and it took the help of the doorman along with a guy behind the desk to get the massive tree up to the apartment. Landon told them to lean it against the wall, since we needed to go grab a few things to set it up and decorate, before tipping them generously for their assistance.
He took me to the nearest Target, and we got a tree stand that would keep it fresh along with some lights. He told me to pick out what I thought I’d need in addition to the ornaments I’d be bringing from my apartment, and he smiled as he watched me do so with delight. I hadn’t felt this way since I was a kid, and despite the circumstances surrounding us, I was happy. The cart was full by the time we left, both with things for the tree and apartment. I kissed Landon once we arrived at the car and loaded everything inside, and I was thrilled when he held me in his arms to continue the kiss.
We went home and made hot cocoa, turning on some holiday movies while we decorated. It was only the beginning of December, and we had plenty of time to prepare.
Thanksgiving had been quiet since Amy went to her boyfriend’s parents’ for a week with my blessing. I’d stayed with Landon and cooked a small meal for the two of us, talking to her several times throughout the day for advice.
Once the house was brightly lit with festive colors and multicolored lights, Landon kissed me with intent as I melted into his arms. “Have you ever made love by a Christmas tree?” His voice was soft as I shook my head slowly. “Neither have I.”
I felt overjoyed to be the first as we slipped down to the soft rug by the tree, bathed only in the colors of the lights he’d strung on it. I kissed him hard as we stripped each other down, moving my lips over his neck as he moaned my name. He settled on his back, giving me control as I slipped over him and cried out his name. It was moments like this, when I rode him hard and slow, feeling him fill me everywhere, that I knew in my heart we could work out.
We came together as he gripped my hips and stared into my eyes, making me feel like the only woman in the world.
We ordered in dinner, eating in robes on the couch before calling an early bedtime. We both had to be at work early the following morning and vowed to not let our relationship get in the way of our jobs since we now worked apart. I fell asleep snuggled in his arms, thinking to myself that living here didn’t sound too bad.
The next day I was off a little earlier than Landon, who was involved in a big case. I wanted the Christmas ornaments for his tree, so I made my way to my apartment quickly to bag them up. It was still light out, and I looked around as I approached my door, unlocking it before I slipped inside. I set my purse and keys down on the table by the door before I locked it, making my way to the living room.
My mouth dropped open when I saw the remains of some ornaments on my hardwood floor, broken beyond repair. I fell to my knees and sorted through the mess, crying when I realized they were the ornaments from my childhood. The glass ones were in pieces, and the others that I’d handmade as a child were ripped apart and scattered. I started to sob. I looked up at the tree and saw another one with my picture in it, still intact but destroyed by a marker.
It read: Whore.
I fell back on my ass as I tried to breathe and stay calm, taking a few moments before I managed to stand up. I didn’t think all the ornaments were ruined, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. The message was clear, and I grabbed my things before I closed and locked the door, making my way out of the building and into the street before leaning against the wall. I reached into my purse with shaking hands to call Landon, crying through my description of what had happened as he told me to catch a cab to his apartment. He would meet me there, and we’d get to the bottom of this.
I hailed a cab and slipped into the backseat, tell
ing the driver the address as I felt a sharp pain in my knees. I glanced down to see blood and gasped.
“Are you okay, miss?” the driver asked.
“Do you have any tissues?”
He reached into the glove compartment and handed me a small, sealed pack of the travel ones. “Thank you. I must have cut myself on something.”
I was in better shape once I got out and hurried up to Landon’s, making my way quickly to the bathroom to clean myself up with soap and water. I heard the door and him calling my name as I replied that I was in the bathroom. Landon came in, frowning when he saw me sitting down with my skirt pulled up as I tended to the wounds. “What the hell happened?”
“I cut myself on some of the glass, I suppose. I didn’t feel it until I was in the cab,” I replied as rage filled his eyes.
“Motherfucker. He’s a dead man,” Landon muttered as he knelt down to look at my cuts. “I am calling your landlord to find out why the fuck the locks weren’t changed. I am calling the police to get them to the apartment and make a report. I want to go find him myself and rip his head off, but that’s not going to help you at all.” I was relieved that he saw the truth in those words, and I smiled at him as he looked into my eyes. “Do you want to be here when the police get there, or do you want to talk to them?”
“I’ll go. They’ll need to know what I saw, right?” We bandaged my knees after putting some healing salve on them, at which point I changed into jeans and a sweater. Landon had already made the call, and he drove me to the apartment, leading me up to the door as he kept casting worried glances at me. Landon unlocked the door and turned on a light before I walked inside, taking a deep breath.
We walked around together, seeing a few broken picture frames before he walked over to look at the tree. Landon knelt to take in the broken ornaments, cursing when he saw the one that was written on as he turned to take me into his arms. “You’re not, Lily.”
