You and I Forever

by Melissa Toppen

  “Why not?” He laughs, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of us. “It's not like she doesn't already know what type of club it is. Besides, while I would love to devote every moment to you, there will be business to attend to while we are there. It might be nice for you to have someone there to keep you company.”

  “Can you do it?” I turn towards Andrea. “Are you able to go?”

  “Um, hell yes.” She squeals, pouncing on Bentley in the matter of seconds. She wraps her arms around his waist and jumps up and down at the same time. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” She chants, dropping her grip on him to turn towards me. “Oh my god girl. This is going to be so much fun.” She squeals, pulling me in for a hug. “Shit. I gotta go shopping.” She says, backing away.

  “You do not need to go shopping Andrea. We are only going to be there for three days.” I laugh, shaking my head at her.

  “And?” She questions like it's the most ridiculous thing I could have said. “I gotta go.” She lets out another little squeal. “Thank you so much for the invite. I will text you later.” She says, pulling me in for one more quick hug before practically skipping away from us, her dark hair swooshing back and forth as she does, making her look very child like.

  “Well she's easy to please.” Bentley shakes his head, turning his dimple filled smile on me.

  “You have no idea.” I laugh. “You just made her year.”

  “Well, good.” He says. “Now come on. We have an appointment to keep.” He says, taking my bag from me and slinging it over his shoulder before entwining his fingers with mine and leading me towards his car.

  ****

  “There's no rush.” Bentley approaches me from behind and sits a cup of coffee in front of me on the kitchen island of his hotel room. I have been staring at floor plans and layouts for most of the evening and honestly, at this point, I feel like I have gone cross eyed.

  Pushing the papers away, I rub my eyes and straighten my back, feeling like I have spent the day doing manual labor rather than looking at pictures and sketches. My whole body feels tight and I am completely exhausted.

  “I know.” I say, pushing my hair away from my face as I turn towards him. “I just hate leaving things unfinished.” I shrug, reaching out to run my hand along his chest.

  “Well I hate to tell you that you are just going to have to get over that.” He laughs, sliding his hand under my chin and lifting my face up towards him. “Just don't worry about it right now. We will look over it again in a couple of days when you've had a chance to think about it. Besides, our next meeting isn't for another couple of weeks so there's nothing we can do today anyways.” He drops his hand from my face and smiles sweetly at me.

  “I know.” I let out a long exhale. “Is it wrong of me to admit that thinking about it kind of freaks me out?” I give him an apologetic look.

  “Anna, we are building a house together. It's a big step.” He says, leaning forward to kiss my forehead before hitting me with a dazzling smile.

  “Then why do you seem so calm about the whole thing?” I pout, feeling like I am the only one making a big deal out of this.

  “I'm scared too.” He admits. “But at the end of the day, being with you is all I want. I know that while it's a big move in our relationship, it's also one that I want more than anything. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night and your face to be the first one that I see each morning.”

  “Now you're just making me look bad.” I whine, pouting my lip out.

  “I'd be disappointed if you didn't have reservations. It means that you are still you.” He laughs when I hit him with a confused expression.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted by his choice of words.

  “You are not the type of girl to bend to anyone's will. You are challenging and frustrating and that is one of the things I love so much about you. You wouldn't be you if you didn't at least fight me a little along the way.” He gives me a lopsided grin, causing just one dimple to pop against his handsome face.

  “Listen.” He continues, backing me against the kitchen island, the counter pushing into my lower back. “There is no rush here. No pressure. I want you to help me design the house because I want it to be ours. But at the end of the day, it's just a house. All I really care about is that you're with me. We could live in a cardboard box for all I care. I just want you by my side. Always.” He says, dropping his face.

  The moment his lips meet mine, I melt against him. No words can describe the way it feels to have a man like Bentley Reed say these things to me. And what's more, I know he means every word he says. I can tell by the way he looks at me, by the glimmer in his eyes and the heat in his touch. I know he wants this as badly as I do.

  “I love you Anna.” He breaks away from my mouth on a ragged breath and drops his forehead to mine. “It's me and you now.” He breathes.

  “Promise?” I can't help the question. I don't know why I need to hear him say it. It's like no matter how much I want this, I just can't let go of my reservations completely. I can feel them holding me back, binding me to my old life. A life where love like this was never a possibility. And then there's also the doubt. The little voice in the back of my head reminding me of all the bumps we have hit so far. Of the fact that just a couple of weeks ago, I was convinced that I had lost him forever.

  “I promise.” He says, his eyes burning deeply into mine. “I promise that I am never going to walk away from you again.” He adds on, clearly seeing that part of my hesitation stems from what happened in New York.

  “Anna. It's taken me a long time to get here but now that I finally am, I know what I want. I know what I need. You make me the man I have spent my entire life trying to find.” He reaches up, placing my face in both of his hands.

  “I know that things have been all over the place and stability has not been a strong suit in our relationship but that is exactly what I am attempting to give you. Stability. I want you to have everything you have ever wanted. I want you to wake up every morning happy, without an ounce of doubt or fear. I want you to know without a doubt that I am yours. I will always be yours Anna.” He says, dropping his hands from my face and taking a small step back.

  “This.” He says, reaching for my hand and placing it against his chest, just over his heart. I can feel it beating rapidly underneath my palm and it takes everything I have to meet Bentley's stare. “This belongs to you. I belong to you. I know that I can't erase every doubt you have in one night but I will spend every waking moment working towards that very goal. One day Anna Blake.” He smiles sweetly at me. “One day you are going to see yourself through my eyes. And when that day comes, you are going to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no man could ever possibly love a woman more than I love you.”

  I can feel the emotion welling behind my eyes, the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks, the tight knot that has formed at the base of my throat. I have no words. There is no way that I could form an appropriate response even if my heart wasn't hammering in my chest and my mind wasn't racing with his words replaying in my head.

  I know he means it. But more than that, I can feel that he means it. And as he takes my face again and lowers his mouth to mine, I know that my days of fighting this are now behind me. I love Bentley and I have chosen not to live without him, which leaves me with no choice but to trust in this, in him.

  “I love you.” I breathe against his mouth just as his tongue slides along my bottom lip. “I love you.” I repeat, tangling my hands in his hair and deepening the kiss.

  Bentley leans down slightly, without breaking away from my mouth, and snakes his arm around my waist, lifting me up onto the kitchen island. I hold onto him tightly, refusing to let his lips leave mine as he unbuttons and strips off his shirt and then immediately starts working on removing his pants.

  I break away from his lips briefly to peel my dress over my head and throw the material somewhere on the floor. S
upporting my weight on my hands, I lift up just enough that Bentley can work the fabric of my panties down, his hands spreading my legs open the moment they are off.

  Positioning himself between my legs, he wraps his hand around the back of my neck, holding my lips to his, while the other holds firmly against the small of my back as if anchoring himself to my body. His tongue works long sweeps inside of my mouth and I gasp slightly against it as he positions himself at my entrance and gently begins to push himself inside of me.

  He moves so slowly that by the time I feel the full weight of him I am immediately ready to split apart. Tangling my fingers even tighter in his hair, I hold onto him as tightly as I can as he begins to move in and out, his movements slow and controlled.

  I can feel the build almost immediately. The heat starting in my lower belly and slowly spreading through my entire body. I fight against it, not wanting to fall apart already. That's one thing I love about Bentley. With him, it's not so much about the release but more about the experience. The connection. The pleasure our two bodies give one another.

  My whole body feels alive, on fire. Every inch of my flesh burns against him, making me want more. I want him deeper, rougher, faster, but Bentley knows my body well and while I may be screaming for him to just pin me to the floor and fuck me as hard as he can, he knows that ultimately this is what I need. The slow build. The intensity behind his kiss. The feeling of his hands gripping me so tightly, as if I am the only thing holding him to the earth.

  And as the build becomes impossible to contain, I hold onto him with all that I have, knowing that I am only moments away from falling apart above him. He knows the moment it happens. I can tell by the way his breathing changes, the way his kiss becomes more intense, the way his body flexes against mine. And I know that when I break away from his lips on a cry of pleasure that I can't fight, it is the last straw for him as well.

  His body tightens all around me, his erection swelling inside of me as I tremble above him, my release sending quivers through my entire body. Pulling me from the counter, Bentley holds me up by my ass and enters me on two deep thrusts before I feel his knees shake below our weight. I hold onto him for dear life, wrapping my legs around his waist, loving the way it feels to have him spill himself inside of me. One more deep thrust and he stills against me, his body relaxing as his lips find mine once more.

  Chapter Three

  “She's hard to impress.” I mouth to Bentley who laughs lightly and then turns his eyes to Andrea. She is going through every inch of the private jet, asking about every little detail of the plane.

  “You mean to tell me with all the money your parents have that you have never been on a private jet before?” I ask teasingly.

  “Shoot girl, don't play.” She gives me playful attitude and swipes her hand through the air before collapsing down into the seat to my right. “They may be rich, but they aren't private jet rich.” She laughs, laying her head to the side to look at me.

  “And here I thought I was never going to find something you haven't done before.” I laugh.

  “Well you found it. You are officially popping my private jet cherry.” We both burst out laughing when Bentley clears his throat and shifts in his seat. “Oh don't act like you haven't taken a few cherries in your life time Mr. Reed.” She teases.

  “Who's idea was it to invite her again?” He gives me a lopsided smile and laughs lightly.

  “That would be yours.” I remind him, laughing when Andrea reaches out and smacks my forearm.

  “Hello? I'm sitting right here.” She laughs.

  Settling back into my seat and snapping my seat belt, I look to the side at my best friend and then directly in front of me to where Bentley is sitting. Realizing in this moment, just how lucky I am to have them both in my life.

  ****

  “Are you kidding me right now? This place is incredible.” Andrea gapes the moment we step inside of Bentley's Seattle club.

  She's right, of course. Not that I expected anything less from the man at my side. Perfection is his middle name, and he certainly lived up to that name when designing this place. While it is very similar to Allure and Sapphire, it also has a darker feel to it. No doubt meant to match the feel of the city it resides within.

  The entrance is dark, draped in deep purple fabric that really accents the dark lighting. Like the other clubs, the back wall is designed to display the name of the club portrayed in lighted cursive letters that have been inserted directly into the wall.

  The moment I register the name Logans, popping against the main wall, I take a shaking inhale and sway slightly in my spot. Bentley rests his hand against the small of my back and ignores my reaction as he stops to talk to Ethan. I nod in Ethan's direction when he catches my eye, surprised when he gives me a small smile before turning his attention back to Bentley.

  I'm not at all surprised to see him here. Bentley told me a few days ago that both Ethan and Shira would be here for opening night. Considering they are both going to be here for a while, it only makes sense.

  Andrea bounces impatiently at my side, clearly dying to get inside and see what all the hype is about. She, of course, has heard all about Bentley's clubs, and has been dying to get into Allure since the day I started working there.

  “Everything okay?” Bentley kisses my temple, making me realize that I lost myself in my own thoughts for a moment, staring at the back wall while my mind tries to process what it's seeing.

  “You named the club Logans?” I blurt, turning wide eyes on him.

  “I did.” He smiles, gesturing for me and Andrea to walk. “I thought it was fitting.” He keeps his hand firmly on the small of my back as he leads me down the hallway and into the main room of the club, Andrea squealing the moment it comes into view.

  “Holy shit.” She stops just feet inside the room and looks around, her mouth practically on the floor. “Holy shit.” She repeats, turning wide eyes on Bentley. “I mean, I knew you were rich and all but.... Wow.” She shakes her head slowly like she can't believe her eyes.

  “Feel free to look around.” He says, gesturing around us. “Members are not able to get in until seven so you have a little time before anyone arrives.” He says, laughing when she smiles widely and heads directly for the bar.

  “Logans... Really?” I turn towards him, finally having a chance to talk to him about it.

  “Don't you like it?” He cocks his head to the side.

  “Of course I do.” I shake my head at him. “But you could have given me a little advanced notice. You know, told me that you named your club after me.” I let out a shaky exhale as I look around. “It's amazing Bentley.” I tack on, letting my eyes travel the room.

  It's designed just like the other two clubs I have been to. And like the others, it has it's own signature qualities as well. I already know what this club has to offer that the others don't. For one, the amazing private rooms that have their own stages. And secondly, the colors. Each club has its own color. This one is purple. Allure is red and Sapphire is blue. I haven’t been to the others yet but if I had to guess, I would venture to say that they have their own color schemes as well.

  “Mr. Reed.” A man I don't recognize approaches us and extends his hand to Bentley.

  “Everything looks great Tom.” Bentley says, shaking the man's hand. He's middle-aged. I would guess him in his early forties. Dressed in a pressed black suit, his sandy hair is short and combed to the side. If I had to guess, I would say that he is one of the managers. Though Bentley does not confirm this fact for me.

  “I just have a couple of last minute things to run through with you if you have time.” Tom says, flicking his eyes to me for the briefest moment before giving his full attention back to Bentley.

  “Of course.” Bentley says, turning back to me. “I'll just be a minute. Show Andrea around and I will catch up with you in a few.” He says, kissing my forehead when I nod and throw him a small smile.

  I don't wait for him to say more, quic
kly turning and crossing the room to where Andrea is leaning against the bar, her killer ass on display in her tight black tube dress. I can't help but laugh at her as I slide up next to her at the bar.

  “Drink?” She asks, holding up her already half empty glass.

  “I'll have what she's having.” I say, when an attractive man in his early twenties approaches us. He gives me a sexy smile and then immediately turns away to retrieve my drink.

  “I can't believe you work at a place like this.” Andrea says, turning to face me. “I don't think I would have the balls to get up there.” She gestures to the stage.

  “It's actually a lot of fun.” I say, shrugging like it's no big deal.

  “Coming from the girl who would live on a stage if she could. For someone like me, I don't think so.” She laughs, shaking her head adamantly.

  “Come on. Let's go look around.” I say, nodding when the bartender sets my drink in front of me. Taking a quick sip, I am immediately relieved when I realize that it's nothing too strong. Just a standard Vodka with Cranberry Juice.

  Andrea is in complete amazement as I lead her through the establishment. I get the feeling, based on her reaction, that this is not what she envisioned when I talked about Allure. I think she was imagining a stereotypical strip club and not the luxurious interior that surrounds us.

  It's clear to see that Bentley spared no expense. Everything is perfect. From the colors, to the décor, and even to the dressing rooms. One of the dancers is nice enough to let us peek inside. And while she doesn't say anything, I get the impression, based on her eagerness, that she feels like I am somehow important.

  Andrea seems thoroughly impressed by the time we re-enter the main room of the club several minutes later. I spot Bentley standing at the bar talking to a gentleman I recognize immediately. Though I can't pin point his name, I know that I have seen him at Allure before.