He’d seemed right at home at the Underground. And the night at the prom… There was little doubt in my mind he had spent the years before me, and the years after me, doing all those things with any number of other women. It was part of who he was, the way he liked his sex… Just because he liked it with me, didn’t mean he wanted any kind of permanent ties… any kind of future together…
I rolled the last little box in my hands, worrying it with my fingers. I tore off the foil paper that covered it and felt the soft touch of black velvet.
Fuck the nerves, I thought sternly. For the first time in forever, everything is good. Violet’s happy… I’m happy. One more night isn’t going to change anything…
I held my breath and opened the box. A pair of gold bracelets lay nestled in the dark velvet folds. Each one was heavily chased and studded with a row of brilliant diamonds.
“One for each wrist,” Will said from behind me. I hadn’t even hear him open the door. He stepped inside and took the box from my shaking hands. “I told you to wear everything, Angel,” he said, picking up a bracelet and clasping it around my wrist. I stood, speechless, and he smiled easily and lifted my other arm. “One for each,” he said, sin glistening in his dark eyes. “And for later on…”
He took my hand and twirled me around so he could look at me. And I knew I was completely under his spell. He looked like he’d been born to wear a tux. His hair was trailing casually into his eyes and the crisp, white collar was open at the throat. The black fabric made him look even broader and taller, hugging him in places that already had my imagination working overtime. Whatever he intended for tonight would happen… It was inevitable…
He picked up the pink satin that had tied the packages together and slipped it around my waist. He turned me with his hands so he could tie a looping bow in the back. He kissed the tender flesh at the back of my neck, and I could feel the trailing ends of the ribbon on the back of my ankles…
23
Will
The ride over the dark water of Puget Sound, the lingering candlelit dinner for two… all of it was a kind of extended foreplay. I could see its effect in her eyes, every time the pearls in her panties shifted against her own sweet pearl…
I shifted closer to her and dipped my hand between her warm thighs.
“Can I have the waiter bring you something else?” I asked. “You’ve barely touched the lobster…” I glanced at her plate, at her full wine glass.
“You try eating food this rich, wearing panties as distracting as these…,” she shot back with a crooked smile.
I grinned back and discreetly slipped my fingers under her skirt… up the inside of one leg…
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not,” I said into her ear. “I can’t say I do my best work when I’m distracted… and lace isn’t exactly my style…” I felt a shiver run through her as my fingers worked their way toward skin. I could tell she was holding her breath…
“Would you like dessert?” I asked purposefully, shifting slightly until my hand was positioned squarely beneath her. My fingertips could make only the tiniest of movements against her already very slick entrance. I flicked her clit softly and heard her gasp with sweet need.
“The crème-brulee and two demitasse,” I said to the waiter when he appeared to sweep away our plates. “Or would you prefer the lemon mousse, darling?” I asked, smiling innocently and slipping one finger inside her.
“It’s good…,” she gasped quietly, caught entirely off guard. Angelina’s cheeks were blazing with color, and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. “I mean… That would be just fine… Thank you…”
The waiter nodded and disappeared without blinking an eye. I drew lazy circles…
“I’m not going to be able to swallow if you don’t stop that…,” she said.
“Hmmm… good to know….,” I answered wickedly, not letting up. “But one way or another, you’re going to have your dessert like a good girl.” I let my fingertip roam gently and felt her roll into me. “You need something inside you… to keep up your strength…
You’re going to need it… for later…”
The waiter reappeared and served quickly and efficiently. I picked up the tiny silver spoon and scooped up the golden brown cream. “
“Open your mouth for me,” I demanded.
“But I’m not going to be able to wait…,” she panted against my chest.
We’d barely made it out of the restaurant and into the street before she’d pulled me by the lapels and into a dark, narrow corridor. “I nearly came right there in front of everyone,” she panted, as I pulled her against me and pinned her to the brick wall. “I can’t breathe… I can barely walk…”
I buried my face in her neck as my cock raged furiously against her belly. But when she reached around and gripped my ass, I nearly lost all control. Everything inside me wanted to throw caution to the wind, to unzip, lift up her skirt and pound myself into her sweet pussy right there…
“My office is a few blocks from here,” I growled, reaching up under her dress. “We need privacy…” I felt her climax rising near the surface and my cock felt close to bursting.
“The club,” she gasped, working her hips, and raising one leg alongside my hip. “It’s closer… an upstairs room…”
And five minutes later, we were inside.
“Here for the party?” The towering doorman asked, as he closed the heavy doors behind us. “Full house tonight.”
“Upstairs,” I said, handing him a thick fold of bills. I kept a hand on Angelina’s waist. The contact between us was like touching a live wire…
“Right away, boss,” he answered, pocketing the cash. He spoke into a radio clipped to his shoulder and paused.
“Gold Room, all the way up and to the right. It’s ready and waiting.” He shot a fast, appreciative look at Angelina and glanced away, all business. He slipped a key in my hand. “Elevator across from the main hall.”
I took her hand, leading her through the pulsing energy of the enormous room. It was crowded, thick with people who were barely dressed… or not at all. And it was obviously Ladies Night. For lining the round walls of the hall, men were lined up, naked from the waist down and with black silk hoods over their heads. Every size and shape was represented, every cock, from the smallest to the largest, was hard and bobbing with anticipation. The women were free to make their selection and take their pleasure in any way they wanted, either privately or very publicly. I shot a look back at Angelina and smiled at the shock on her face. We slipped into the elevator and I unzipped her dress…
“What was happening out there?” she gasped.
“Ladies’ choice,” I answered, leaning in to breathe her scent. “I’ve heard they have gentlemen’s choice, too…” I untied the ribbon at her waist and slipped it through the gold bracelets on her wrists. Rewarded by the naked hunger in her eyes, I opened the door and closed it again behind us.
“But tonight is my choice, Angel. Only mine… and yours.” I peeled her gown off, leaving her in nothing but high heels and lace.
“And I have everything I want…
right here…”
24
Angelina
“I’m in love with you.”
The words lifted the thick, lush veil of my last intense climax and made me blink. I lifted my head with difficulty and stared at him, between my legs.
“I love this… too…,” I said, slowly, carefully.
He shifted his weight and rested his head against my belly. “No, sweetheart,” he said. “You heard me right the first time. I’m in love with you.”
His erection was pounding insistently against the side of my thigh. He’d taken me over the edge time after time, without any release of his own. “This is his cock talking,” something deep in my head whispered. Don’t pay attention… don’t let down your guard…
I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling the relentless need building again as he climbed my length and rested himself
between my legs. His cock throbbed against my soaking clit, but he didn’t enter me. He rocked instead, sliding up and down along the outside, enjoying his power to arouse me.
“This is me talking,” he said with a wry smile, “not this…” And he thrust in deep and hard. “I’ll tell you the same an hour from now… a week from now… years from now, Angel.” He began a deep, stroking rhythm that made the whole room spin. “I’ve felt this way forever, sweetheart… since the very first time.” He hilted himself and rolled his hips between mine. “You’re the only woman for me… and I’m the only man for you…
It’s in this,” he said, burying his face in my neck, tangling his fingers in the forgotten ribbon that still bound my wrists and giving a gentle tug, “that you accept that you belong to me… with me…
That you accept that this is your nature, as well as mine… heart to heart and flesh to flesh… Every time I come inside you,” he said, speeding up his rhythm to a frantic pace… “And you belong to me a little more…”
I could feel he was hovering on the edge, and I was already halfway gone. The rushing sound in my head filled my ears and drowned his voice. I felt a rush of liquid heat inside and was lost in the wave that followed. My body clenched and squeezed, draining his essence and giving sweet release in return. He thrust until we were slick with sweat and satisfaction. He rolled us until he was resting on his back and I was straddling him, his cock still as hard as when we’d begun.
I felt lightheaded, almost outside myself. He smiled up at me, caressing my breasts tenderly. There was something… something echoing in the back of my mind… something that slipped out of reach just as the thought came closer...
“I still love you,” he said, softly.
I forgot to pick up a pregnancy test, I thought suddenly. “I love…”
He cut me off with a kiss, sitting up and wrapping his arms around me. He untied the ribbon from my wrists and used it to tie my hair into a long ponytail. “You’re not ready yet,” he said, leaning back to admire his work. His eyes were bright… knowing…
“You trust me with your body,” he said easily. “I want you to learn to trust me with your heart.
He stroked my cheek, holding my face between his hands.
“Somebody got in late last night,” Mattie said brightly, pouring me a mug of coffee. “Rexie said you two barely made it upstairs.”
I took a long, scalding swallow and smiled faintly. “Somebody needs to keep his mouth shut,” I shot back. “How did Violet do with Donna yesterday? And what did she think about our new member of the family?” Miri lifted her head and perked her ears.
“Donna said Will couldn’t have chosen better,” she answered. Violet stood up from where the puppy was chewing her toy and stood next to me. I tucked an arm around her and she didn’t pull back.
“She said the interaction is already starting to help her… That she was more cooperative during her session, more willing to try new activities. I scheduled her again for Friday…”
“I’ll take her,” I said, easing my little girl up onto my lap. She settled in comfortably, silent as always, and started to work her little fingers along the edge of the table as if there were invisible keys to play… music only she could hear…
“You’ve done so much for her, for both of us…” I broke off, feeling a wave of emotion wash over me. “I want you to take a long weekend for yourself… maybe go see that mountain of a boyfriend of yours…”
“Not my boy friend,” she snapped back, amusement shining in her eyes. “He’s my boy toy. I make the rules and he begs me to let him follow them.” For the first time in my whole life, I thought I saw a hint of blush on her cheeks. “He did mention something about a concert tonight… But it’s not my kind of thing at all…”
“Go,” I said, without hesitation. “Just go and enjoy… try following his lead, for a change,” I said, my mind wandering. “You never know what you’ll like until you give it a chance…”
She stood up, cup in hand and bumped me gently with her hip as she walked by. “Sounds like advice from someone who knows,” she said teasingly, disappearing into the hall.
“No shit…,” I whispered under my breath.
Miri and my daughter had become inseparable.
Violet was settled in at the piano, the puppy was upside down by her feet, snoring softly. One big ear was flopped over the top of Miri’s head like a bad toupee. I checked on them from around the corner. Violet was all focus, in that distant way of hers, My heart did a little roll in my chest and I went to check on the bread in the oven. The day had turned blustery and chill. There was nothing I enjoyed more than the warm, yeasty smell of homemade bread… and nothing I needed more than a quiet opportunity to try to sort through the last few weeks of my life...
“Angel?”
He knocked at the door and my heart thumped harder.
“I was going through a few of the odds and ends from yesterday…”
So was I, I thought. That you love me… that I love you, too… that it terrifies me and excites me all at once and I have no idea what to do with all that…
“I was glad to have an excuse to see you…”
And I’ve spent half the morning trying to come up with a reason, too…
“I haven’t opened the boxes for our room,” he said quietly. “I want you to do that… to show me what you chose…” He took a step closer.
What did I buy…? What am I doing…? He took a step closer and my whole body responded…
But this had your name on it.” He held out a white paper bag with A. Hollister scrawled in pencil… Perkins Pharmacy, Spring Street stamped in black ink… “I thought it might be something urgent…?”
Fuck… oh… fuck…
The pregnancy test…
25
Will
“For Violet?” I asked.
“I’m sorry…,” she said, shaking her head as if she was trying to clear it somehow. “What about Vi?”
“I thought it might be a prescription she needed,” I said, smoothing her hair back over her shoulder. I let my hand stray down her back… “Kids and medicines… you know…”
“No,” she said shortly. “Nothing like that… Violet’s just fine.” She took the bag and tucked it into a kitchen drawer. “Just something it’s a good idea to keep on hand… that’s all.”
“Who is that playing?” I asked, lifting my head, cocking an ear toward the living room. I recognized the piece as Rachmaninoff, one I’d learned as a boy but never mastered. “Does Mattie play?”
I took her hand and drew her along with me, pulled by the familiar song played in such an unusual way. The interpretation was like nothing I’d ever heard before. Innocent, and haunting, too...
“Mattie’s spending the night in the city,” Angelina said. “That’s my daughter.” Pride and hesitancy mixed in her voice as she held onto my arm. “Whatever she hears, she can play. The music is her voice…,” she whispered.
I moved closer, watching her tiny fingers move over the keys. Violet had neither the strength nor the reach to play as she did. And yet the music flowed anyway, almost like magic. Beautiful, unique… expressive far beyond her tender years…
“It’s impossible…,” I breathed, taking a step closer. I felt Angel’s hand on my arm, tense and protective.
“It’s just natural to her,” she said, quietly. “And private, too. It’s like she’s in a world all her own.” Her grip on my arm made me turn to face her. “It’s the way she expresses her feelings, Will. It’s a gift, but she has therapy a few times a week… to try to encourage her to express herself in other ways, too.” I could see so much love and concern… and fear in her lovely face as she went on. “She lives in a world of her own… so much of her life in a place we can’t share…”
I took her face in my hands and kissed her. Slowly, patiently… with a tenderness that made my heart swell. The beautiful love of a mother…
“Sometimes we share more than we realize,” I
said against her lips. I tucked her behind me and knelt down next to Violet. “Can I sit beside you?” I asked her softly.
The girl’s hands stopped, hovering just above the keys and I felt Angel’s hand tighten in mine. Violet looked only at the keys and stayed where she was on the long bench.
“I learned this when I was about your age,” I said gently, using a single hand to play the simple tune. Violet sat, listening, but didn’t move.
“When I was a little older, I learned this part,” I said, reaching slowly up with the other hand to show her. I could feel Angel shift her weight behind me from one foot to the other. I knew I was pushing her patience, but Violet seemed calm, undisturbed. I eased myself onto the bench beside her, careful not to touch her. She didn’t move, didn’t react. From what I’d learned in my youth, dealing with an autistic schoolmate, I took it as a good sign…
I started the song again, this time playing it in all its complexity. It was beautiful, melodic. I couldn’t remember the name anymore… it had been too many years. But the feeling I did remember… and the emotion it evoked. When I was finally finished, and the vibration of the last notes disappeared, I sat without speaking, Violet’s hand still rested against the piano, waiting. And I began to play again.
I started from the beginning. Using only one hand, just as I had at first. It sounded too simple now, too empty after the richness of the whole piece. “What’s missing, Violet?” I asked her softly. “What does the song need?”
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