by Alexis Angel
“He’s misled you and mistreated you for a while. Ryan has been using the possible sale of this store to try and manipulate you. It isn’t surprising, given the number of lies he’s told, that you couldn’t see the truth about who he really was. And none of your coworkers likely knew the full extent of Ryan’s actions, either." I look into Elia’s beautiful eyes and I take her in my arms without a second thought. She’s kind, she’s good, she’s strong…I just want to protect her. Hold her. Have her.
Elia freezes for a second before relaxing as her body melts against me. Then she pushes gently against my chest even though I can hear her breathing going out of control. Something tells me that she’s not ready for that yet. One apology. One iPad is not going to make up for how she must have been feeling for days when I never called or texted her.
“I need to get out of here!” She says, releasing a deep breath she was holding.
“Why? Is he here? Did he try something again?” I’m on alert instantly, not wanting her anywhere near that prick.
Elia shakes her head. “No, he hasn’t been back in since.”
“And your purse?” I should have got it for her, but I was literally so wrapped up in my own self-pity instead of actually helping Elia. Fuck, I am terrible at caring for another person. At least with my daughter it seems to be simpler...Rose loves me, and I’m her daddy.
To Elia, I’m just the punch-happy prick that tells her to go on dates, has sex with her, and ignores her.
I remember Ryan holding her purse against the window as if he was threatening her to come back in or enticing her, whatever would get him what he wanted. I reach for Elia’s hand, curling mine protectively around hers. “If you’d like, we can go and report this to the police.”
“No! You punching him was more than enough to get him to back off. Besides, I don’t know why I sent you two messages. Two phone calls after that night and you never returned them. No message. Nothing.”
I look down because I don’t have a real answer, and quickly change the subject. “Why don’t we go to The Macaroons, that French bakery you love?”
“Eric, I don’t remember telling you my favorite café. How do you know that?”
Fuck! So in watching the store to see possible peak hours of customer traffic, I have definitely indulged in watching Elia. Yes, I ignored and stalked her.
Not good at this relationship thing.
Pretty sure I’ve done nothing about this relationship thing right.
She jerks her hand out of mine, and her eyes widen as she shakes, exactly the same way that she did when Ryan made a move on her yesterday. “I thought that Ryan was the only creep in my life. Now, I’m starting to think that you’re just as bad as him. The only reason that you would mention The Macaroons is if you’re watching me. That’s it, Eric. You’re a liar and I don’t believe anything that you say. I know that you’re planning to buy this place, but I hope I won’t be a part of that equation.”
She turns her back to me. I know that I have nothing else to do but leave. Fuck! Even a simple apology seems too much as far as she’s concerned. Maybe buying this place is a fucking bad idea! Maybe getting more involved with Elia is an even worse one! I need to go back to the office. At least there I can work and stop thinking with my fucking cock for a change.
Elia
I leave my house with a bag thrown over my shoulder. The phone Eric gave me is inside and even though I’ve been using the iPhone, I dig out my old phone and decide that I’ll just stick to the one thing that I’ve been using all this time. It does still have all my old numbers in it, and maybe I’ll get the courage to drop off the iPhone on my way back. Eric still has the iPad. Thank goodness he didn’t bring it with him back to the bookstore.
I head down to my car and send a quick message to Dad that I’m going to be staying in the cabin for a couple of days. If I call him, he’ll only worry, so it’s best just to send a text.
My car’s a trash heap, but it was my first car so I keep it even though it rarely runs. That’s why I take the bus to work, or a taxi when I’m in a pinch.
My parents' saved to buy this old car for me once I got my permit after high school. My old Chevy may be bashed up a bit and makes a lot of noise, but with the price of a train or a bus in comparison to hopping in the car, it makes more sense to just take the car to get out of town.
There’s somewhere I need to be right now, and it’s as far away from here as possible. The engine sputters for a few moments, and I’m relieved when it roars to life.
I drive out of town near Cider Creek Park, a place that I haven’t been to in years. I didn’t even tell Ryan that I was leaving, just Dana who promised to cover my shifts. She said that I don’t even have to make it up to her after I told her about Ryan putting his creepy hands all over me.
My parents' own a cabin back there. Dad goes there once in a while, especially now that he’s retired, but I’m sure it’s to get away from Mom. I don’t think retirement is working in their favor. They seem to fight a lot more now.
I stop at a gas station and then I’m on my way. It feels good to be on the open road. I ignore the dusty smell from inside the car as I open the window and let in the fresh air from the outside. I laugh to myself as I sit back and see the vacationers and travelers, all of them going their own way. I don’t have to think about Ryan’s creepy behavior and fucking me over by paying me less, and most of all, I put all thoughts of Eric to the back of my mind.
The cabin’s small, and it doesn’t take long for me to get there. Once I do, I run around like a little kid to see the same one bedroom, open space basic kitchen and living room. As a kid, it used to be heaven because I would spend as much time outside as possible, and I hardly noticed that the inside was so small. I’ve got a few snacks that’ll keep me going through the night as well as my favorite book, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. It’s a bit tattered in spite of all the care I’ve given it over the years.
I’ve moved so much that I’ve forgotten it at times. But it feels like a little slice of heaven as I think about my night. I’ll go to town and get a bottle of wine. A couple of days in peace and tranquility is just what I need right now.
I send a quick text to Dana from my iPhone to let her know where I am and then I turn my phone off. I have two days to myself, and I intend to spend every minute of it in peace. No phone calls from any of the creeps in my life, both Eric and Ryan.
It’s amazing how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself instead of worrying. I can’t believe that I’m already near my apartment, I’m a couple of blocks away. If I could afford it I would have stayed a little longer, but my bills are something that I can’t run from. As soon as I get in, I’ll text Dana again so that she knows I’m alive, and then I’ll hit the sack.
That’s when I freeze at the sight of Eric standing outside my apartment waiting for me.
Holy crap!
As soon as I park, I don’t hesitate in telling him exactly what’s on my mind.
“What are you doing here?”
He smiles. “I came to see you. I know things haven’t been going smoothly for us lately, but there’s something that I really need to say.”
I nod, and I notice there’s something behind his back. His arms are hidden, whereas when I saw him standing on the steps outside my block, I was sure that he had a box in his hand.
“I know that you love to read and that this is your favorite book. I just came here to give it to you and let you know that it wasn’t you I was stalking. I’m spending a lot of money on that bookstore. I need to make sure that everything about it is in order. Ryan was slimy and I needed to know what the real story was. So, I hired a PI. He had information about you, too. I never asked him to do it. I would like to start again.”
I want to interrupt him, but not only is he looking sexy as hell in his suit, every smooth line fitting him so perfectly, but he looks sad as if everything he’s saying could be from the heart. I think that maybe I was too hasty to jump to conclusi
ons, not ready to trust someone. Sure, he screwed up, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t forgive him. Because I want to. But how does he know my favorite book? Is he just stalking me when he acts like he’s protecting me from creepy Ryan?
I don’t know who or what to trust right now. So I don’t say anything.
Eric takes a deep breath as he hands me the box and walks away. I take the box and automatically start to open it.
I smile as I realize that he’s given me a copy of Sense and Sensibility. And not just any edition of Jane Austen, but one of the pirated copies that were sold in France in the 19th century. Holy crap! How did he manage that?
I don’t even have a chance to ask Eric as I hear his car drive away behind me.
It’s the same novel that I was reading on my trip. I want to know how he knew, was he following me yet again?
I pick up the box and head to the car. I take out my phone to send Dana a message to tell her that I’ve arrived when I see a message from her.
Dana: Eric was in here while you were away asking about your favorite book. I hope you don’t mind.
I sigh as I realize that Dana must have told Eric. Maybe I was too harsh with him earlier. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially the man that I just happened to give my virginity, and he wants to make it up to me. And for now, I can’t think of any reason to not give him a second chance.
Eric
Elia’s here. She must have driven here after I left her apartment. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten here so fast.
I know her car barely runs and I want to just buy her a new one...but, hey, I have learned how the expensive gifts are going to go over. The book doesn’t count. I took that from my private collection of rare French pirated manuscripts. I have a lot of money and that comes with weird hobbies.
I don’t hesitate in telling the doorman to let her in, and now I don’t know how to play it. I don’t want to be my normal cocky self and drive her away. But I have this abiding urge for Elia to accept me. And I am that cocky asshole, aren’t I?
“Elia, you didn’t have to come all the way down here.”
Her eyes are wide open as she looks at my bare chest. I didn’t take my shirt off for her benefit. It just worked out that way. As soon as I came in, I thought I’d hit the gym to get rid of the testosterone that’s flowing through my body. And it happens every time she’s around.
“Did you like the book?” I ask. That manuscript was one of the cooler parts of my collection, and it cost more than I think Elia has made in her entire life. I am glad that she seems to not be sweating that price tag right now and can enjoy that I really wanted to do something special for her.
“Are you kidding me? I love it.”
I smile and the air around us seems a little lighter. I try to think of something to break the rest of the ice.
“More than the phone?” I tease, and it brings a smile to her face.
“A lot more than the phone,” she admits. Then she bites her lip and asks, “Can I come in?”
Shoot, I didn’t even think about that. We’re both standing at the door of my penthouse, and I haven’t officially invited her in.
“Of course, Elia.”
I need a fucking drink, which isn’t a problem seeing as I’m not going to be exercising right now. Being around her is making me restless, and I just want to touch her, kiss her, but I can’t come on too strong and push her away just when she’s come back to me.
“We need to talk,” she says as she follows me inside.
“Yes, but I need a drink first. What’s your poison?”
“What are you having?”
She’s trying to take in her surroundings, avoiding my gaze and checking out my sparse, ultra-modern apartment. And she’s looking for Rose.
“Beer. Ice-cold beer. And Rose is with my mother, visiting for a while. My mother is grateful to have a grandchild.” Though she wants me to get married. It occurs to me that I think my mother would really like Elia.
Elia smiles. “I’ll have the same.”
“So, you’re a beer drinker. I didn’t think you would be a beer drinker.”
She winks. “There’s a lot of things I’d do that would surprise you.”
“Like what?”
I raise an eyebrow as I pass her the bottle.
“I don’t know, maybe I’ll run the next marathon.”
I laugh as I watch her taking a swig of beer and decide what to do next. I walk up to the breakfast table, and she follows suit. I can tell that there’s something else on her mind. She didn’t come all this way to thank me or to have a bottle of beer.
“Why did you really come? You could’ve just sent me a text saying thank you.”
“But would you have answered it? Like last time, you never bothered to answer it, did you?”
She has me there. I don’t even have a good excuse for the way I behaved then. I think I freaked out at how fast things were moving...for me. I started to feel way too much for a girl that I knew I was going to disappoint, and I did disappoint her. That’s new to me since I usually fuck and forget. I can please a woman one night. It is the relationship part that had me acting like an ass because I didn’t know what to do.
“We’d just met. I was showering you with gifts, and I may end up being your boss. I’ll be almost as big an asshole as Ryan if I dated you, I thought. I don’t know, like I said, I haven’t really done relationships before.”
She shakes her head. “In what way? I consented to what happened that night. What Ryan did, well let’s just say if you weren’t there then who knows…”
I lift up my beer, “Hey, let’s not spoil the taste of my beer by mentioning that pig anymore. Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot because there was a misunderstanding from the start. I’m trying to figure out this dating thing and the misunderstanding between us didn’t help”
She pulls her beer bottle back and asks, “What do you mean?” “Well, for one, I’m not looking to buy the bookstore and tear it down. I want to make it lively. God, since I’ve been going there, no one steps through the door.”
She points to me and says, “Maybe you’re coming in at the wrong time? Sometimes, it’s overcrowded with…”
“What, ghosts?”
She laughs, “How did you know that I was going to say that?”
I didn’t, but it changes the tension that we’ve had whenever we’re in the same room. She’s wearing a crop top with leggings, and the only thing I want to do is strip her down.
“Well, I want to make it the store that it can be and not…”
Before I can even finish talking she purrs, “All this talking has made me thirsty, and it’s not for more beer. I don’t want to talk about the store right now.”
She presses her lips against mine as she straddles me, and I know that we’re in for a long night because now that she’s got me started, they’ll be no stopping me.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask as I pull her back.
She laughs, “You asked me that last week. I want you again...more now that I know how good it can be.”
“True, but so much has happened since then.” I could kick myself for delaying what I desperately want...but I don’t want to hurt Elia any more than I have.
She shakes her head “I still want you, and I can tell,” she points to my cock that’s rubbing against her clothed pussy, “that you want me just as much as I want you.”
She’s right about that, and without any hesitation I take her to the couch to claim her as mine.
Elia
I pull off my yoga pants as fast as I can. I need out of this top too. I tear it off my body and watch Eric’s eyes taking in my breasts. Sitting on the couch in his living room, I have to stare at Eric in pure amazement. This man is a sight. He is gorgeous, and I just don’t have it in me to be angry with him right now. In fact, all I can think about is sleeping with him again.
What he was telling me about the store was important, but seeing Eric without
his shirt on has me pretty distracted. He has protected me and the store; how could I hold his actions against him now?
Not to mention that I just can’t keep my hands to myself right now.
I run my hands up and down his chest, caressing his eight-pack rock hard abs. I bring my mouth to his cheek, planting a quick kiss before I flick my tongue across his earlobe, then make my way to tease his nipples with my tongue.
I push Eric back to lay flat on his couch as I work my way down his stomach. Taking my time as I undo his belt buckle, I stare into his eyes.
Eric starts panting, quick shallow breaths as I slide his pants down to the floor. His huge cock is pressing against the fabric of his boxers, begging to be released. I take my time teasing his cock slowly, eventually sliding his boxers off. I wrap my hands around his thick shaft. I love the power I feel jerking and stroking his cock to life, feeling it getting harder in my hands, tracing the length of his shaft with my fingertips. I keep my eyes locked on Eric as he leans forward when he feels my breath on his head. I flash him a seductive grin as I move my mouth down to cover his broad head. My mouth takes his shaft deep into my throat, and my fingers move down to caress his balls. I massage them and shuffle them back and forth between my fingers, getting a feel for him. I want to touch and please every inch of him. I want to give him incredible pleasure like he gave me our first night.
Through my own ragged, lust-laced breaths, I hear Eric's groans, loud and primal filling the air that surrounds us, making my clit start to flutter as his moans echo in my ear.
I work my tongue all around his shaft twisting and turning it, not sure what will feel good to him but knowing that I want to explore every inch of him. Eric's hand finds its way to fist a handful of my hair, taking control of my mouth bobbing up and down on his cock. The way he takes control is sexy as hell to me. I speed up to match the way he’s tugging on my hair. The moan that I let roll around in my throat makes its way to escape my mouth. Eric takes my open mouth as an opportunity to thrust his hips and drive his cock further down my throat.
