Shattered Lives Mended Hearts

by Lena Nicole

  Charming: Hey Beautiful. Are you going to be home tonight?

  Me: Yep no plans. Just hanging out with Ali.

  Placing my phone down I head back to the bathroom to dry my hair. I’m almost done drying it when I hear Ali growling at the back door, causing me to jump. I walk over cautiously to the glass door and see that no one is there. I call Ali away from it and check my phone to see if maybe Pierce texted back. When I pick it up off the charger, I see one missed call. I swipe the screen to unlock it and see the missed call was from a blocked number. I’m definitely going to have to change my number. This is getting ridiculous. I open my text messages and see there is nothing from Pierce.

  The doorbell rings and Ali takes off running to the door. Following Ali, I am greeted by a smiling chauffeur holding a rectangular box.

  “Good evening, Ms. Ramsey. My name is Jacob and Mr. Whitmore wanted me to give you this.” I eye him questionably and thank him, taking the box from his hands. When I see he is still standing there, I realize he must be waiting for me to open the box. When I open it, I see a hand written note on top of some tissue paper that is hiding the contents inside.

  “Allow me,” Jacob says taking the box from my hands so I can read the note.

  “Thank you.”

  Hey Beautiful,

  Put this on and get ready. When you’re done, meet Jacob outside.

  I love you,

  Pierce

  I look up at Jacob and he hands me back the box he is holding for me.

  “Thank you, Jacob. I will just be a minute,” I say.

  “Take all the time you need. You have an hour to get ready,” he says before giving me a nod and heading back to the limousine waiting to whisk me away.

  I close the door and find Ali still at my side, staring up at me. “Daddy is full of surprises, isn’t he?” I say, bending down to give Ali a kiss on her head as she follows me to the bedroom. Placing the box on the bed, I take a look at what’s inside. I open the tissue paper and see an evening gown and a pair of heels. I lift the dress up and admire it. It’s a stunning, red chiffon dress with a ruched, sweetheart bodice. The ruching stops at the waist, which has a thin trim going around it that’s embellished with a crystal brooch. It’s elegant, light, and flowy and I can’t wait to put it on. After applying my makeup and pinning my hair up with loose curls framing my face, I slide into my dress. It fits like a glove. I slide on the strappy silver shoes with crystals and take a final look at myself in the mirror. Pierce really outdid himself and I can’t wait for him to see me like this. I put on some red lipstick, grab my silver clutch, and head toward the door. I have no idea where we are going, but by the looks of this dress, it’s definitely somewhere fancy. I look and feel like a princess. I have a feeling this is going to be a night I will never forget.

  I say bye to Ali and give her a chew toy to keep her busy while I’m gone, and head to the limo waiting out front.

  “You look very nice, Ms. Ramsey,” Jacob says holding the door open for me.

  Smiling, I thank him and get in the car excited to see Pierce all dressed up. Once I am in the car, I see there is no Pierce, only a dozen roses and note. I let out a small laugh shaking my head. Typical Pierce, always trying to keep everything a surprise. Closing my eyes, I bring the roses to my nose and am immediately engulfed by the smell. Placing them back down on the seat, I open my eyes and lift the second note.

  I bet you’re wondering why the big secret. Have a glass of champagne and enjoy the ride.

  I love you and can’t wait to see you in that dress.

  Pierce

  I know he wants it to be a surprise, but I’m so excited and curious to know where he could possibly be taking me. I reach for the champagne to fill a glass and am about to ask the driver where we are headed when I see yet another note sitting by the champagne glasses. I fill the glass and take a sip of it and open the note.

  Don’t bother asking Jacob where you are going. He is under strict instructions not to tell you where he is taking you.

  <3

  He knows me too well. I guess I will have to wait until the car stops to see where I’m being whisked away to. I keep looking out the window to see if there are any signs of where we could possibly be meeting. My foot keeps tapping as the excitement continues to build. I look at my dress once more, trying to guess where I would need to wear this to. I can’t imagine that he would go through all this trouble to take me to a fancy restaurant, but then again, this is Pierce we’re talking about.

  I feel the car start to slow down and come to a stop. Although the car ride wasn’t a long one at all, the anticipation made it feel like it took a lifetime to get here. I take a glance out the window and see we are in front of the opera house. I’m a little confused as to why we’re here. Neither Pierce nor I have a love for Opera music, so I don’t know why he would take me to see one. Jacob opens the door and holds out his hand to help me out of the car. Stepping out, the first thing I see is Pierce. He looks devilishly handsome in his tuxedo as he stands there staring at me with a smile on his face. He is holding a single calla lily with one hand and another in his pocket. His hair is styled, but it looks like he ran his hand through it. I love how his hair does that. The three-piece tux is black and his jacket is open, showing the vest that would normally hide underneath. The vest hugs his body perfectly where you can tell he works out. This is the sexiest I think I’ve ever seen him look. The way he’s standing there looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ Magazine. My mouth goes dry as the urge to rip him out of that tux takes over me.

  He strides over to me, takes my hand and places a kiss on it before closing it in his.

  “You look absolutely breathtaking,” he says before leaning into me and delivering a slow kiss full of passion, sending gooseflesh up and down my skin. He pulls away slightly and runs his nose across my cheek and down my neck. “Mmm, you smell good too,” he says before placing a lingering kiss on my exposed skin. I feel like I’m slowly melting right there on the sidewalk. He pulls away much too soon for my liking and hands me the flower.

  Coming to my senses, I say, “You don’t look so bad yourself, Charming.” I let go of his hand and loop my arm though his. “So don’t get me wrong, I love the surprise you planned for me...”

  “But?” Pierce questions

  “But neither one of us is an opera fan, so I’m a little confused as to why we’re here,” I tell him.

  “Well, we definitely are not opera fans, however, I happen to know you love the ballet. I heard there was a show coming to town and so I wanted to take you.”

  I can feel a wide grin spread across my face as my eyes light up and my excitement builds. “Pierce, I can’t believe you remembered that. Thank you, this is amazing,” I say placing a kiss on his cheek.

  Suddenly feeling the need to get inside faster, I start to quicken my steps toward the entrance.

  “What’s the hurry, princess?” Pierce asks.

  “I have been waiting since I was a little girl to go to the ballet. I don’t want to miss a minute of it,” I tell him.

  “Relax, I made sure that we got here early. Now, slow down and just enjoy the night.”

  Pierce went all out. He got us our own private theatre box in the balcony with a waiter that comes to refill our champagne. The dancers are beautiful and everything I dreamed of being as a little girl. The women and men moved with such grace and looked like they were floating across the stage with every move. They make the lifts look so effortless and they executed them flawlessly. The way the dancers are able to tell you the story with their bodies is touching. I keep looking over at Pierce, who doesn’t look the least bit bored and seems to be enjoying himself. This is one of the many reasons why I love him. He is always willing to try new things.

  Once the ballet is over, the lights come on and we both stand to stretch our legs.

  “That was amazing, thank you so much for bringing me here tonight,” I say leaning into his body, bringing my lips to his. His kiss is gen
tle and I part my lips slightly to let our tongues entwine. As he presses me closer to his chest, I run my hand up into his hair and give it a tug, showing him what my body is craving.

  Pulling away, Pierce says, “We have plenty of time for that. I have one more surprise for you tonight.” He places a quick kiss on my lips and guides me out of the building and to the waiting limo.

  As soon as the limo takes off, I attack Pierce, grabbing his face and pulling him close. He looks so handsome I couldn’t wait any longer. I straddle his lap as he hikes up my dress. I can tell by the way he is responding to me that he doesn’t mind this one bit. He’s letting me have my way with him and it only makes me want him more.

  Before I can take things further, he pulls back from my lips to rest his forehead against mine and squeezes my hips. We’re both breathing hard and my chest keeps brushing against his with each intake of air we make. It’s making it that much harder to stop this and I hope it’s just as hard on him.

  “As much as it pains me to stop, this will have to be put on hold for just a while longer. I have one more surprise for you,” he says to me. He pulls back to look into my eyes and I’m sure they are flashing with disappointment. Before I can convince him that the surprise can wait, I hear him let out a low laugh.

  “It’s okay, I promise I’ll make it worth the wait,” he says, tucking a loose curl behind my ear and rubbing my cheek with his thumb as he stares into my eyes. Those familiar butterflies form in my stomach as we keep looking at each other.

  I stay seated on his lap the entire ride home. The closeness I feel with him warms my heart and I can’t wait to see what his surprise is. The driver stops outside of my condo and comes around to open our door.

  My eyebrows scrunch in confusion before saying, “The surprise is at my condo?”

  “Yep, come on. It’s this way.” He grabs my hand and leads us around the side of my house to the beach. He stops us before we can go any further and says, “I want you to close your eyes.”

  I squint at him before closing them. Giving me a kiss on the nose, he tugs on my hand to lead the way. I feel Pierce stop and walk behind me. Resting his hands on my hip, he leans forward and whispers in my ear, “Open your eyes, Beautiful.”

  I open my eyes and gasp, bringing my hands to my mouth. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful,” I say, turning to look into his eyes.

  Set up on the beach is a large, tented gazebo with white drapes blowing in the ocean breeze. There are white, twinkle lights strung throughout it to give a nice, warm ambiance. Off to the side is a bed of lush pillows surrounded by candles. There’s a small table with a bottle of chilled champagne, two glasses, and strawberries. The rest of it is wide open. I have no idea how he pulled this off.

  “You like it?” he asks, smiling down at me.

  “Yes, I love it. This is the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He takes my hand and leads me the rest of the way to the gazebo. Pierce pulls his iPod out of his pocket and plugs it into the dock that’s sitting on a stand in the corner. Flipping on the music, he shakes off his jacket and places it to the side. Walking to the middle of the open space, he holds out his hand, and asks, “May I have this dance?”

  This is all so breathtaking I can feel myself beaming. I nod, stepping into his embrace. I rest my hand on his chest, and he lays his on top of mine as we sway to the soft music. Pierce is humming along softly in my ear as the song talks about true love and finding one’s soul mate.

  “Are you happy?” he asks me.

  I pull back so he can see my face. Smiling, I say, “Yes, I am happy.”

  “Good. That’s all I want. I’ll spend the rest of my life striving to make you happy. You know that, right? You deserve the world and I will work my ass off every day to ensure that I give you that.” Hearing these words come from him is all I need to hear. I constantly worry about if I’m making the right decision and his words show me I am. I’m glad I’m giving him a chance as well.

  He cups my cheek and I lean into it and tell him, “I know you want to make me happy, and you do. I love you and I can’t thank you enough for this evening.”

  “Anything for you, Beautiful.” I reach up and kiss him. It’s not rushed, but slow and gentle. He slides his hand from my cheek to the nape of my neck, setting my skin on fire as his other hand pulls me closer by the small of my back. He parts my lips with his tongue, taking control of the kiss. He slowly licks the inside of my lips before tangling his tongue with mine. I gently bite his bottom lip and tug slightly at it, causing him to groan. Without breaking contact, he walks me over to the pillows set up in the corner. This time on the beach is more romantic than the last time when I lost our bet.

  Keeping one arm wrapped around my waist and the other stretched out on the ground for support, he slowly lowers me to the bed of pillows set up. My dress is pushed all the way up, exposing every inch of my legs and my black thong, but I couldn’t care less. I’m right where I want to be. Trailing his hands up the outside of my bare thigh and up my side, he stops just below my breast and runs his thumb over the bottom of it. Sucking in a breath, I tighten my grip around his neck. His hand grazes down my body and he slowly slides my panties off.

  He’s kissing down my neck and over my collarbone, nibbling and sucking along the way. Teasing my body with his mouth. As he makes his way down my body, he rises up on his knees and places his hands on the inside of my legs, spreading them open. I look into his eyes and he has a fire in them that causes them to darken. I bite my lip seductively, and I can feel his hard on pressing against me.

  Unable to wait a moment longer, I reach my hand down his pants. Before I can stroke him, he takes my hand and places it above my head, shaking his head at me. He then sinks down on his stomach and puts his face right to my center. He grabs an extra pillow and wedges it under my hips, giving him better access. He slowly drags his tongue up my slit, making my legs quiver. Holding them open wide with his hands, he repeats the slow, torturous movements up my center until I find myself begging him for more. He sucks and licks, paying special attention to my sensitive bud. When I feel that I’m close, I grab a fistful of his hair and let out a moan. He inserts a finger inside me, which causes me to explode. I scream out, arching my back, riding out the wave of ecstasy. He milks every last ripple from my body before moving up to my mouth.

  Kissing me, he traces the top of my dress over the swells of my breasts with his fingertip. I feel the gooseflesh creep across my skin from his touch.

  “I think this needs to go,” he says against my mouth, gesturing to my dress.

  “I agree,” I say panting, unable to move at the moment. Getting to his feet, he holds out his hands to help me up. Once I’m standing, he leans over me, placing open mouthed kisses on my shoulder while unzipping my dress. Letting go, the dress pools at my feet. Then, while still kissing my collarbone, he unhooks the clasp of my bra and tosses it over his shoulder. He helps me step out of my dress that is still pooled at the bottom of my feet and assists me back down onto the pillows.

  I’m lying beneath him, completely exposed, and I’ve never in my life felt so comfortable in the open with someone. He lowers himself down to my breast and pulls my right nipple into his mouth. Letting out a moan, I run my hands through his hair as he flicks his tongue over it until I feel it form a tight peak. He kisses his way over to my other breast and pays equal attention to it while his hand massages the breast he just left.

  “Pierce, please, I need you. Now,” I tell him in a breathy tone. I don’t have to ask him twice, as he stands up and takes off his slacks and unbuttons his shirt, sliding it off of his muscular shoulders. He slowly sinks to his knees so he’s kneeling beside me. “Hurry. I can’t wait much longer,” I say as he is trailing his hands down my stomach and touching my center.

  Grabbing his cock at the base, he covers my body with his and places it at my entrance. Not breaking eye contact, I lift my pelvis and grab his hips, pulling him toward me. As he slowly sinks into me, he c
loses his eyes and I do the same; feeling pure bliss as I wrap tightly around him. His rhythm starts out slow and steady, pushing deep into me. With each moan and call of his name, his pace quickens.

  Not ready for this to be over, I roll us over so that now I’m on top of him. Taking in the sight before me, I throw my head back as I ride him. He grabs my hips, helping to control my movements.

  “Oh God, I’m so close,” I moan out.

  He places his thumb on my clit and moves it in small circles to help me get there. Within seconds, my whole body tightens and I’m screaming out in pleasure. Once my body stops shuddering, he pumps into me two more times before finding his own climax. I collapse on top of him while we both try to catch our breath.

  “Wow, that was incredible,” I say to him. He gently pulls out of me before rolling us onto our sides so we’re facing each other. He grabs a throw blanket that is lying on the side of the pillows and drapes it over us. “That was definitely better than when I lost that bet,” I say letting out a satisfied laugh.

  “I’d have to agree. A lot less sand everywhere,” he says smiling while running his hand up and down my arm. We stay like this for a little while longer before deciding to get dressed and head into the condo.

  As we’re walking up the beach, I ask, “So, how did you set all that up?”

  “I have my resources,” he replies with a wink. I elbow him in the ribs so he knows I’m really curious to know how he did it. “Okay, okay. Easy there. I had someone set it up for us while we were at the ballet.”

  “Well, I appreciate it. This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me,” I tell him honestly. No one, not even Colin, has ever done anything this extreme for me.