Once he finished rinsing my hair, he picked up the bar of soap and lathered up his hands, then turned me around. He massaged the soap onto my back in circles, not neglecting a single inch. His hands worked their way down, until he was rubbing my ass, causing floods of pleasure to pour through me..
Then, his hands worked their way to my front, washing my stomach. He stayed behind me, pressing himself against me so that I could lean back on him. His hands caressed my breasts, lingering in that sensitive area for a few extra moments.
He was getting hard again and I could feel his erection pressing into my ass.
“Let me clean you,” I said, turning and holding out my hand for the soap. He gave it to me and I started working the soap over his amazing body, admiring his lean, fit figure as my fingers glided over his slippery skin. I worked down his chest, toward his more sensitive area. His cock was completely erect again and I had a feeling he was going to want more from me than just this wash.
I grabbed his cock firmly in my hand and squeezed it.
“You’re incredible,” he whispered.
He kissed my lips and then let his tongue run down along my neck, over my breasts, and he didn’t stop until his mouth was on my clit.
“I can’t decide which set of lips I like making out with more,” he said. “Up there or down here.”
Then he began making out with my pussy, sliding his tongue into it as if it was my mouth, sucking on my clit as if it was my tongue.
I came so hard I had to hold on to the shower head to keep my balance. The pleasure flowed through every atom of my body like a wildfire.
“I can’t stop fucking you,” he said.
He stood up and pulled me close, his mouth on mine, the taste of my pussy still on his lips.
He slid inside me and as his cock entered my pussy, his tongue entered my mouth. He kissed me tightly, passionately, and while we kissed, we both orgasmed again, his cum pouring into my pussy, hot and wet and sticky.
“Holy fuck,” I cried, exhausted from the pleasure he was giving me.
He was relentless. He couldn’t stop. It was like he was addicted to my body.
Eventually, we turned the water off. He handed me a towel to dry off with, and wrapped one around his waist. As I searched my bag for an outfit, he started pulling on a pair of shorts and a white button-up shirt.
“What do you want to do today?” he asked me.
As glad as I would have been to spend today like yesterday, in bed with him, I figured we should do something else.
“Hmm,” I pulled a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top from my bag. “Can we take a walk around the courtyard? I saw it from the balcony last night.”
I paused, grinning at the memory of being fucked on the ledge of the balcony, my head spinning, my breath caught in my lungs. I had never felt so vulnerable, so exposed, so completely his.
He nodded, also smiling to himself. “That sounds like a plan, beautiful.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
I quickly pulled on my clothes, then French-braided my hair. I pulled on my sandals, and followed Derek out the door.
We made our way downstairs and out the back, stopping at the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast.
It was already warm outside, even though it was still early morning. Derek took my hand, and pulled me into the garden maze.
Every flower I could imagine, some I’d never even seen or heard of, was planted in the courtyard—and these were just the ones in season. Shrubs that were taller than me lined the twisting and turning stone paths. Here and there were marble benches, statues of cherubs, or running fountains that spit water straight into the air. It was like something out of a fairytale.
“I know I’ve said it before,” I said, “this place is beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. I still can’t believe you got to grow up here.”
Derek squeezed my hand. “Right? To be honest, though, I didn’t spend much time here. Which didn’t exactly upset me.”
“No? Where were you?”
“At boarding school.”
“What? Gross.”
“Not really. I actually asked to go there. It was upstate, so I felt like I was far away. I wasn’t close to my dad when I was young, so I preferred feeling like I was on my own. Looking back, I was an ungrateful little asshole. But I’m pretty sure that’s most kids.”
“Huh. Yeah, I guess.” We turned a corner. “When I was younger, my sister and I shared a room with our mom. A one bedroom apartment. I hated it. I wanted my own space, just like you. But when I finally moved out, and got my own place, it seemed so… empty, I guess. Really lonely. So I got a dog, which helped. But it’s still weird to me to live alone, even after four years. I kinda miss the closeness of family.”
“Well, now you’re really making me feel spoiled.”
“Oh, no,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s not my intent. I mean, I don’t think that your experience is invalidated by mine. It’s all relative. And, in the end, it seems like it’s really the same. I mean, we both wanted space, we both got it, and yet we’re both lonely.”
Derek lifted an eyebrow at me, and I kicked myself for not thinking before talking again. I really had to break that habit. “You think I’m lonely, huh?”
“I, I mean,” I stuttered, turning my face to the ground so he couldn’t see me blushing. “Aren’t we all?” I tried to shake it off with a laugh, hoping he’d think it was just a joke. But he wasn’t letting me off the hook that easily.
“Me, lonely?” Derek thought about it. “I don’t know why I would be. I’m surrounded by hundreds of people every day at work, which is where I spend most of my time. If anything, my social needs are overfilled.”
“Sure,” I said. “But it’s a different sort of social need that’s being neglected. You could pass through the whole world, fill up your time trying to say a brief hello to every single person, but that won’t bring you any friends. We all need at least one or two people that are really close to us. You know, people who know us better than we know ourselves. That way, on the bad days, we’re not alone. Acquaintances will happily be there during times of celebration and success, but are suddenly nowhere to be found when we’ve hit rock bottom.”
“Sounds like you’ve been through something.”
I shrugged. “Not really. I took a moral philosophy class in high school, and we spent a full month talking about friendship. To be honest, it was pretty boring and repetitive. But some stuff made sense.”
“Well, you’re probably right. Loneliness. It’s the state of man. Doomed, our only destiny in life is to end up old, alone, and mindless. Sooner or later, you’ll be the only one left, whether it’s in your coffin, or while you’re still living.” Derek smiled, “I took a philosophy class too. I always thought pessimism was too sad, though.”
I nodded. “Impressive… and I agree. It all seemed so self-righteous and wrong. I never learned what I believed in, just what I didn’t.”
We arrived back at the door, and Derek held it open for me.
“I almost forgot to tell you,” he said, as we watched a few workers walk by carrying decorations. “We’re having a cocktail party here tonight with a few of our business partners. Has to do with IPO’s. I’d love it if you came along as my date.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“It’s not. Basically, wealthy people trying to figure out how to become even wealthier. Not my thing, but I’ll survive it if you are by my side.”
“Alright,” I said, shrugging. “I don’t see why not. What else would I do, anyway, hide up in your bedroom all night?”
Derek laughed. “No. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to do anything for me. This is completely up to you. Some people don’t like parties and crowds.”
“Do I get to talk in a fancy accent?” I smirked, and put on a ridiculous voice. “‘Excuse me, waiter! I’ll have your finest red wine. Yes. Now, as I was saying, Susan, profits this month have tripled!’”
“
As much as I would love to see that act,” Derek said, grinning. “It’s probably not the best idea.”
I pretended to pout. “Fine. If you don’t want me to have any fun, I won’t.”
Derek drew me closer to him, so he could whisper into my ear in a seductive, deep voice. “If you want to have a little fun before the party,” he said, “we can go back upstairs.”
I raced him there.
Chapter 12
Amy
I wasn’t sure what the typical outfit was for these sorts of things, but I finally settled on a black cocktail dress that my sister let me borrow. Unlike her, I’d never been much of a dress person, so whenever I needed something for a fancy occasion, she was my go-to stylist. It was an off-the-shoulder cut, and fell to about mid-thigh. It was tighter on me than on my sister, the fabric hugging me so that I felt practically naked. It was simple, but it would have to do.
I decided it was worth it to spend the hour curling my hair, and applied a little more make-up than usual. By the time I was ready, I was feeling somewhat bold and self-assured. Resting my hands on my hips, I checked myself out in the full length mirror, posing like my sister would. Not bad, Amy. Not bad at all. As a last touch, I strapped on some black high heels, and prayed I wouldn’t fall on my face.
Just in time, Derek came into the room. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his usually tousled hair styled neatly.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw me—actually stopped, and stared. My face reddened, I was sure, but I couldn’t help but feel desired. His eyes scanned my whole body, down and up, his eyebrows lifting.
“You look absolutely ravishing, Amelia,” he finally said, his eyes meeting mine. “I have half a mind to take that dress off of you and keep you to myself tonight.”
“As good as that sounds, I think they’d notice us missing.” I laughed. “And thank you.”
He held out his arm. “The guests have started arriving. Shall we make an appearance?”
I took his arm, feeling like royalty.
“Let’s.”
We made our way down to the ballroom. Attempting to fight away the nerves, I repeated a few things to myself—keep your back straight, chin up, and smile. I knew that I was about to enter a different world, one of business, money, influence and opulence and I had to make it seem as if I had a clue what I was doing.
The moment I saw the people that filled the room, any attempt not to panic was shattered. The room, which was sizable, was brimming with socialites in suits and gowns, drinking champagne, chatting, laughing. And Derek said that the guests were only just beginning to arrive.
Back straight. Chin up. Smile. I breathed. Derek squeezed my hand, which helped me to relax.
Everyone was dressed so finely, especially the women. Most of them wore detailed, luxurious dresses and sparkling jewels. Immediately I knew that I stuck out, and not in a good way.
“I’m a little underdressed,” I commented to Derek, trying not to sound worried.
He glanced at me. “What? No. Amy, you look gorgeous. You’re the most beautiful woman here.”
“Champagne?” A butler appeared before us with a tray of glasses. I gladly took one.
“There’s no need for you to be intimidated by them,” Derek said. “They like to act like they’re better than everyone else, but it’s just a thin cover-up for self-loathing. Trust me, I grew up around them.”
“You’re not one of them, though.”
He looked at me with a strange expression. “All of your assumptions about me regarding rich people have proven false so far, haven’t they?”
I nodded. “So far. But I’m always watching.”
“I guess I’ll have to be on my best behavior then.”
As we walked through the room, I heard snippets of conversations. I got distracted listening to them, trying to figure out exactly what the context could be.
“—and that man possessed the audacity to look at me—”
“—with the remaining funds, you’ll be able—”
“—that hair-shirted existence advocated by—”
“Derek! Derek, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
That voice—high, feminine, and marked by a heavy English accent, stole my attention. A pale, petite woman ran up to Derek and threw her arms around him before I knew what was happening.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here, Charlotte,” Derek said, smiling. “Charlotte, this is Amy. Amy, Charlotte.”
I looked between the two of them. Charlotte, around Derek’s age, was remarkably beautiful. She was willowy, graceful, with long, bright red hair that fell nearly to her thin waist. She had an elfish face, green oval eyes, freckles speckled over her upturned nose. She was dressed in a full-length, emerald gown, with a plunging neckline. She looked like she belonged on the red carpet.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, trying to fight the insecurities that threatened to break me.
Charlotte glanced at the hand I held out, and paused before she took it, resulting in a loose, awkward, handshake. I died a little on the inside. Derek didn’t seem to notice.
“Charlotte is one of my oldest friends,” he said to me. “Her family lived next door for twenty years and worked with the firm before they moved back to Britain.”
Charlotte nodded. The way she stood, the way she spoke, exuded maturity and grace. “I heard about the party here, and knew I had to come. Robert actually invited me, Robert Van Murrey. It’s so good to see all of you again. It’s been too long.”
“A year or two,” Derek said, nodding. “How’s work?”
“Quite good. Business is booming, as always. The people can’t get enough of my work.” Charlotte smiled, then turned her attention back to me. “So, Amy, what do you do?”
Again, I felt ridiculously out of place. “I’m a business student, I mean, I’m studying business at Columbia, at the moment.”
“Interesting,” Charlotte said. My face burned.
Derek stepped in, sensing my discomfort. “She’s top of her class, all honors. And she’s been a huge help at the firm. Giving us the younger point of view we were lacking, which is more important than you’d think. Our numbers have been way up.”
“Ah, so a coworker.”
“We’ve been dating for a year,” I said.
Charlotte’s smile grew. “Oh, Derek. I’m so happy for you!”
“I am pretty lucky.” He wrapped an arm around me. “I should probably make the rounds and find my father.”
“I’d love to get to know Amy better. Can I steal her for a few minutes?”
Derek looked at me, and I nodded hesitantly. “Sure. Don’t let anything happen to her, though,” Derek teased.
“Oh, she looks like she can handle herself.” Charlotte laid her hand on my upper arm, guiding me along with her, as Derek disappeared into the party.
When a server passed, I took another glass, glad that news of my ‘pregnancy’ wasn’t out, so I could drink. I needed it.
“So,” Charlotte said, walking beside me. “How did you and Derek meet, dear?”
“He, uh…” I scrambled to remember the story we’d come up with. “He was doing a presentation at the college, and afterwards, I went up to ask him a few questions. It was history from there.”
“Aww, that’s sweet. And now you’re working for him, he said?”
“Yep.”
“Derek always told me that he would never mix business with pleasure, but you break the rules for love. He was always remarkably adamant about it, too—‘Charlotte,’ he’d say to me, ‘Charlotte, you know how I feel. My father made the mistake of marrying not one, but two of his secretaries, and look how that turned out for him. He almost lost the company. That won’t happen to me. No work at home, no home at work. Two separate worlds.’ It was smart, I suppose.”
Her voice was sad. I studied her for a moment, starting to suspect that Charlotte and Derek had been more than just friends—or, at least, she had wanted them to be.
“We m
et before I started working there,” I said. “Maybe that’s why he decided he could bend the rules.”
“Maybe. How do you like working there?”
“I like it a lot. Did you ever work there?”
“Oh, my whole family has worked closely with Rittsman Enterprises. When I was seventeen, I interned there, for several years, until my family moved. Then, when I was twenty-five, I moved back, and worked there with Derek. I never really enjoyed the work, though. It was too dull.”
“Yeah, it’s not exactly exciting, but it pays the bills.”
She gave me a strange look. I kicked myself for bringing up money.
“So what do you do now?” I asked her, wanting to change the subject.
“Me? Oh, I thought you would have known. I’m a fashion designer. I’m Charlotte Ainsley. I just came out with my Emery line.” She studied the blank look on my face. “Surely you’ve heard of it. You live in the city, yes?”
Shit. “It… it sounds familiar.”
Charlotte looked me over. “Hmmm. There are a lot of designers in New York, it’s hard to keep us all straight. Who are you wearing now? I like it. It’s simple, clean.”
“Um… Target?”
She actually choked on her drink, and laughed. My face turned red, thinking she was laughing at me. But then she took me by the shoulder.
“Derek always had a thing for the funny ones. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous. You must feel really out of place.”
I was a little suspicious that she was mocking me, but her face only showed kindness.
“I’ve never been to an event like this,” I admitted, looking around. “Dating Derek has been… an experience.”
“I’m sure. He’s a wonderful person, but he can be a bit of a workaholic, you know? Of course you do. He always puts his job before anything else, even when he doesn’t want to. And most of the time, he doesn’t want to. I’ve always had a suspicion that he’s doing it for his father. He’s a good son.”
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