I kissed her forehead and then tilted her chin up to kiss her lips. “Don’t be silly”, I said. “This is real. Believe me when I tell you that this is the only real thing I’ve ever known. But it’s just not working out the way we planned.”
“Can’t you talk to him?” Elle asked, pleading me with her eyes.
Her innocence was like a dagger to my heart. But I wasn’t about to talk badly about the man who employed her dad. The last thing any of us needed was trouble with her family as well.
“It’s not that simple,” I said. “It’s always been my destiny, to follow in my father’s footsteps and be groomed to take over the business one day, and it’s not as if I don’t want to. I just wanted to do it in my own way. Only it’s happening a lot faster and a lot different than I thought. This wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Oh?” she asked. “What was the plan?”
I took her hand, and we carried on walking around the lake. “I was going to go to Princeton and get my degree. And you were going to go study fashion or design at… um… what’s the fashion equivalent of Princeton?”
“FIT,” Elle laughed. “The Fashion Institute of Technology.”
“Yeah, there,” I replied, happy to see her smiling even though the moment was so difficult for the both of us. “And at the weekends, I’d drive over to Manhattan to see you, or maybe you’d drive over to me, and, well…”
“Well, what?”
“Well, who knows?” I said, softly. We were back at the car by now, and I kissed her, holding her close to me, as she leaned against the hood of the Mercedes.
“Who knows where it might have gone?”
She blew out a puff of air and closed her eyes.
“I feel like crying,” she said.
“No, don’t be sad. Please. Let’s just enjoy the time we’ve got together. I want to know if you’ll spend graduation night with me. I know there’s a party, and Catherine and the others are going, but it’s the only time we’re going to get together. My last night. Will you spend it with me?”
She bit her lip. “All night?”
I nodded. “All night.”
And she kissed me, and I kissed her back, and it was the kind of passionate, desperate embrace that you see in a movie, but you never once believed could happen in real life. I held her waist, and she moved against me, leaning back against the car. I slipped my hands up her t-shirt so that her breasts were in my hands again, and they felt so good I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more of her.
There was nobody around in the park, so I lifted her up to sit on the hood, her legs around my waist, and I leaned over her. I was so hard, and all I wanted was to be inside her. My hand went up her skirt, stroking the soft skin of her thighs, and she gasped and held onto me, her tongue in my mouth. I slipped my fingers into her panties and found she was wet, and it made me moan.
She was hot and sweet, and my fingers rubbed against her clit, softly, then getting harder, as I closed my eyes and moved my hips, imagining I was already inside her. “Please, Liam,” she cried, trying to hold onto me without falling off the hood of the car. “Don’t stop!”
Of course, there was no way I was about to stop, and I carried on stroking her, flicking my fingers against the hard peak of her clit, until she cried out, dug her nails into my back and I felt her spasm in my arms. My fingers were soaked as she jerked and shuddered, the sound of her moan like a caress to my ears.
Gripping my wrist, she pushed me away from her, still kissing me breathlessly. “Oh, my God,” she panted against my mouth. “That was incredible.”
“Fuck,” I groaned into her neck. I wanted to claim her, but once again, I had to wait.
I kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck and pushed her hips against mine so she’d know just how much I desired her.
“One more week,” I whispered. “We have to make it count.”
11
________
ELLE
It was as though one of us was suffering from some kind of terminal disease. We knew it was all going to be over in a week before it had even begun, and it simply wasn’t fair. I thought I wanted my final week of school to fly by, so the summer would finally be here, and I’d finally be free of high school altogether.
But now, I felt like I wanted to hang onto every single second. I stopped caring about who might see me with Liam, because none of it mattered anymore. He was leaving, and the forces that wanted to keep us apart would win in a matter of days. They were simply biding their time.
So, in the hallways, I talked with Liam, walked with him to his classes and found him waiting for me to finish mine. After school, we’d go for a drive in his car, listening to music, talking about books, and having all the dumb conversations we’d been having via text all this time when we should have been having them in person. I couldn’t believe how much time we’d wasted.
We couldn’t keep our hands off each other, but Liam insisted we wait. He wanted my first time to be special. Something we’d both remember.
While the thought thrilled me, I was scared, too. I thought about talking to my mom, but I couldn’t bring myself to broach the subject with her. Instead, there was Colin, as steadfast as the pole-star. He was the only person in the world who listened and never once judged. He gave me advice like any best friend would, but he was always there for me, no matter what.
I knew that there were times he wanted to tease me, but he thought better of it. It was too serious. The slightest joke would have me in floods of tears. The only reason I wasn’t crying as much as I wanted to was that I didn’t want puffy eyes when Liam saw me. Every time I wanted to blub, I forced myself to think of how terrible I’d look with puffy eyes when all I wanted was for him to look at me and see me as beautiful.
Graduation day was Monday. On Sunday, the malls were as busy as they’d ever been, as kids from all over the city scurried to buy their last bits of makeup, hair grips, shoes and jewelry. Stores were selling out of memory cards for phones and cameras as proud parents were desperate to have everything prepared for their kid’s big day.
Mom was going to be there, but Dad couldn’t. A little part of me wondered if it was because Patrick Wilde spitefully arranging an out of town meeting for my dad on the most important day of my academic year. Dad apologized and assured me that it couldn’t be helped, that the meeting had been planned for a long time. Only, I wasn’t convinced.
Colin was there with me in the mall that day, as he picked up his gown and cap from the drycleaners. I’d cheated a little and made my own because I wanted to ensure that I kept it forever. I’d carefully sourced the right colors, following a pattern I’d found online. Colin was so tall that he’d had to have his gown specially adjusted.
“Right,” he said, after the important things were taken care of. “Let’s go get some real things for tomorrow.”
“What are you talking about?”
He pointed to the Victoria’s Secret store. I shook my head. “You’ve got to be kidding,” I said.
“Me?” he asked, horrified. “You’re the one who’s not being serious. You’ve got the date of your life tomorrow, and he’s going to see you all naked and sexy. What are you going to wear? Your flannel onesie?”
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed. “You know there are plenty of kids from school here. And don’t think I haven’t thought about it.”
“Oh, but of course he’s already seen you naked,” Colin teased, as I blushed scarlet and begged him to stop. “Who needs underwear when he’s already seen the whole kit and caboodle?”
He danced into the lingerie store, and I had no choice but to follow him. I tried to explain to Colin that I was already so nervous I felt sick and that by buying sexy underwear I was surely jinxing the whole thing.
But as I glanced around the store, I was quickly convinced that Colin had a point. I wanted Liam to see me in something sexy. Something that would make him remember me forever. I thought about the two of us, naked together, and it made me want to give
a little groan, right there in the store.
When he’d made me climax in the park a week before, I thought the whole world had stopped turning. I’d never have thought I’d have let a guy touch me like that outside, where anyone might have seen, but I wanted Liam there so much, and not just his hands, either. He made sure I was all right, and he gave me everything I wanted without taking advantage of the situation. God, he was the best guy anyone could ask for.
I came out of the store with a little pink bag in hand. Inside was a black silk camisole, a black lacy bra and matching panties. I took the underwear out of the bag and hid it inside my purse, throwing the bag away. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing what I’d bought.
Sleep eluded me that night, but I finally closed my eyes in the early hours of the morning. That day, I slipped into the underwear after a long shower, careful to remove all the tags. It felt so soft against my skin, and I shivered at the thought that the next person to see them would be Liam.
The day flew by, although nothing since the dawn of time tends to be as dull as a graduation ceremony. More than an hour of boring speeches were followed by the entire graduating class shuffling towards the stage. There, we all waited patiently as, one by one, our names were called before we took to the stage to receive our diplomas.
When I heard my name, I carefully ascended the stairs in my dress and heels. I shook the principal’s hand and looked out to Colin, who was whooping and cheering. In the crowd, I also caught a glimpse of my mom, who grinned and gave me the thumbs-up sign.
Liam and I had barely had a second to talk to one another before the ceremony, and now he ascended the stairs, the final student to receive his diploma. As valedictorian, he gave the final speech. He looked so handsome, his dark hair gleaming and his cap tilted to one side.
He talked about valor, and honor, and fulfilling dreams. I didn’t even notice the tears trickling down my face as he spoke.
He came to find me after the ceremony, when we’d had our photographs taken. “Don’t look at me,” I groaned, as he handed me a glass of lemonade on the lawn. “I look like such a mess and it’s all your fault.”
“Mine?” he asked, his hand on his chest.
“Your speech,” I said. “It was beautiful.”
“Thank you,” he said. “But not as beautiful as you are.”
I blushed.
“So,” he said. “I hope you’re not thinking of going home tonight.”
“I’m staying at Colin’s,” I said, grinning. “Or at least, that’s what my parents think.”
He beamed. “I can’t wait. My parents think I’m going to the party. My dad thinks my head’s already in London. But I can promise you it’s right here with you.”
“Me too,” I said.
“I really want to kiss you right now.”
“Me too,” I said, again. “But we’ll have to wait.”
That evening, once the moms and dads had left, some of them taking their kids with them, others giving them stern warnings about how to behave at the party later on, I went to find Colin. He was chatting with some of his friends from drama class, and he gave me a lingering hug as I told him I was leaving for the night.
“Go get him, tiger,” he said, growling in my ear, making me laugh even though I was a bag of nerves. Then I slipped away, and I met Liam at the back of the hall, as we’d planned, in the quieter end of the huge parking lot. He was already in the car, and the sun was setting over Albany as we drove out of town, toward the hotel he’d booked especially for us.
It was a beautiful place, situated on the shore beside another lake, although much larger than the lake we’d driven to the week before. At the front desk, the clerk checked us in and flashed us a friendly smile as he handed us the keys.
“All set for the presidential suite,” he said, winking at me. “It seems your boyfriend’s spared no expense.”
And Liam winked at me, too, as we were led to our rooms by the bellboy, neither of us with any luggage for him to carry. I felt so young, like a child pretending to be an adult, but Liam took my hand, as he always did, calming me immediately.
The room was beautiful, spacious and bright, with a huge balcony that overlooked the lake. I stepped outside as Liam brought out a bottle of champagne from the fridge and two glasses.
“I’m pretty sure they’ll overlook the age issue,” he said, and he popped the cork, sending it flying over the balcony and onto the lawn below. He filled our glasses and, as I held mine, he clinked his against it.
“Cheers. To high school.”
“To high school,” I repeated. I sipped my drink, and then he kissed me and took my glass from me, leading me into the bedroom.
I’d agonized over how the evening would go, and how nervous I’d be, and who’d make the first move, but Liam answered all of my questions as he took me inside and closed the balcony doors. His hands were around my waist, his lips on mine. He was hungry, and I was, too, as there was nothing to stop us now, no reason to pause.
We lay on the bed, kissing, stroking one another. I kicked off my shoes and heard them thud onto the floor. Liam did the same with his. I can’t recall how our clothes came off; instead it felt as though they simply melted away, but Liam’s hands were on the silky camisole, and there was a groan in the back of his throat.
“Fuck,” he said, in a low voice. “I thought nothing could beat seeing you in the pool that time, but I think I stand corrected.”
He pulled down one strap and kissed my bare shoulder, his lips warm against my skin. My hair was still piled on-top of my head, but he reached over and unclipped it, so it fell down my back. His fingers ran through my locks, and then his hands moved down to lift the cami over my head before they moved down again to stroke my thighs, giving me the sort of pleasure that sent waves of delight coursing through my body.
His cock was hard; I could feel it pressed against my leg, and I wanted to touch it, feel it wanting me, so I unzipped his pants and released it. It seemed so large, and the thought of having it inside me made me gulp, but at the same time the space between my legs throbbed, as if begging for it, too.
Slowly Liam unhooked my bra and peeled off my panties. He made his way down my body, kissing my breasts, sucking at my nipples. I felt the roughness of his dark stubble, and it aroused me even further. When he put his fingers between my legs and stroked me, as he had that day on the hood of his car, I groaned, letting myself move in rhythm with him, allowing myself to make the kind of noises I’d heard women make in many a romantic movie.
He lay on top of me, resting between my open legs, and kissed me again, exploring my open mouth with his tongue. Then he reached over to the nightstand, grabbing hold of the condom he’d brought. He made quick work of slipping it on, but then paused, lifting his head to look at me.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered, and I could only pull him closer to me, holding his cock, guiding him to the place I needed him the most.
When he entered me, the sharp pain of the last vestige of my virginity leaving me, took my breath away. It brought tears to my eyes and I cried out, but then it was over, never again to be thought of.
Liam was inside me, filling me and he was moving back and forth, moaning as he looked down at me, our eyes wild with desire as we stared at one another.
“Fuck, Elle. You feel incredible.”
I held him to me, opening my legs wider, wanting to take in all of him, and he gave it to me, moving gently at first, and then faster, until I felt myself edging towards the point of no return. I came with a short, fast rush, and he followed seconds later, filling me with his orgasm, and once it was over, we lay in each other’s arms, neither of us wanting to move.
It might not have been the longest lovemaking session in the world, but it was perfect, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It was still early in the evening and, once recovered, we wanted to do it all over again, wanted to explore every inch of one another. It was only when we were so exhausted and couldn’t take any
more, that we finally fell asleep, still clinging to one another.
The next morning, after making love once more, I knew that our time together was up, but I wanted to hold onto him forever.
On the inside of my gown I’d sewn a pocket, and in it was a gift for Liam. He smiled as he took it, sitting naked on the bed, as I gazed at his beautiful, strong body. He laughed as he finally unwrapped it.
“Pride and Prejudice. How did you know?” he asked, jokingly.
“It’s my copy,” I said. “After your dad’s party, I looked for it and found it on my bookshelf. I actually read it, this time. Ever since that night, I’ve gone to bed with this book under my pillow. It sounds dumb, I know, but I want you to have it.”
He turned it over in his hands and nodded. “It’s amazing and I’ll treasure it. It means more to me than the one in the library at home.”
“Shut up,” I said, prodding him, but when he looked at me, his eyes were serious, and I knew he meant it.
He stood up and reached into the pocket of his jacket and from it, he brought out a small gift box.
“I’ve got something for you, too,” he said. “I saw it that day in New York, so I ordered it.”
When I opened the box, I saw a thin gold chain and dangling from it was a tiny gold scissor.
“It’s to wear when you get to college,” he said. “So that when you’re studying to be a world-class designer, you might think of me.”
“Why does it have to be totally over, though?” I asked. “I know we’ve talked about this earlier, but why are we resigning ourselves to not continuing our relationship?”
He held my hands in his and sighed. “Elle, I know it’s difficult, but we’re about to go to college. It’s meant to be the best time of our lives where we discover who and what we want to be. My life’s mapped out for me. It’s the way it’s always been and I guess I’m slowly coming around to that fact. But you, Elle, you’re going to do such incredible things, and you’re going to meet fascinating people, and your life’s going to go places you never thought it could. If we stay in contact, something will always hold us back from wanting to try new things. I want you to spread your wings, and see the next few years as the glory days that you’ll never get back.”
FIRST LOVE_A Single Dad Second Chance Romance Page 7
