by Tia Siren
The solarium, when we reached it, was just like I remembered it. And just as empty as I had hoped it would be. Through the glass ceiling, the stars were twinkling merrily, and the thin crescent of the moon was visible just at the edge of the glass.
Paige gasped and walked towards the center of the room, her eyes glued to the ceiling. “All right, this is really, wow,” she said, the exact words failing her. She grinned at me. “I would love to have a place like this in my apartment,” she said. “I'd sleep in there every night.”
I smiled indulgently. “Well, I don't think we should sleep in here, but we could probably sit on the couches for a little while if you wanted.”
Paige stared at me, and I wondered if the romance of the location was getting to her. “I'm not going to try anything,” I promised, holding up both hands.
At that, she visibly relaxed, and I felt bitterness flow through me. Still, I tried to mask it, moving impassively over to the couches and taking a seat. Paige sat down next to me, close enough to still appear friendly, but far enough away to give the signal she didn't want to do anything with me tonight.
I wanted her. I sat there watching her almost as intently as she was watching the stars. I couldn't help cataloging her cute, upturned nose, the faint shimmer of starlight on her silky hair, the way the little lights reflected in her eyes. As I traced the patterns of moonlight across her skin, my eyes were drawn lower, to her full breasts, which the dress did nothing to disguise. Suddenly, I realized exactly how dangerous it had been, bringing her up here. As much as I might want this to lead to something else between us, I had to respect the fact that she wanted nothing more to do with me.
I stood up abruptly. “Well, I should probably get you home.”
Paige gave me a quizzical look but stood slowly as well. “All right,” she said. She lingered there for a moment, and I couldn't deny the energy sizzling in between us. I wanted to reach out, to pull her close to me and hold her. I had to restrain myself.
It was like she was reading my mind, though. She moved toward me, her confidence from before evident in her posture and her gaze. She moved slowly, giving me plenty of time to take a step back or to stop her. And I wondered if maybe I should. We ought to talk before we did anything else. I could tell we were both having reservations about the contract. I knew what mine were, but I didn't understand what hers were.
With this much attraction between us, though, I was powerless to stop her. Instead, I let her move into my personal space, and I brought my hands up to rest on her hips. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned toward me, a questioning tilt to her head.
Our lips met, moving gently against one another's. It was as though neither of us wanted to deepen the kiss, as though we were both still waiting for a sign from the other. Suddenly, I wondered whether Paige was as uncaring as she had pretended to be. Maybe when she said she didn't want to be friends with me, she meant that she didn't want to be just friends with me.
Maybe she was developing feelings, as much as I was.
The thought scared me more than anything else. But there was still time to enjoy this, and I didn't want to cut it short.
As we broke the kiss, I stared down at her, our breaths mingling beneath the starlight.
“Do you want to come back to my place for a drink?” I asked, my voice husky with lust.
Paige stared at me for a long moment and then nodded slowly. “All right,” she agreed breathlessly.
When we kissed again, it was deeper, more passionate, and my hands traveled to the curve of her back. This time as we broke apart, we were both breathless, and Paige giggled a little. I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and led her back to the elevator, almost forgetting to message my driver.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Paige
I wasn't sure what was going through Michael's head. He didn't seem like the same man he had been when we’d first met, but I didn't know how to describe the difference. When we got back to his apartment, he seemed almost nervous as he led me inside. He looked like he wanted to kiss me right there in the hallway again, but he held back. “Do you want a drink?” he asked.
I stared at him and hesitated. A drink would put both of us more at ease, I realized, and I nodded. We probably needed to talk as well, because the contract wasn't working. Or at least, it wasn't working for me. I had no idea what Michael was thinking. I couldn't understand why he had brought me to such a fancy event, a work event. He had introduced me to some of his colleagues, and although he hadn't told any of them I was his girlfriend (or worse, his prostitute), I could see them all assessing me.
And when he had introduced me to Chris, even though there had been nothing said about our arrangement and Chris probably just recognized me from the bar, I had a feeling he knew about the peculiar nature of Michael's and my relationship.
To be fair, I had told Erica, so it only made sense that Michael would tell one of his good friends too. But still, it made me wonder.
I accepted the glass of wine Michael handed me and took a sip. I could barely taste it, however. I felt as though my body was thrumming with energy. I wanted him badly, to the point where even though I knew I shouldn't be here, that I had meant to be keeping my distance, I wanted to throw myself at him nonetheless.
I couldn't help it; he had been eyeing me hungrily for the entire night, and giving me these little touches that were practically designed to drive me mad. I had spent the whole night cursing the fact that my dress was backless. Every time he brushed his hand against my bare skin, I felt a shudder run through me, and I wondered if he had noticed, if that was why he kept doing it.
I had to wonder if he knew what he was doing to me. If he had intended to drive me wild with desire before the end of it.
He'd seemed so hesitant, though, and I could tell, in the beautiful solarium, if I hadn't made the first move, he wouldn't have either. For some reason, he was intent on giving me my space.
And I had ended up here anyway. I hadn't been able to help it.
Michael led me toward the couch, and we sat there wordlessly staring out over the city, each sipping our wine. I could tell we both wanted to say something, but still, neither of us spoke.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I set down my wine glass even though it was still half-full. “Would you mind if I took a shower?” I asked. “Between the makeup and the hairspray, I'm feeling a little icky right now. You know I don't usually dress up this fancy.”
Michael jolted and turned to stare at me. “No problem,” he said. I stood up, and he did as well. When I gave him a quizzical look, he quickly said, “You'll need a towel, but I don't think there are any left in the bathroom. They were all supposed to go through the laundry yesterday.”
“Okay,” I said easily. I purposefully left the bathroom open as I stripped out of the dress, letting it fall to the floor. When I looked back over my shoulder, Michael was standing there in the doorway, the towel forgotten in his hands as his eyes roamed over my naked skin.
I grinned at him and reached back to unclasp my bra. Then, I slowly shimmied out of my panties.
When I turned back towards him, giving him a full view of my naked body, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. And even though I knew I shouldn't be doing this, I didn't want to send him away. “You could join me, if you wanted to,” I told him. “I'm sure your shower can fit two people.”
Michael jolted. He looked uncertain, but then he took a step forward, the decision made. He stripped quickly and efficiently while I adjusted the water temperature and climbed in. A minute later, Michael joined me.
He stood and looked at me for a moment, watching the water droplets trace lines across my body. For my part, I was just as enthralled by the water dripping down his chest, flowing past his growing erection. Michael leaned toward me and traced a water droplet with his tongue, following its path from my collarbone down to my breast. There, he paused, sucking at the tender skin, making me arch towards him. I moaned, and the sound echoed through
the tiled bathroom.
Michael grinned and caught my hips, drawing me in closer to him. His hands slipped along my skin, from my hips up to my breasts and on up to my shoulders. He wrapped his arms around me, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head, tilting my face up toward him so he could kiss me deeply.
Despite the heat of the water, I started to shiver. Michael pulled back, looking surprised and almost nervous. “Is this all right?” he whispered, his hands gentle and soothing against my skin.
I nodded, unable to find the words to tell him just how “all right” this was. Instead, I leaned into him again and tilted my face up for a kiss. He gladly obliged, kissing me thoroughly, until I felt as though I might combust.
Michael slid his fingers between my legs, encountering the wetness of my desire. Between the water and the slick dampness surrounding my entrance, he easily slid his fingers inside me. I sighed, my whole body relaxing against him already. His eyes were on my face, watching my reactions, as though he was filing them away for the next time we did this like there was some future in this relationship.
I felt the sudden urge to cry, and I hid it by burying my face in the crook of his neck, kissing the skin there. The tears disappeared as my lust took over.
I reached down in between us and wrapped my hand around his member, giving him a few pumps, feeling how thick and hard he already was. His dick curved upwards, throbbing with the need for release, and I bit my lower lip. I had never done this before, and I wasn't sure how exactly he wanted me. He could probably lift me easily, but with the water sliding over our skin, I wondered if maybe I would be too slippery for that.
Fortunately, Michael knew what he was doing. He turned me around and bent me over, just like he had in the alleyway outside The Shift. I shivered, thinking back to that lust-filled meeting. I still could hardly believe I'd let him have me there, in public like that. Right outside my place of work.
But then again, I couldn't seem to quit surprising myself, with the way that I responded to him.
Right now, I could hardly think about that, though. Could hardly think about anything. I was so deep in my pleasure and passion it was all I could do to focus on the things he was doing to me. I moaned loudly as he lined himself up against my hole and slowly pressed inside. The water made it even easier than normal. As he began to pump into me, there was hardly any friction.
I gasped and reached around to grab his hips, trying to hurry his movements along.
“Easy,” he murmured, a gentle rebuke. He was in charge here, and he would set the pace.
Come to think of it, he was in charge of every part of our relationship. He was the one calling all the shots. He was the one who had drawn up the contract, and even though I'd convinced him to make some changes to it, the underlying fabric of it was all his. He was the one who had decided that we would meet up tonight. He was the one who had brought me up to the solarium, even though he must have known how romantic it would be, how helpless I would be to avoid him, after that.
“Please,” I whimpered. My voice sounded raw and needy, and I flushed with embarrassment at the sound of it.
But it was just what I needed to say to spur Michael on, it seemed. He began to push into me in earnest, leaving me breathless with the strength of his thrusts. I spared a moment to worry that I might slip, but Michael's hands held my hips in a firm grip, keeping me in place.
My toes curled against the tile floor as he draped himself over me, changing the angle and thrusting even deeper inside of me.
“Oh, Michael,” I groaned.
“That's it,” he murmured, pressing a soft, slick kiss against my shoulder blade. His fingers came down between my legs, and he rubbed mercilessly at my clit. The sensation exploded throughout me, and I came helplessly, clenching tightly around him, drawing him into his own orgasm. I floated there, caught up in the feelings of his fingers on my skin, his erupting cock buried inside of me, his legs bracketing mine, and the water raining down all around us.
I shivered again as Michael pulled out of me. I felt bereft, empty, but that was just silly. Still, as I stood up, I wasn't sure what to say to him. I could hardly look him in the eyes, and I wondered suddenly if this hadn't been a bad idea. What was he going to do now? He wouldn't kick me out, would he? He had satisfied his lust, but something told me, there was more to this than that.
I hoped so, anyway.
Michael pulled me into his arms, and I immediately relaxed against him, practically collapsing into him with a soft sigh. He lightly kissed my hair, and I looped my arms around his waist, clinging to him and wishing that I knew just what was going on in his head.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Michael
I was surprised when Paige invited me to another Sunday night dinner with her parents. But the invitation made sense when she explained that her parents probably expected it and would have more questions if I didn't go. And since we would soon know if she was pregnant or not, I still felt like I owed it to her.
Besides, I reflected on Monday morning, I liked those Sunday night dinners. We had never had anything like those in my family. Even when both of my parents had been home, we'd never really had family dinners. My father and I might have eaten together every so often, but that had mostly been a matter of happenstance, and even then, we'd hardly talked. Or we'd discussed the business.
Paige and her parents had animated conversations about everything, from Paige's childhood to current events. It was fun to watch, and it was entertaining to take part.
And they really did a great job of making me feel like I was a part of it. I didn't want to say that I felt like I was being accepted into the family, but they were welcoming. I couldn't believe that even though Paige was an adult and had been living on her own for years, they were still just there for her, in whatever way she needed them. But more than that, they wanted to know about her life and meet her friends.
There had been one strange moment the previous night when Paige's mom had asked why they got to meet Paige's “boyfriend” but still hadn't met Paige's roommate, best friend, and manager (Erica). I frowned, wondering how it was that Paige still hadn't introduced Erica to them. Wondering if that meant something. But I'd put the thought out of my mind almost immediately. I didn't know what was going on in Paige's head, but speculations like that were doomed to disaster.
The problem was, I was starting to feel guilty about the whole thing. This baby ought to grow up in a family like this, knowing that it was loved and supported. And if Paige wanted to keep the baby, I didn't think I could protest, and I didn't think I could try to take the second child away from her any more than I could take away the first one. She had signed the contract and effectively signed away those rights, but at the same time, I wasn't a monster.
And I was starting to wonder how good of an upbringing I could give a child. Of course, I didn't think I would ever raise a child in the way that my parents had raised me. I did want to be there for the kid and give it everything it wanted. But I also didn't know if I could really be there, not like Paige and her family could be.
I hadn't been raised that way. I could be more loving than my parents, I was sure, but I didn't know that I could be as loving as someone who was raised to be a loving individual, like Paige was.
But I was getting way ahead of myself. We didn't even know if Paige was pregnant yet. It could be that we had to wait a whole month until she was ovulating again. Who knew what could change, between now and then.
I didn't know what I expected might change, but it seemed like I was worrying prematurely.
I took a deep breath, and suddenly I remembered Paige mentioning in passing that her period was due to start today, if she was going to have her period. I sent her a quick text, asking about it.
Haven't bought a test yet, Paige sent back, but that was it.
I frowned, thinking over the events of the weekend for the umpteenth time. Saturday night had been so perfect, but she had been gone before I woke up on Sunday
morning. I had had to quell a rush of disappointment at that. She must have thought, again, that I just wanted her there so we could try to conceive the child if we hadn't already. If there was any remaining chance of it.
But then, she had called me in the middle of the day and asked me to dinner with her parents. And that night, it had been as though nothing was wrong between us, even though neither of us mentioned how she had disappeared on me that morning. Again, I was struck with the realization that we needed to have a serious talk at some point. But I wasn't sure what to say to her.
Mainly because I didn't know what I wanted from her. It was one thing to realize I had feelings for someone; it was another thing entirely to start a relationship with her. Plus, suppose that I was mistaken, and she didn't have feelings for me at all. I didn't want to mess up an easy friendship, and I didn't want to mess up the contract. Having an heir came first and foremost.
For now, I realized it would put my mind at rest to first know whether she was pregnant or not, since my thoughts seemed to keep coming back around to the contract and whether or not there was a baby already growing inside of her.
I did a little research and finally found information about something called an EPT test, which could be taken before the period was missed, telling you even sooner if you were pregnant. Of course, I knew it wasn't entirely foolproof, but it would at least give us something to work off.
I stopped by the pharmacy as I left work and picked one up.
When I got to Paige's apartment, I had to stop outside the door for a minute, taking a deep breath to compose myself. Then, I knocked.
I hadn't been over there before and didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what I saw when Paige opened the door. The place was tiny, and sheets divided the different areas of the room. I shook my head, knowing I needed to get her out of there. She deserved better than that.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
