Love in Transit

by Jana Aston

  On a breathless sigh, she opens to me. My tongue sweeps across her lips, then sneaks inside her warmth. I still. My first taste of her is divine, but I have to be gentle with her. When she collapsed in my arms outside the club, I vowed not to be like the men who used her to snuff out their lusts.

  “Seraphina,” I breathe, trailing my lips to the tender place behind her ear. “I’d move heaven and earth for you.” Go to hell and back.

  “You already have,” she whispers.

  Chapter 8

  Seraphina

  My mother and I stand on the sidewalk in front of our apartment building near the Queensboro bridge exit on East 62nd. Cars fly by and horns honk twenty-four hours a day, but we still have an Upper East Side address. This small fact gave my mother some pride to hang onto.

  “Seth will drive me out to see you in two weeks.” I give my mother one last hug. Tears trickle down her cheeks, and she tries to smile at me, but it’s no use.

  “I can’t believe my life has come to this.” She cups my face with her hands. “I’m so sorry, Seraphina.”

  “It’s going to be okay now.” I glance over at Seth, who’s standing near the rehab facility’s driver. Seth gives me a reassuring smile, and I share it with her. “Promise me you’ll take it one day at a time.”

  “I will,” she whispers through her tears.

  “The driver’s waiting. You better get going.” I lead her to the curb, and the driver opens the passenger door for her.

  “Thank you, Seth.” My mother reaches out with a shaky hand and touches his arm. “Take care of my daughter while I’m away.” She looks between Seth and I.

  “It will be my pleasure, Mrs. Bishop,” he replies. His loving eyes shine down on me, and my heart feels like it will burst from my chest. “I made Mr. Bishop a promise the day I met Seraphina, and that extends to you.”

  My mother slides into the car, and the driver shuts the door. I can’t see through the dark tinted windows, but I wave to her anyway while the car pulls away. Seth wraps his arm around me and pulls me into his side while I pray this is what my mom needs to start over.

  Before my father lost his fortune, we lived an orderly life filled with wealth and its gilded trappings. Then Bernard Madden, a neighbor who lived two doors down, dangled a golden carrot under my father’s nose.

  This so-called friend promised him exorbitant returns on an investment, and my father had no reason to doubt him. “Surely Bernard is a straight shooter,” he’d said. After all, they smoked cigars and drank bourbon together for fifteen years. It seemed like another way for the rich to get even richer. No harm, no foul.

  Little did my father know, Bernard was taking money from him to pay other investors. It was the classic rob Peter to pay Paul scheme. In the end, everyone Bernard duped was left penniless, and in my mother’s case, a widow addicted to prescription pills. Now, it’s her turn to find hope and leave the past behind.

  After my mother’s car disappears, Seth and I return to my apartment with its bare walls and secondhand furniture. No one from my previous life has been here, but he looks beyond the mess we’ve lived in, and it’s a relief.

  I find a duffle in the closet I share with my mother and throw some clothes and toiletries into the bag. Seth invited me to stay the weekend at his townhouse on the Upper West Side. He had inherited it from his grandmother when she passed away. He assured me I’d have a complete floor to myself, and I accepted because I don’t want to be alone tonight.

  After I’ve packed, we leave my apartment with him carrying my bag. This simple act of him taking care of me means everything. I lace my arm through his as we make our way to the elevator and then outside.

  “Do you mind if we take a cab to your house?” Seth’s driver witnessed my meltdown, and I’m not quite ready to face him again.

  “Whatever you want, Sera,” Seth says with a smile as he takes my hand. We move to the edge of the sidewalk, and he flags down a passing taxi.

  When we get in the cab, Seth pulls me near him. “You’re safe now,” he murmurs, his lips near my ear. I nod and smile, because it’s true.

  Completely exhausted from the day’s rollercoaster of emotions, I lean my head against his chest and listen to the steady beat of his heart while breathing in his scent. It’s divine and crisp, with a hint of some unknown spice, so unlike the smell of this gritty city.

  In this quiet moment, I realize the weight I’ve carried on my shoulders no longer presses me down. It’s gone. The constant worries of how my mother and I will survive aren’t flooding my mind either. They’ve vanished. I’m not the same person I was when I walked into The Exchange earlier today, and for that, I’m truly thankful.

  I glance up at Seth, only to see him looking down at me. I love his kind blue eyes and the gentleness in them. I could stare at them forever. Tilting his head down, he kisses me on my forehead, then draws me even closer into his side. He’s been quiet on the ride across town. I think he’s giving me time to process everything.

  The cab pulls toward the sidewalk and comes to a stop. “We’re here.” Seth reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet.

  “Let me pay,” I protest while digging in my backpack for a few bills.

  “I’ve got you,” he says, sliding his card through the reader. I smile, because it feels like he does. I’ve never felt like there were any strings attached to his goodness either. He gives everything unconditionally.

  “Thanks,” I say as we exit the taxi, but a mere thank you doesn’t seem like enough.

  He laces his fingers with mine and adjusts the duffle over his shoulders. The quiet street is lined with beautiful townhouses, each with its own distinct look, giving it a neighborhood feel.

  Seth leads me to a stately brick townhouse with a lion statue outside and presses numbers into a pad. With a click, the lock releases. Seth pushes against the door handle, and my mouth flies open in awe. The interior is modern and slick, not like our townhouse with its traditional and stuffy grandeur. Motioning me forward, he waits for me to enter.

  “Welcome to my home.”

  Chapter 9

  Seth

  “It’s beyond beautiful,” Seraphina says, glancing around the bedroom she’ll be sleeping in. I want to tell her it’s more beautiful with her here and the way she lights up the space, but I bite back the words, even though they’re the absolute truth.

  “Thanks. I’m pretty sure my grandmother wouldn’t approve of the nude painting over my bed.” I walk toward the en suite bathroom and open the door. “You’ll find everything you need. I keep it ready for guests.”

  “A walk-in shower,” she moans, throwing her head back and exposing her neck to me. How I want to kiss and taste every square inch of it. “I hope you have a large water heater. I may be in here for hours.”

  “Take your time.” I laugh. “My hot water is your hot water.”

  Reaching up on her tiptoes, she kisses me softly on the cheek. It’s chaste, maybe one she’d share with a friend or even a relative, but the innocent touch makes me want to do not so innocent things with her.

  After making sure she’s settled, I leave the room before I do or say something I’ll regret. I know she sees me as her friend, or maybe, with our age difference, I’m more like a big brother. The thought is sobering.

  Fuck. Who am I kidding? After she let me kiss her today in the park, I’ll never be able to get enough of her. But will she give me more? Is she even ready for a relationship after the hell she’s been through? I’ve watched her from afar for three years, what’s a little more time?

  That night on the beach, I fell for this beautiful girl as we watched fireworks light up the night sky. I stayed out by the water’s edge for over an hour in hopes the hot blonde with great tits would return. It wasn’t until the next morning I found out her true identity. I thought her name was Sara. Instead, she was Andrew Bishop’s daughter, Seraphina.

  In the dark, I could’ve sworn she was closer to twenty-five. My near empty flask of
scotch must’ve fucked with my eyesight.

  I wander downstairs with the hope of making her dinner. I thought about ordering in, but want to do something special for her. Hell, a ten-year-old can call for takeout in New York City. She’s worth humiliating myself in the kitchen.

  Digging through my pantry, I find a bag of spaghetti and a jar of sauce. I don’t remember buying it, so I check the expiration date. There’s still at least a year on each item, so I grab a pot and get busy. It’s a two-ingredient dinner with all the instructions, I figure I can pull it off.

  My attempt at dinner has been ready for almost an hour, and still, there’s no sign of Seraphina. I climb the stairs to the third floor and listen by her door. When I don’t hear anything, I pace in the hallway like an insecure schoolboy, wondering what I should do. I knock softly on the door and wait, but there’s no response.

  After knocking harder, and still not hearing a sound, I turn the knob and peek inside. There’s a small lump in the middle of the bed. She’s fallen asleep, which doesn’t really surprise me after the day she’s endured.

  I take the stairs down to my office and write a note to leave on her nightstand.

  Sleepy Sera,

  If you wake up and are hungry, please help yourself to anything in the kitchen. My attempt at spaghetti is on the top shelf in the refrigerator. I’ll leave my bedroom door cracked if you need me for anything.

  Sweet dreams, beautiful.

  −Seth

  After setting the note down, I stare at her still form. Her head is turned away from me, but her hair flows over the pillow like spun gold. She’s breathtaking in the nightglow. I watch the steady rise and fall of the thick comforter before leaving without disturbing her.

  Camped out in my study, I’ve been rereading the same page in a book for so long, the words are nothing but a blur. I give up trying to focus and set the novel on a side table by my chair, deciding it’s time for bed. Though, sleep will be impossible with all the thoughts spinning in my head. Where do we go from here? Now that she’s in my home with me, I don’t want her to leave. Do I tell her I’ve fallen in love with her? Or should I just ignore those feelings and help her get on with her own life?

  I’ll do anything she asks of me, even if it tears my heart into pieces. Life pushed her into unthinkable choices, and now the direction needs to be her own.

  I change out of my dress shirt and pants, and pull on a pair of sweat pants. Fumbling through a stacked pile of T-shirts, I find my favorite Yankees one.

  In case Seraphina needs to make her way downstairs, I leave the lights on in the hallway, crack my door open about a foot, turn off my bedroom lights, and climb in bed.

  Hours later, my eyes are wide open as I watch shadows dance across the ceiling. The outside noise of the city has died down, making the house quiet, and I find myself straining to hear any sounds from the floor above me.

  The light tapping of feet coming down the stairs grabs my attention. It’s her. I sit up in bed as my bedroom door creaks open. The light from the hallway bleeds through the darkness until I see Seraphina standing in the shadows. I blink a couple times, wondering if it’s an illusion.

  “Seth?” she calls out.

  “You finally woke up.”

  “I was dead to the world.” She moves closer to me, stopping at the side of my bed. “I haven’t slept like that in months.”

  My breathing stops as I take in the sight of her. She’s wearing a thin camisole and tiny shorts. My hands shake as I battle the desire to reach out and touch her. Miraculously, I don’t give into the urge. She runs her fingers over the edge of the comforter, and I imagine they’re touching my skin.

  “Will you hold me?” she asks, and it feels like she’s begging me.

  “There’s nothing I’d rather do,” I rasp, unable to hide my desire.

  My answer is a half-truth. There are other things I’d like to do to her. My cock hardens under the thin fabric of my sweat pants.

  I swing my legs around to get out of the bed, but she pushes against my arm with one hand and stops me. The warmth of her touch sears into my skin.

  “Can you hold me in bed?” she whispers.

  “Sure.” My voice is shaky at best. Fuck. Having her in my arms will be an equal dose of heaven and hell.

  I pull the covers aside to make room for her next to me. She crawls underneath and lies back on the pillow. I place my head next to hers and wrap my arm around her over the comforter. She doesn’t press into me, which is a good thing, because my hard-on would be the first thing she’d feel.

  Chapter 10

  Seraphina

  Seth wraps his arm around me, cocooning me in the silky cotton and his warmth, and I close my eyes as a deep calm washes over me. Seth brushes my hair away from my neck, and I feel his even breaths against my bare skin. I want to bottle up everything about this moment and carry it with me forever.

  “I feel safe,” I whisper.

  “Because you are, here with me,” he says, and kisses the back of my head.

  His masculine scent fills the air around me like a fortress of strength, washing my worries away. It makes me wonder if I’ll suddenly wake up from a dream. Then I remember his kiss today at the park and my lips tingle. It has to be real.

  I never thought any man would truly care for the real me again, even though I longed for it every time I gave my body away. He’s asked for nothing, and it makes me want to give him all of me. But does he want me like I want him?

  When I think about Seth sitting at a table and seeing me on stage at The Exchange, my stomach turns. I can’t imagine what he must think of me, or where I’d be if he hadn’t been there today. The thought is sobering.

  My mother would likely be passed out in our small apartment, high on pills, and I would be with her, hiding from my life. My friends are long gone, and have likely replaced me with a shiny new version equal to their standing in society. Seth is different from other people. He doesn’t seem to judge me, even though I can’t stop judging myself.

  “The night we met…” I pause for a moment. Here, in the safety of his bedroom, faintly lit by the hallway lights, I want to finally open up to him—say everything I need to say. “…I wanted to be anything but Andrew Bishop’s daughter.”

  “The next morning, I didn’t want you to be his daughter either.” Seth tightens his arms around me and laughs. “I’d planned on finding the beautiful woman who disappeared on me the night before.”

  “Well, you did more than find me. You rescued me.”

  “I would do anything for you, Sera,” he confesses, and I turn over toward him, our faces now inches apart.

  I want to kiss his lips and run my fingers through his sandy blond hair. Instead, I reach under the sheets and rest my arm over his waist—and there’s nothing soft about Seth. His side is hard against my light touch.

  When I grab ahold of his T-shirt and scoot closer, he smiles at me, his eyes searching mine and flashing with desire.

  “I need to tell you how I ended up there.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to talk about it ever again.” He caresses my cheek, and I lean into his gentle strokes. His willingness to forget I sold my flesh for money makes tears well up in my eyes.

  “Please,” I beg. “I want you to know. It’s important I share it with someone.” He nods his head and waits. The kindness in his eyes centers me.

  “I had no idea my father had lost everything. I found out when my mother called me into the living room and told me he jumped from the roof of his office building. I sat there stunned by the news as tears streamed down her face. I still can’t believe it. He was always so full of life.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Seth whispers before placing a kiss on my forehead.

  “His death was public and scandalous. Reporters knocked on our door for days, wanting the inside scoop behind our riches to rags story. We had seven days after my father’s funeral to move out of our townhouse.”

  A single tear falls down my
cheek. I loved my father, and he was a good man, no matter what people said about him.

  “You’ve been so brave through it all. Hold your head high, beautiful.” Seth’s words soothe the ache in my chest.

  “My mother was in denial. Well … we both know nothing’s changed there. She’d sit in a dark corner of her bedroom, and every time I’d ask her what we should do about moving, she’d swallowed another pill to escape. Desperate, I remembered a classmate at Juilliard who secretly told me she worked at The Exchange and made a killing. I called her up, and she got me a job. It was the quickest solution I saw to our problems.”

  “I should’ve helped you long before now,” Seth says, sadness in his voice. “I let you down. Never again, Sera.” His vow means everything to me.

  He slips his arm beneath the sheets, resting a hand at the curve of my waist. His touch feels right.

  “How can you look at me knowing what I did?” I shudder as memories of the private room flood my mind. “You should be disgusted.”

  “I’ve wanted you since I saw your face light up under the fireworks on the beach. Having you come to my office was the highlight of my boring week. Today, when I realized the ethereal beauty on the stage was you, I never wanted you more.”

  “Why?”

  “What you did was a worthy sacrifice. You gave yourself for others, even when it was the furthest thing from who you really are.”

  “I never had sex with any of them. I’ve saved it for someone special.” I pause for a beat. “You.”

  “Oh, Sera.” Pulling me to him, he peppers kisses all over my cheeks, jaw, and lips. His hands roam the length of my back and push my body into his. I feel his cock hard against me, and for the first time in my life, an all-consuming desire to make love to a man surges through my veins.

  “I need you tonight,” I murmur so close to him, our mouths nearly touch. His breath ghosts across my cheek.

  “But you’ve been through so much today.” It’s so typical of Seth, always thinking of me.