by Linnea May
I have always wondered what that must feel like, to be happy instead of just content. Now I know.
“I think mom and him are plotting against me,” I remark. “She pretty much adopted him from the first minute we walked through the door on Christmas.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lesley says, now grinning at Cedric. “Hasn’t she even given you one of her infamous scarves?”
I bring my hand up to my forehead, shielding my eyes and shaking my head as I remember that particular detail. My mother has been an avid knitter for the past few years. She loves doing it but is not good at it at all. All she has been able to finish so far are scarves. Lots and lots of scarves. So, everyone around her can count on getting another scarf from her for Christmas, and some of them in the most ridiculous color combinations because she finally figured out how to do that.
I almost died of embarrassment when she presented Cedric with a particularly ugly example during Christmas. Cedric sat there in his perfectly fitting designer suit, looking like a runway model and didn’t hesitate one moment to add my mother’s weird creation to his ensemble, smiling at me like a little boy. It was the funniest and most beautiful picture.
“Yes, she did,” Cedric confirms. “And despite Renee’s constant protests, I treasure it deeply.”
Lesley looks over to me, pointedly rolling her eyes.
“Jeez, would you just marry this guy already?”
I blush and shyly lower my eyes or a moment before I turn to Cedric, who is regarding me with a contented smile.
“You know, I just might.”
Epilog
When I told Cedric that I am working on the day of our first anniversary, even though it’s a Saturday, he wasn’t happy about it at all. But he understands.
“Deadlines are deadlines,” he commented, recalling many times when he had to work night shifts because his editor was waiting for another draft.
This is the first project I am working on since starting at this company. I am only a small cog in the wheel but I want to do this right. If I leave a good impression on this first project, I am sure I’ll have a much better chance to take on more responsibilities with the next one.
More responsibilities.
I smile and shake my head as the thought takes a hold of me. At my old job, I always tried my best to remain among the smallest of cogs in the machine. I tried to deliver a satisfactory job but that was it.
To find myself wishing for more responsibility, my head full of ideas and enthusiasm; it still amazes me.
My new coworkers are great, too. I am still the only woman on the team but no one here seems to be aware of that. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is the project and the fun we’re having with it.
When I clock out that day, I am sent home with a round of high fives and a feeling of accomplishment. The guys are planning to head out for a few beers to celebrate the completion of our first project draft.
I would love to join them but I have plans with Cedric.
A big smile graces my face as I walk out the building. My new job is closer to our place than the one I had before and I don’t mind taking the subway to get there at all. But especially in the evenings it is a nice perk to have Craig waiting for me at the building’s entrance. Of course, he’s here today as well.
However, one thing is different tonight. Instead of waiting for me inside the car, Craig is standing next to it, holding a single red rose in his hand.
He is dressed differently, too. While he would usually opt for an unobtrusive black suit, he is wearing a tuxedo with a long frock coat today.
The sight of him makes me giggle like a silly kid. He looks so overly fancy but somehow far too young for this kind of outfit. His demeanor tells that he is not used to be dressed up like this.
“Oh, Craig, you shouldn’t have!” I joke as he greets me and hands me the rose.
“Good evening, young lady,” he says, trying his best to sound sophisticated and eloquent. “Oh, but I do. It’s only appropriate for a special day as today.”
I grin up at him. “Did Cedric put you up to this?”
Craig winks at me and opens the door for me to get inside the limousine. “No, but he sure didn’t object to the idea.”
I shake my head and follow his gesture to take a seat on the comfortable leather seats. Craig takes his place at the wheel, leaving the darkened glass window behind him open so that we can talk while he’s driving.
“Is Cedric home yet?” I inquire after Craig started the engine.
“I’m afraid not,” he replies. “He told me to drop you off at home so you can freshen up and then to bring you to the restaurant right after. He will see you there.”
I am surprised to hear that.
“Where is he?” I ask.
Craig casts me a mysterious look through the rearview mirror. “I’m not at liberty to tell you that.”
I sigh.
“It’s an anniversary surprise,” Craig adds. “You are to do nothing but enjoy the evening today. No worries-”
“No questions,” I add. “Alright then.”
I try to hurry once we get back to the penthouse because I don’t want to make Craig wait for too long.
When I get back to the bedroom and turn to the walk-in closet to get dressed, I am surprised to find another one of Cedric’s little surprises.
A new dress is hanging right in front of all my other clothes, along with a little bag and matching shoes. It’s not just any dress, but one that I have been eyeballing for quite some time. I have never been interested in luxury brands and only started to develop a taste for some of them after getting to know the world Cedric lives in.
Coco Chanel is one of those who managed to suit my taste. I love her variations of little black dresses and this is one of them. It is a simple, unobtrusive design, sleeveless, with a body hugging fit and ending slightly above the knee.
It looks so simple and elegant, but the price seemed ridiculously exaggerated to me.
Not to Cedric, of course. I smile and shake my head as my fingers caress the exquisite fabric of the dress. The little bag that is attached to the same hanger with it contains a little box with earrings.
“Holy f-,” I gasp as I open it. They are diamonds! Small and delicate, but even I can tell that they are real.
So much for not giving each other presents for our anniversary.
I fix my hair and makeup and put on the dress and earrings. Even the shoes match the outfit perfectly. They are black pumps with medium heels, not too high because Cedric knows that I could not walk on them.
I throw over my coat and check myself in the mirror for one last time, when the doorbell rings. I flinch in surprise. Is Craig becoming impatient? That would be so unlike him.
I scurry to the door, and indeed when I open it, Craig is standing in front of me, smiling.
“I’m sorry, I was just about to-”
“No worries,” he interrupts. “If you would quickly come with me upstairs, we are to fetch something from up there before we leave.”
I look at him in confusion. “Huh?”
“Please,” he says, beckoning me to follow him.
We head up to the rooftop terrace. I keep casting questioning looks in Craig’s direction, but he chooses to ignore them. He leads the way until we reach the door that leads out to the sunroom.
Here, he pauses for a moment and takes a step back as he opens it, gesturing for me go first.
I am still confused but follow his gesture. The door closes behind me as soon as I step through it, and Craig remains outside.
I barely notice it, though.
A sea of candlelight reveals itself in front of me. The entire sunroom is filled with candles, big and small, taking over every single space of the room except for a small pathway in front of me. The path is covered with rose petals, all in different shades of red.
I freeze for a few moments and soak in the sight of it, unable to move.
What is happening?
“Ce
dric?” I finally dare to whisper.
There is no answer. The sunroom is shaped like an L and I cannot see around the corner that lies ahead of me. Slowly, very slowly I start walking along the rose petal path, bathed in the soothing warm light of what must be hundreds of candles. It almost feels as if they are carrying me, supporting my unsteady walk.
I take a deep breath before I dare to walk around the corner.
Sure enough, there he is. Cedric is waiting for me, wearing a black tuxedo, standing tall in the middle the candlelight sea, looking at me with his hands behind his back. The path of rose petals is leading right toward him. His expression is serious.
“Cedric, what…,” I breathe, but I don’t dare to finish the sentence.
He looks handsome, freakishly handsome as always. But I can also see something else in him tonight, something that I have never seen on him before. Not like this, not when he is looking at me.
He is nervous.
I approach him until I am within arm’s reach and look up to him, casting him a shy smile. His stern expression changes as he reciprocates the smile.
“I thought we wouldn’t give each other presents,” I whisper, stoking along the new dress I am wearing. My voice is so low, that it is barely audible.
“There is nothing in the world I can give you that could even come close to what you are giving me,” Cedric replies.
“Cedric, I-”
“No,” he interrupts me, gently placing his index finger on my lips to hush me. “You will have to listen to me now. I have been looking for you for a very long time, Renee. You, who grounds me, who inspires me, who keeps me on my toes just as much as I keep you on yours.”
His finger wanders along my jawline, gently caressing my skin as he continues to speak.
“You, who remains true to yourself, who seeks me to test your boundaries and helps me to set my own. I cherish your presence, your company more than I ever thought possible. You have become more to me than I thought I could handle. My lover, my partner, my muse.”
He pauses. Our eyes are fixated on each other. His are as dark as always, but I can see the light of the candles dancing in them, almost like joyous sparks of life.
“You know you have become irreplaceable to me,” he continues. “I cannot imagine a good life without you anymore, and I don’t want to…”
His hand leaves my face and he takes a step back.
He produces something from his pocket and gets down on one knee. His dark eyes are on me, looking up with the sweetest smile as he holds up a little box before him.
He opens it without averting his eyes from mine for even a second and reveals a delicate platinum ring with a small diamond setting.
“Renee Branson,” he whispers. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I am so overwhelmed by the whole situation that I almost forget to say ‘Yes’ before I sink down on my knees in front of him, clumsily leaning forward to be able to hug him and shower him with kisses.
Cedric catches me, laughing between our wild kisses as I breathe the word over and over again: Yes, yes, yes.
Both of us are still on our knees when he reaches for my hand and slowly puts the ring on my trembling finger.
It is so elegant and subtle, exactly the kind of ring that I would have chosen for myself. I smile down on it for a few moments, then up at Cedric.
“I did… I did not expect that,” I whisper, shaking my head as I smile at him.
“Good,” he says. “That was the intention.”
It is perfect. Sealing our love for each other at the place where it all began. Where he introduced me to his world.
“You were nervous,” I note, winking at him.
He chuckles. “Of course, I was! This was the most nerve-wracking thing I ever did.”
I raise one of my eyebrows.
“Well,” he corrects himself. “It was the most important thing, I can tell you that.”
He leans forward and kisses me, placing his hands on my shoulders to gently pull me closer as our lips meet and our tongues intertwine. The kiss is full of devotion, adoration and yearning mixed with an unbroken loyalty.
In this moment I am sure that there is nothing that can bring us apart. Nothing and no one.
We belong together.
The End
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Remember Cedric’s novel ‘Silent Daughter’? He inspired me and my colleague Stella Noir to make this story a reality and you can read the first part of this Dark Romance here.
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An excerpt from ‘Anniversary’:
“Happy anniversary, my pet,” he whispered as our kiss ended, holding my chin up with two of his fingers, so I was looking at him. His dark eyes were as unreadable as ever, shielded with mystery. Yet, I had already uncovered a range of hidden parts of him - and I knew he would let me in more and more with time.
I smiled. “Happy anniversary, master.”
“Are you happy to see me?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I knew he would check. I knew he would check if I had obeyed his wish. And he did. His hands wandered along my back, then moved to the front, gently kneading my breasts through the fabric of my dress.
“Good girl,” he whispered, giving me a little peck on the forehead.
Then, one of his hands moved along, wandering down my belly, cleverly reaching underneath my light dress. His fingertips skimmed my inner thighs as he slowly moved upwards. I moaned when he reached my center, caressing my wet clit with two of his fingers. Even after all that had happened between us, I was still amazed at how wet just being around him made me.
“You’re such a good slut for me,” he breathed. “Such a perfect girl.”
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Also by Linnea May
TAMED: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance
Undisclosed Desire
Master Class
For my Master(‘s)
Dark Romance with Stella Noir
Silent Daughter: A Dark Billionaire Romance
Curious to read more? Keep reading for a Sneak Peek of my Billionaire BDSM Romance ‘For my Master(‘s)’!
For my
Master(‘s)
Chapter One
“But I don’t want to hurt you!”
I sigh. Not that bullshit again. I am stripped naked, on all fours, bent over on my elbows with my wrists tied to the headboard. The knots are too tight. They were too loose at first, and when I told him to tighten them, he went all in, fastening them as if he was tying luggage to the roof of his car.
I am in my favorite position. Ass up, face down. Almost down. I keep having to raise my head to give instructions.
I thought he had potential. His name is Brad, he works out, a lot. That’s how we met actually, at the university’s gym. He was in the weight lifting area, looking hot as hell, drenched in sweat, with his shirt sticking to his wet skin, highlighting his ridiculously well sculpted body.
He made the first move. Asked me for a date after just a few minutes of chit chat. He was in charge. Polite, courteous but demanding. Good looking with his dark blond hair and a body that shows the amount of work he has put into it. Smart enough to make it in the university’s graduate program. So much potential.
And now he is sitting next to me, giving me what he calls “a good spanking”. Nothing but silly little slaps. There is no passion in them. He doesn’t dare to use his strength against me - or he is not capable of controlling it well enough to properly play with it.
Once again, I lift my head and turn around to him.
“Don’t worry about hurting
me,” I say.
He looks at me with his eyes wide open. Worried. “Are you sure?”
“Yes!” I hiss. “That can’t be all you’ve got. I can hardly feel it. More like a girlish tickle.”
“If you say so,” he says, sounding offended. Truly offended, not in a playful way.
Then, two more slaps, harder this time. It actually hurts and makes me flinch. But I can feel it. His response to my flinching is not triumph, not joy. Just worry and confusion. I know he’s not into this - so I can’t be either.
“Untie me,” I say, defeated.
He’s right at it and jumps to my rescue. “Sure.”
Of course he has lost all the wood that had been building up during our foreplay. I take him into my hands and start stroking, looking up at him seductively. He starts shivering and gets harder within seconds. Of course.
Okay, so this one was another failure. But he is still pretty and I won’t let him get away without giving me something. I know his tongue is just as useless as his hands, but he has a beautiful body and a cock to match. Remarkable in size and girth, and only growing more and more gorgeous beneath my touch. Even though I am mad at the guy, I can’t resist his perfect body and his equally stunning cock. I start licking his tip, already dripping with precum, and slowly take him inside my mouth. He moans as I wrap my lips around him, sucking and licking passionately.
And then I stop, looking up at him. “Fuck me.”
He nods apathetically and grabs one of the condoms I had laid out for his visit.
“Lay on your back,” he demands as he pulls the condom over his erection.
I comply and rest on my back, legs spread, seductively playing with my clit. At least worshipping his gorgeous cock has excited me a little - and I won’t get nothing out of this, even if I have to do most of the work for this climax.
He slowly pushes himself inside me until his entire length is filling me. I moan. As I had hoped, being stretched by his beautiful member makes this “making the best of the situation” a lot easier.
He fucks gentle at first, but reacts to me edging him on, pushing my legs apart with his hands while he thrusts harder and deeper. I arch my back, changing the angle so that his thrusts feel more intense.
