“I look forward to working with you, Ms. Ellis,” Nolan said triumphantly.
Andrew turned away from Madison and towards Nolan who had a smug look on his face. Madison arched her brow and tried her best to hide the shock at what Nolan had just said. He didn’t work at the Wall Street office. Mr. Turner oversaw that office and the Midtown office. It was one of the reasons they were looking for a managing supervisor so that Mr. Turner could spend less time there.
“Yes, now that I have Mr. Nash here,” Nolan continued as he tapped Kurtis’ shoulder, “Mr. Turner and I can split time at that office,” Nolan finished with a smile.
“Well, that’s wonderful,” Madison timidly stated.
Andrew closed his eyes. This was not want he wanted here. When his eyes opened, Madison was looking at him, pleading, for what he wasn’t sure. Everyone started clapping and many came over to offer their congratulations. Andrew motioned to her that he needed a cigarette and she nodded with sad eyes. He sighed and stepped out of the room and quickly made his way to the exit. He lit up the minute he was outside, giving the doorman a small head nod.
“Ever have one of those nights,” he blew out some smoke and looked down at the ground, frowning.
“Sir?” the doorman questioned.
Andrew shook his head and walked up the steps, looking around. “I don’t belong here,” he mumbled to no one.
After several cigarettes, he mustered up the courage to walk back inside. By the time Andrew made it back to the party, everyone had shifted to the Harbor Room, which was kitty corner to the Orchid Room. As Andrew stepped inside the room, it was filled with several new arrivals, many of which he recognized as having passed him outside. The room itself was just as elegant as the Orchid Room but with a nautical theme. The carpet was a light blue with some form of compass design throughout. The walls were adorned with several paintings of ships and there was a separate gold encased steamer on the wall. As Andrew approached it, he saw a plaque on the wall that told him the ship was called the Normandie, which had been mysteriously sabotaged while docked in New York during World War II.
“She’s way too good for you,” Kurtis hissed beside him.
“Don’t you have a date to entertain or is she already bored with you?” Andrew asked, still reading the information near the steamer.
“You’re just going to bring her down,” Kurtis continued nonchalantly.
Andrew glanced at him and gave him a menacing look that actually startled Kurtis. Kurtis stood straight and stepped back, just slightly. Andrew faced him, growing tired of Kurtis and his snarky remarks. Kurtis smiled and motioned with his head towards Madison and Andrew turned in that direction. Just as he did, he saw Nolan place his hand on Madison’s lower back, directing her to talk to another person who immediately shook her hand and began talking animatedly.
“Ya know, I can actually handle losing her to someone above me,” Kurtis smiled smugly at Andrew’s distraught expression, “but not to someone below me.”
Andrew turned to him and narrowed his eyes while Kurtis chuckled and took two drinks from the waiter coming by. He then handed one to Andrew and raised his glass.
“Looks like maybe we both lost,” Kurtis said calculating. He downed his drink and got a hard expression on his face. “You may look like you belong here right now but you and I both know that you are way out of your league.”
Andrew washed his hand over his face as Kurtis walked away and started immediately talking to several businessmen in suits. Andrew downed his drink and snatched another one from a waiter that came by. Andrew stayed in his spot, observing everyone. Kurtis was definitely right in the sense that Andrew was indeed out of his league. He knew nothing about finances or projections or any of the other business related conversations going on around him just as he knew nothing about the movies and plays and fashion that others were discussing. After an hour had gone by, he slipped out of the room and walked back to the Orchid room where he took his time to truly admire the drawings on the wall.
“Your drawings are so much better than this,” Madison said coming up behind him.
“Your biased,” he replied with a small smile.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I wanted to see these drawings again,” he lied.
“I’m sorry they have kept me away from you. This must be incredibly boring,” Madison said, resting her head on his back as her hands moved up and down his chest.
“It’s your night, babe,” he replied.
“God, I just want to go home and get you out of this tuxedo,” Madison mumbled against his back.
“Why do we need to wait?” Andrew asked gruffly.
Madison whimpered and shook her head. “Helios, you need to quit teasing me.”
“Who’s Helios?” he asked smoothly, turning around and swooping down to give her a searing kiss.
Madison melted against him, her resolve fading fast. He glanced around the room and pulled her into the corner. He quickly brought his mouth to her neck, kissing and nipping as he worked up to lick along the shell of her ear.
“Didn’t you say you would be my Bond girl if I got this tuxedo?” he whispered, rotating his hips against her. “I really don’t think James Bond would let a simple party interfere with him getting what he wanted.”
Andrew thrust his crotch against her and started gathering the hem of her skirt in his hands. Madison couldn’t talk as her body was overrunning her better judgment. She tried to think quickly as she knew she couldn’t have sex. Unfortunately, before she could think further Andrew had his hands underneath her skirt and had pushed her panties to the side. Madison let out a heavy moan as he began to touch her.
“Shhh,” he placed a soft kiss against her lips.
Andrew worked his fingers inside of her until she was a writhing and whimpering mess against the wall. Her eyes were shut tightly and when he knew she was close he squatted down, not wanting to mess up his tuxedo as they were returning it later in the week. Madison was too busy trying to get her bearings to notice what was happening. Her hands balled into little fists against the wall knowing she should stop him but unwilling to do so.
“Andrew, oh god, baby!” Madison muttered as her eyes shut even tighter.
Andrew was more than Madison could handle as her legs started to go out and her orgasm ripped through her. Her fists hit the wall and her head lulled to the side as she tried to calm her racing heart.
“Helios, my god,” Madison said breathlessly, “I can’t believe you just did that.”
He smiled and kissed her lightly, not wanting to mess up her lipstick. “I cannot wait to get you home,” he said as his forehead tapped hers.
“Me too, baby,” Madison cooed.
“Ms. Ellis, Mr. Turner wondered where you wandered off to,” Nolan said coolly.
Andrew and Madison froze. Madison felt her eyes watering as she shook her head, breathing hard. Andrew wasn’t sure how much Nolan had seen or what he would do with that knowledge but it was clear that Madison was about to panic. Andrew kissed Madison’s forehead tenderly and made her look at him.
“Everything is going to be okay. I’m sure he just walked in,” Andrew hoped. “Let’s just go out there, okay?” Andrew said calmly.
She nodded and took a deep breath, willing herself to walk passed Nolan with her head held high. Andrew wrapped his arm around her waist as they started for the exit. They didn’t say anything to Nolan as they passed him. But Andrew knew. He could tell by the look in Nolan’s eyes that he had seen something. He just wasn’t sure what exactly. Madison made her way back to Mr. Turner while Andrew lingered near the bar and out of the way. He breathed in deeply as Nolan walked towards him.
“Scotch, on the rocks,” Nolan said authoritatively and then glanced at Andrew. “I give you credit, Mr. Harrison, you got some brass balls on you.”
Andrew tried to maintain his composure as he glanced at him, narrowing his eyes and giving him a disinterested look. Nolan laughed and then got a
creepy smile on his face as he leaned closer to him, near his ear.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he grinned as Andrew’s lids closed. “I don’t even think I would have had the nerve to go down on her at a prestigious event like this. Nice, very nice,” he said, stepping back and licking his lips.
Andrew stared at him as he started walking away. His heart was beating fast with the knowledge that Nolan had probably been standing there a long time and had most likely seen everything that happened and he now would be working with Madison. Nolan stopped and turned back to look at Andrew again.
“Let me know when the next show is,” he said with a wink.
Nolan’s eyes were dark and Andrew couldn’t help but think that he was serious about that. Nolan then turned and walked away, joining Mr. Turner and Madison. Madison turned to Andrew and gave him a lost and desperate look. He smiled at her hoping to make her feel better. She would be devastated if she knew that Nolan had seen them. Madison smiled and her lower lip entered her mouth as she turned back around. Andrew brought his hand through his hair nervously, praying that he hadn’t done something to hurt her.
~*~
Madison held on to him tightly as their love making peaked. Andrew was making love to her with a forcefulness that she had yet to experience. They had arrived back from the Christmas party ninety minutes ago and he had been on her immediately. It was as if he was trying to prove something, even though, in Madison’s eyes, he owed her nothing. His love was all that was important to her yet she felt as if she let him down tonight. She shouldn’t have left him so much. She had seen Nolan talking to him and was sure Kurtis had said something as well, but Andrew wouldn’t tell her anything about it. Kurtis she understood, but she was truly perplexed by Nolan’s behavior. She barely knew him and had never thought twice about him in a romantic manner. Since Kurtis’ promotion reception at the bar, things had been haywire. Between Kurtis and now Nolan’s advances, she was seriously considering whether she should accept the promotion. Andrew let out several raspy breaths, drawing her attention back to the beautiful man above her. She could see his face strain while the beads of sweat across his furrowed brows multiplied.
“Madison,” he grunted.
He dropped down on her, breathing heavily, his heart racing, and body exhausted. He wrapped his entire body around hers. He began slowly peppering her neck and collarbone with light kisses as Madison’s hand entwined in his hair, which was soaked from exertion. He muttered over and over that he loved her and then she heard him take a deep breath, moments later she felt his heart beating a little slower while his breathing became sluggish, signaling that he had fallen asleep. She ran her hands along his shoulder blades, allowing her fingers to trace his prominent scars that could only be felt but not seen. She stopped when he twitched slightly and kissed the top of his head, which was now resting in the crook of her neck.
“You are enough for me. Why don’t you see that?” Madison’s heart swelled and her eyes stung as she fought back her tears.
11 Christmas in New York
“Helios, come on, let’s go!” Madison yelled from kitchen.
Andrew walked out from the bedroom, in only the sleep pants he had just slipped on. His head still hurt from the night before but he wasn’t sure if it was from the alcohol or everything that had transpired at the Christmas party that was making his head pound uncontrollably. Madison was already dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, her hair in a messy ponytail.
“Go where?” Andrew grumpily replied.
Madison walked over to him and handed him a cup of coffee. “Do you see those boxes?” she asked.
He glanced around and did indeed see a couple of boxes on the coffee table.
“This is our first Christmas together, the first of many and I want us to decorate. So go jump in the shower so we can go get our tree, 'cause, umm, baby, you can’t go outside smelling like sex, all the hoes in heat will come a running,” she wagged her brows, “and of course this ‘I had amazing sex all night’ look you got going on right now is a little too much for this girl to withstand.”
He let out a loud snort and grinned. “Shower with me.”
Madison smiled. “No way, Helios, we’ll never leave the apartment if I do, now go before I can’t say no to your sexy ass,” she said giggling as she pushed him back some.
He grabbed her hand and shoved it inside his pajama bottoms. “I wasn’t asking, Madison,” he replied darkly as Madison’s eyes fluttered closed.
His mouth found hers as he lifted her up. Her legs immediately wrapped around his waist as their kiss deepened. All pretenses were gone as she succumbed to him. He walked backwards down the hallway until he felt the bathroom door behind him. He kicked it open with a loud thump, never taking his mouth away from hers.
~*~
It had literally taken them all day to decorate the apartment as he had teased her the entire time about where things should go, purposefully putting things at awkward angles or out of place just so Madison would mumble and fix it, which usually lead to some sort of wrestling with each other that generally led to them making love. This occurred several times before the house was completed. It had been such a great day and she had felt the uneasiness from the night before slip away, and he was his old self again.
“It looks amazing, Helios.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin atop her head, staring at the tree. Up until he started living with his aunt and uncle, he had never had a tree or even done the whole Christmas thing. This was different. Being with Madison felt like home. It was easy in these moments to believe that everything was okay. He could forget about his addiction. He could forget about his insecurities and just bask in the love they felt for each other.
“Should we order in?” he asked softly.
“Yeah, I’d like that. I don’t feel like cooking.”
He pressed his lips to her hair and then brushed it gently to the side, letting his mouth linger against her neck. He felt her skin pebble as he breathed in deeply. Everything about her made him want her in every sense of the word. She squeezed his hands that were wrapped around her waist, comforted by his touch.
“I love you, Helios.”
He smiled against her skin before pecking her gently on her cheek. He then stepped back to get the phone and list of take-out establishments they enjoyed. They ordered Chinese food from the place down the street and waited patiently for it. It amazed her how content she felt, sitting on her couch with the lights twinkling on her tree, no, their tree. It was everything she imagined it to be. They had been sitting, holding each other for a good thirty minutes, not talking at all; simply watching the lights flicker on the tree, both entranced with the tranquility of the moment. It was a much-needed reprieve from the past month.
“I’ll get it,” he said as the buzzer rang.
Madison shifted on the coach to let him rise and then stood to walk over to the cabinet to gather dinnerware for their food. As he walked back carrying one large paper bag he carefully set the containers in the middle of the table while Madison placed large spoons in them. She then lit the candles on the either side of the food.
“Candles, huh?” he asked with a grin.
She shrugged. “It’s a nice touch, don’t ya think?”
“It is. So, now that we decorated, we need to buy some gifts for under it, don’t we?”
She laughed. “Well, my mom and I rarely exchange gifts, but I want to get something for my grans.”
He nodded. “I should get something for my aunt and uncle but you’re going to have to help me on that one.”
“We have to get some things for Callie and Jay before they come out in a few weeks.”
“What about you, Madison? What do you want?” He asked as he sat down, having dished his food out.
“I don’t know, Helios. I think I already have everything I could possibly want right now.”
He rolled his eyes and set his fork down. “How am I sup
posed to know what to get you if you don’t tell me? I’m not a mind reader ya know?”
She sighed as she looked back at the tree and their beautifully decorated living room. It was all so perfect. She was concerned though that if she told him she wanted something that he would feel bad if he couldn’t get it. That was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Madison?” he called out to her.
She turned back to him and smiled. “Helios, honestly, I don’t want anything. I just want us to share this time together. Maybe we can just go shopping for everyone else and then for us, we won’t do anything, okay? No gifts, just time spent together.”
His brows scrunched together. He had really wanted to buy her something. He had even looked at some nice jewelry at one of the stores he had passed a couple of nights ago. He wanted to provide her with the things that Kurtis could, or Mr. Crawford, but now she was saying she didn’t want to do anything.
“Helios!” Madison stated loudly.
He looked over at her and then picked up his fork again, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. “So, you don’t want to do anything?”
“Baby, it’s just that.” She paused and then got up, moving to the other side of the table. She took a seat beside him while he shifted in his chair to face her. She took his hands in hers. “Helios, all I want is you.”
“You have me already.”
She smiled. “I know and that’s what I want. You being here with me in New York is more than I could ever want.”
“It feels like I should do something. Aaron always buys something really nice for Olivia.”
“We’re not them, Helios. I may like to decorate, but we never really did the whole presents things. My mom and I are not close and… well, I don’t want you to feel that you need to buy me something when all I want is right here.” She squeezed his hands.
“What if I want to buy you something? What if I want to do something nice for you? Buy something special.”
Helios Exposed (The Helios Chronicles Book 2) Page 11
