One Last Time

by Danes, Ellie

  She rolled her eyes and I stuck my tongue out at her.

  “So, you basically one-night-stand-ed him?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

  “I don’t know, I guess,” I replied. “I mean, you’re the one always telling me to go out and have some fun, take a chance, and so on. So, I did. Besides, the last thing I need right now is another relationship—especially with another workaholic—regardless of how much money he has. And besides, I’m leaving in a couple of months anyway.”

  Up until that very moment that Chloe had asked me about Declan and my feelings toward him, I honestly hadn’t really given it much thought. I really had gone into my night with him with a mindset that whatever we ended up doing would most likely end up being either a one-night thing, or some sort of not-so-serious fling. I mean, seriously, how interested in a third-grade elementary school teacher could a rich, gorgeous Adonis like Declan really be?

  The very last thing I needed right now was to get my heart involved in a silly little fling, right? Especially after the way things had gone down in my last serious relationship. Besides, I was a big girl. I could handle having a little bit of adult-oriented fun with no real strings attached and no lovey-dovey feelings involved.

  Wait, who I was actually trying to convince here? Myself, or Chloe?

  She had to finish getting ready for her date, so I wished her well before settling down in front of the television with a bag of pretzels and a big case of uncertainty.

  Chapter 7

  Declan

  “Again, I apologize for not being able to make the school event last weekend,” my prospective client, former pro football star Josh “Diesel” Davis said regretfully as he sat across from my desk.

  “No problem, Mr. Davis. I understand that sometimes things come up and we have no control over them,” I replied with a nod.

  “Yeah, but I know how much those little rug-rats were looking forward to finding out who the surprise guest speaker was,” he said, looking down at his hands. He had them folded in his lap.

  Josh was at least six-foot-three and at least 250 pounds. He had once been the star quarterback for the Buffalo Bisons, a professional football team. After a couple of years on the field, he had suffered a pretty serious injury and had to retire early. He was still active off the field, though, and his popularity in the media was holding strong.

  This guy could possibly turn out to be quite an asset for the company. That was, if he actually started showing up.

  * * * * *

  “So, what do you think about Josh?” my dad asked as he and I sat across from each other at Chez D’Italiano restaurant.

  It was my dad’s favorite place to eat—a five-star eatery that specialized in both French and Italian cuisine. He and I had been coming here since I was a young kid. He used to bring my mother here often, too, for their anniversaries and birthday dinners. I had also had a huge dinner party here back when I was in my early twenties.

  The food was incredible—even better than that of the Lovehouse in Central Park—and the atmosphere was even more relaxing and laidback. That was probably one of the main reasons why my dad preferred eating here when it came to family and/or business meeting matters.

  “Have you ever had the quiche here?” he asked as he looked over the menu. He picked up his bourbon on the rocks, took a sip, and then set it back down on the red wooden table.

  “Yes, and it’s delicious,” I replied, knowing full well that my dad already knew I’d had the quiche before. That was just his own unique and sometimes utterly annoying way of making idle conversation before he decided to clear his throat and get down to the bigger, more important things.

  “Hmm,” he said with a thoughtful look on his face as he turned the page of the menu.

  His forehead seemed to have a new wrinkle forming just above his thick, dark eyebrows. Even though he still looked pretty damned good for a man in his sixties, I could tell that age was finally starting to catch up to him. Personally, I was just hoping that he would end up stuffing his face and forgetting that we were here to talk about Josh Davis.

  “The chicken dishes are really good,” I pointed out casually as I scrolled through the Italian section of the elaborately detailed selections.

  “Yeah, I think I’m in the mood for some seafood, though,” he said with a sigh and turned the menu page, yet again.

  Just then, the waitress arrived and smiled down at us.

  “So, are you gentlemen ready to order?” she asked, pulling her pen and notepad out of the pocket of her fancy black apron.

  She was about five-foot-four with short dirty blond hair and brown, doe-like eyes. I couldn’t help but to think of how much her eyes reminded me of Emma’s. Without even realizing it, I caught myself smiling at her.

  “I’ll have the chicken manicotti,” I told her. “With extra sauce on the side, please.”

  “Very well, good choice, sir,” she said with a grin as she wrote my order down on her notepad. She turned her attention over to my father, who was still looking at his menu. “And for you, sir?”

  “Ummm, I think I’ll have the seafood spectacular,” he said, without even looking up.

  “Okay, sir, and would you like the dinner roll and salad as well?” she asked.

  “Absolutely,” he said, closing his menu as he spoke.

  “Thank you, gentlemen. I’ll take those menus out of your way,” she said before heading off.

  “So how did the meeting with that Josh kid go?” he asked me, taking another sip of his bourbon.

  “It went pretty well, I would say,” I replied.

  “Well, do we have an endorsement deal or not?” he asked sternly.

  “I’m still working on it,” I said.

  “Do you realize how important this guy could be for our company’s reputation?” my dad asked.

  “Yes, of course, I do,” I said, struggling to stifle my annoyance.

  “Then you need to lock this shit down—and fast, before another company picks him up!”

  * * * * *

  My meeting with my dad had me a little bit more stressed out than usual. The next day at the office, I found myself in a somewhat somber mood. The only person I wanted to see was Emma. She was definitely on my mind and I wanted to take her somewhere she’d never been before and show her some culture. First I had to track her down. I hoped it wouldn’t be too hard.

  “What are you up to, tiger?”

  I looked up from my desk to see Vivian standing in the doorway of my office. She had the box of bourbon in her arms again. I had almost forgotten that I’d told her we’d drink some of it today.

  “Just thinking about possibly getting away from the office for a while,” I said, stretching my arms out over my head.

  “Well, then, sounds like the perfect time for a drink,” she said with a seductive grin. She was dressed in one of her more provocative dresses. It was a light blue color and accentuated her cleavage.

  After noticing said cleavage, I looked away. I still wanted to find Emma.

  Vivian closed my office door behind her and sat down in the chair in front of my desk, crossing her long legs so that her upper thigh was exposed damned-near up to her ass cheek. She was prattled on about something or other as she filled two shot glasses, but I was busy daydreaming about the date I was planning for Emma.

  We toasted to ten years in the making and even better days ahead as we downed a few shots together. Honestly, my mind wasn’t really on anything else but Emma, but Vivian was pretty adamant about how hard she’d been working around the office.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said casually. “I’m starting to feel a bit overworked myself. I need some more romance in my life.”

  “I hear you loud and clear,” she said with a flirtatious giggle. “Here’s to more romance in our lives!”

  We clinked our shot glasses together and downed another drink.

  Chapter 8

  Emma

  “Whose number is this?” I asked alo
ud to no one in particular as I looked down at the number that had popped upon my phone.

  I wasn’t going to answer it but then something in me told me that I should. I didn’t usually answer unfamiliar numbers, but for some reason, I had a nagging urge to see who this was.

  “Hello?” I asked in a questioning tone.

  “Hello, gorgeous,” a deep, familiar voice said sweetly.

  “Declan?” I exclaimed, surprised.

  “I see you remember my voice,” he said with a light chuckle. “I’m glad I left at least some type of lasting impression.”

  “Wait, how did you get this number?” I asked him.

  “You’re not very hard to find. Hope you’re not hiding from anyone,” he said jokingly.

  “I’m serious, Declan. I mean, it’s really nice to hear from you, don’t get me wrong, but I’d honestly like to know how you got this number.”

  “Of course. I understand. You wouldn’t want it to get into the wrong hands, I’m sure. But, to be honest, I looked you up online,” he explained.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, your cell phone number is actually right on your social media profile. Check your FriendBook account and ask them to take it down. They often put your details up if you don’t specifically request otherwise.”

  “Oh,” I said, feeling slightly perplexed by the fact that I was not aware of that.

  “Anyway, I’m calling because I want to see you again.” His tone sounded sincere.

  “Oh…um, really?” Why was I questioning him? Had I honestly thought that he wasn’t ever going to want to see me again?

  “Does that sound so hard to believe?” he asked me in a soft tone of voice.

  “Well, no, I guess not,” I replied. What the hell was wrong with me?

  “So, text me your address and I’ll send a car for you around eight,” he said.

  “Tonight?” My voice rose higher with disbelief. This was so bizarre and out of nowhere. At the same time, my stomach was feeling loopy with excitement.

  “Yes, unless that’s a problem, of course,” he replied.

  “N-no, eight is fine,” I stammered.

  “Okay, great. I’ll see you later tonight then,” he said cheerily. “Oh, and make sure you wear something dressy. I’m going to take you somewhere nice.”

  “Where?” I asked, already sensing what his reply was going to be.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  * * * * *

  I couldn’t help but feel excited as I got ready for my next date with the handsome, stylish, and obviously financially well-off Declan Erikson. He was smooth, sexy, seductive, and chock full of surprises. I had no idea what to expect tonight. This time, I called Chloe over to help me get ready. She had done such a remarkable job of dolling me up the first time, after all.

  “Okay, so where are you guys going tonight?” was the first question out of her mouth when she arrived.

  “Well, see, that’s kind of the thing. I don’t know where he’s taking me,” I confessed with a shrug and a grin of pure cluelessness.

  “What? How the hell am I supposed to dress your ass up properly when I don’t even know where you guys are going?” she exclaimed, half-joking and half-serious.

  “Oh, come on,” I said. “You’re the expert, here. Just work your magic on me and quit asking questions!”

  Three cocktail dresses later, she had me looking—and feeling—like a million dollars all over again. Chloe was like the sister I never had.

  She had picked out a long, form-fitting scarlet-colored cocktail gown that dipped down into a V-shape in the front and had shiny little rhinestones along the cleavage line. The back of the dress hung down below my waist, revealing my entire back, giving it both a sexy but elegant look that made me feel like I had stepped right out the pages of a fashion magazine. She matched it up with a pair of strappy burgundy stiletto sandals that crisscrossed around my toes, and a silver necklace, earring, and bracelet set that completed my ensemble with flawless perfection.

  She also did my makeup—again—piling on the mascara and eye shadow and making my eyes pop in a way that I’d never seen them do before.

  “I’m gonna start charging your ass by the hour if you keep calling me over here to dress you up every time you go out with Mr. Fancy Schmancy Long Schlong!” she said with her hands on her hips.

  “And I will gladly pay you each and every time,” I replied, rolling my eyes teasingly.

  I turned back around to admire my appearance in the mirror, smiling proudly at my own reflection.

  Just then, I heard a horn give a quick beep beep outside my apartment.

  “Oh, my God, that must be him,” I said anxiously.

  “Well, come on, don’t keep the man waiting,” she said as she ushered me out toward the front door.

  I put a shawl around my shoulders in case it cooled off during the evening and picked my purse up as I headed toward the door.

  “Thanks again, Chloe!” I paused to turn around and embrace her. “I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

  “You would absolutely fucking die without me,” she said in a teasingly stern voice.

  I burst out laughing as I opened the door to leave.

  * * * * *

  As it turned out, Declan actually ended up taking me to the opera. Now that was something I hadn’t expected. In fact, it probably never would have even crossed my mind to go to the opera in a million years.

  The performance was absolutely mind-blowing, though. I found myself experiencing so many emotions all throughout the entire show. One minute I was laughing, the next I was crying, and a moment later, I was fervently standing up to applaud. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

  The opera was so much more than just people singing on a stage. There was a story—an emotionally-charged story—and it was like a play and a concert and even a movie all rolled up into one incredible performance.

  The show was about two star-crossed lovers whose families didn’t get along. They were seeing each other in secret and got married without each other’s families knowing. Then, one day the young man was sent off to fight in a battle. While in battle, he realized he was fighting the brother of his beloved wife. He couldn’t bring himself to kill his wife’s brother, so the brother killed him. As he was dying, he revealed who he really was and the brother began to weep. Then, the brother had to tell his sister that he’d killed her husband, she revealed that she was with child, and her family came together to help raise the child. When the child grew up, he brought the quarrelling families together.

  The performers captured every emotion in every scene and it really moved me. Every time I looked over at Declan, he would glance back at me with a proud grin on his gorgeous face. It was definitely a night I would never forget.

  * * * * *

  When we finally got back to Declan’s place, we were all over each other. We had barely made it through his front door before we started kissing, caressing, and grabbing at each other’s clothing. Sex with him was becoming like a fucking drug for me and it was like I couldn’t wait to get high.

  We kissed passionately, intertwining our tongues and biting each other’s lips as I frantically undid his suit jacket and practically ripped it from his shoulders. He unclipped the top of my dress and pulled it down to expose my breasts. Our mouths muffled our moans and heavy breathing as we hurriedly made our way over to his bed, stepping out of our shoes and tossing our garments off along the way.

  I sat down on his bed wearing nothing except my black lace boy-cut panties and pulled him over to me by his leather belt. He was already shirtless and I immediately looked up at him with a sexy smirk on my face. I tugged at his pants, undoing his belt buttons and zipper and sliding them down over his hips and ass. He had on a pair of dark silk boxers and I licked my lips as I pulled them down, freeing his erection.

  I took him into my mouth, slowly, while I looked up at his face. He sucked in a breath, closed his eyes, and threw his head back. Runni
ng my hand along his length, I twirled my tongue around the tip and he arched his back and let out a moan. It turned me on to no end to see him so hot with desire for me. I could already feel myself becoming wet between my thighs.

  My moans of passion were muffled by his girth as I bobbed my head back and forth, taking him deeper into my mouth each time, until I could feel him all the way in the back of my throat. He hissed with pleasure and grabbed my head, massaging my hair as I ran my lips up and down his shaft.

  “Oh, Emma, I want you so bad,” he groaned, pushing me down onto the bed. Reaching between us, he yanked my panties down over my legs and tossed them onto the floor.

  “God, Emma, you’re so fucking sexy,” he said in a gruff, seductive voice, and I felt sexy. I always felt so sexy, comfortable, and free when I was with him.

  And then, his face was between my thighs and his tongue was sending sensation after sensation shooting all throughout my body, causing me to moan and writhe with pleasure. I grabbed his head and thrust my hips upward, crying out in sheer delight as he continued to flick his tongue against my clit. His fingertips found my slit and he slid two inside me, applying just the right amount of pressure to send me into a frenzy.

  He knew just how to bring me right up to the brink of my climax, and then he would stop, leaving me hot, wet, and panting with overwhelming desire. He pushed my legs back until my knees were practically touching my ears, then he let out a deep, long moan as he slowly entered me. A cry of passion escaped my lips as he filled me with his length and I gasped as he began to thrust into me.

  “Oh, yes, Declan!” I breathed, between pants and moans of pleasure as he continued to move in and out of me, holding my legs back and speeding up his rhythm until he was thrusting into me so fast and so hard that both of my legs started shaking uncontrollably.

  I felt myself about to explode in climactic bliss and my entire body tensed up.

  “Oh, fuck, Declan, I’m about to…”

  He plunged into me deep and hard and I was unable to finish my statement as it sent me over the edge and my orgasm peaked. I let out a long, loud cry of ecstasy as my back arched and my hips bucked reflexively.