by Alexa Davis
How was he making me so crazy when he hadn’t even touched me yet? I was already teetering on the knife edge of desire, and nothing had even happened!
Milo’s lips roughly connected with mine once more, and while I lost myself in his lips and tongue, he trailed the outline of the panties gently with his fingers. He was teasing me, yet again, and I couldn’t stand it.
I dug my fingers into his neck hard, hoping he’d get the hint, but he was completely oblivious. So, I took the initiative and pushed him away to slide my own panties down. I didn’t care anymore – he seemed to like my confidence. I knew what I wanted, and I was going for it!
“God, you’re sexy,” he groaned in pleasure, running his eyes all over me. “You’re so... I don’t even know how to explain how gorgeous you are.”
I felt him grab hold of my thighs and yank me closer to the end of the bed. I cried out in shock, but he simply carried on regardless, moving his face downward, getting closer and closer to where I was utterly desperate for him. I felt my whole body stiffen as his breath tickled my core. I could almost feel myself inching my way nearer to him, begging him to get a move on, but he was taking a tantalizing age to get there.
Then his mouth connected. I felt his tongue sliding up and down my slit until it found my clit. That was when the magic started. He sucked, he flicked, he played with me until my body simply fell backward onto the bed. I just didn’t have the strength to hold myself up anymore – he’d zapped everything from me in the best way possible.
“Oh, fuck,” I groaned, buckling under the pressure of it all. “Oh, God, Milo.” I fisted the sheets, clinging onto them for dear life. At one point, it got so much that I almost started to move away, but I couldn’t. He had a firm grip on me, fixing me in place while the pleasure shredded through my body. “Oh, God...”
The pressure was building, the hot pool of pleasure was spreading, my veins were heating up with sheer joy... This was the best I’d ever felt in my whole damn life, and I didn’t want it to end. But of course, the buildup couldn’t last forever, and it wasn’t long before the powerful waves were crashing over my body like an ocean without an end.
As I succumbed to the orgasm, I finally allowed my brain the freedom to think the honest thoughts that I’d been trying to push away, just because I feared them so much. I didn’t just like Milo; this wasn’t all because I was afraid of getting hurt when he left. I was falling for him hard. I might actually be tumbling into love with him, and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it. I cared about him more than I ever had anyone before. He made me feel better than anything, and it was going to kill me to let him go.
Maybe I should have admitted that part to Laynee, especially when she naively told me that she thought it might all work out, but I’d kept it to myself because I was scared of admitting it. I also didn’t want her to tell me that I shouldn’t hang out with Milo on Valentine’s Day because as soon as the idea popped into my brain, I didn’t want anything to stop me.
I wanted to be with him, more than anything else, and I didn’t want rationality to get in the way.
As soon as the pleasure subsided, I forced myself up onto my shaky legs, and I flung my top off. Milo fell onto the bed, staring up at me in awe, and as I unhooked my bra and allowed it to fall to the ground, his eyes practically popped out of his head.
“Now you,” I murmured with a smile. “You’re much too dressed for my liking.”
He complied happily, before returning to exactly where he was sitting before, and I climbed up onto his lap and pulled him in for a loving embrace. This time, while I slid down onto him, we hugged, we held onto one another, and we moved in unison. There was something about this that made it the most romantic thing I’d ever experienced. We felt close, connected by the amount he’d opened up to me earlier on, and I never wanted to let him go.
As I pulled back to look at him for a second, the moonlight glistened on his skin, and it made my heart wrench in my chest. God, I wanted him forever more. It just wasn’t fair. Although maybe now that I knew more about Milo, maybe now that we’d had a more frank and honest discussion about what his future might hold, maybe we could find a way...
“You’re amazing,” Milo whispered into my hair. Again, I felt like there was more he wanted to say, something that he hadn’t yet gotten out, but he seemed to stop himself in his tracks. It drove me crazy that he was doing that, but I couldn’t press him for more. He’d already given me so much...
But what if? Does he want me to know that he feels as strongly about me as I do him? What if he wants to tell me that he loves me, but he is afraid that I won’t say it back? Should I say it first, should I extend that bravery to this moment, too?
Fortunately, at that moment, my brain zoned in on Milo’s hands as he explored my breasts and nipples with a tender touch. His skin was so soft, like velvet, and it made me absolutely melt. He had me hot enough that perspiration clung to me, but nothing made me want to stop. I likely was a total mess, my hair was probably sticking up everywhere, but I didn’t care.
I kept my lips on Milo’s as the pleasure consumed him, too, with my eyes open the whole time so that I could look into his. There seemed to be something there, something behind the desire, something that I wanted to explore further...
Oh, God, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I let my feelings go?
“Are you okay?” Milo panted as I fell away from him, crashing onto the now boiling-hot bed sheets. “You look a little...”
I smiled at him, willing the truth to just come out. I felt like he deserved it after all he’d told me. But at the same time, if I read between the lines of his words, it seemed like he wanted to keep me away while he was potentially sick. I didn’t care, of course. I would have stuck with him through that if he wanted, but he still lived hundreds of miles away...
Ugh, why can’t I just figure out the right thing to do? Why does my brain have to be so indecisive? It’s a nightmare!
“I’m good.” I nodded slowly, changing the subject. “Shall I get us a drink? Then maybe we could put a DVD on, or something?” I was babbling as I grabbed a sheet to wrap around my body, but I was terrified about being transparent. “And, I have dessert if you’re still hungry...”
“Eliza, come here, will you?” He grinned kindly, holding out his arms to me and shutting my craziness off for a much-needed moment. “Just calm down and give me a hug.”
I climbed into him, happy to be obeying his command even if I felt totally confused inside. With his arms wrapped around me and the blanket covering our bodies, it was easy to allow the happiness to swallow me up. It was easy to pass by the fact that this was all going to come to an end if I didn’t act quickly.
“I’m glad you came here tonight,” he said warmly, clearly not plagued by any of the worries I was. “It’s been awesome to have you here.”
“I’m glad, too.” I meant that as I said it, even if I was left with more questions than answers. “It’s been wonderful.” I bit down on my lip, wondering if there was any way that I could ask the questions without actually having to say them aloud. How could I ask him what next, without actually saying it?
Nope, there was no way. I was just going to have to continue on with life never knowing the truth. I was just going to have to live with this one regret – that was the end of it.
PART 4
Chapter Thirty-One
Milo – Thursday
I had a genuine happiness in my heart as I woke up the next morning. I had Eliza back where she belonged, in my arms, and all felt right with the world. Of course, the warm glow would have to wear off, eventually; there was no chance of my clinging onto it for too long because I had reality to get back to, but for now it felt nice.
I actually wished that I didn’t have anything to go back to. Being this close to Eliza once more made me regret having a home and business in Nevada. In a weird way, I wished I’d given up everything to come on this trip to Florence because then I could just be with her. I cou
ld just fall into this head first and embrace it for what it could be…
I jumped up quickly, grabbing hold of my phone as it began to ring, not wanting it to wake Eliza up.
“Hey, Justin,” I murmured into the phone. “You okay?”
“Yeah, what’s going on? Why are you whispering?”
I slid out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me as I went. “Sorry, just didn’t want to wake…” Shit, was I about to confess this aloud? No, not yet. I didn’t want it overanalyzed before I knew what I was doing myself. “Anyone up, so I’ve gone outside.”
“Oh, right, yeah, okay.” He sounded a little confused, but luckily, he didn’t push it. “Well, I’m in Florence today, and I’ve just bumped into Landon. He mentioned going out fishing, and I wanted to know if you were up for it again.”
I did want his advice on the company, so this would be the perfect way to let him see everything firsthand. “Oh yeah, sounds good. Shall I meet you down at the bay in a bit?”
“Yeah, I’m on my way now; see you in a bit.”
I hung up the phone and searched about for some paper to leave Eliza a note. I didn’t want to just leave her without letting her know where I was. How awful would that be after the night we just had? But it seemed like I didn’t actually need to because my quietness had failed and she woke up anyway.
“Morning,” she said sleepily behind me. I spun around to watch her rubbing the sleep from her eyes, making her look even more adorable than normal. In that oversized t-shirt and her hair all over the place like that, it made my heart ache for her. “How are you today? Do you want some coffee?”
“Actually, I don’t have time,” I told her regretfully. “I’m going out fishing again today, and I need to get going.” I felt an intense yearning for her, deep in my chest, but I forced myself to resist. I made my eyes break the contact so that I could think. “But you could always come back later, if you’re up for it?”
“Oh.” Her cheeks grew pink and her eyes shone with happiness at the mere suggestion of spending time with me. “Yeah, that would be great, thank you. I’ll come back after work.”
“And don’t you bring any food. I will feed you tonight!” I shot her a smile and winked. “So, I’m just going to throw some stuff on and get going, but I’ll see you soon, okay?”
I raced back into my room and threw on some clothes in a hurry, the whole time thinking only about Eliza. I knew I had to go back home, that was inevitable, but it would be the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life. Much more difficult than losing Veronica. Even harder than going through all that treatment.
As I moved back into the front room, I noticed Eliza sitting on the couch with Veil on her lap. She was doing it to irritate me, I could tell by the smirk on her face, but I wasn’t going to react. Mostly because she was far too sweet to yell at. Veil would just have to get out of his old habits when we got back home.
I moved in toward her and went to kiss her on the cheek, but she moved around and our lips connected instead, sending my heart racing wildly. “Well… I have to go. But I’ll see you later, okay?”
As I walked from the cabin, I left my heart behind me. I didn’t want to go, but I had to. Eliza would be going to work soon enough anyway, and to be honest, I didn’t want another day stuck in the cabin by myself.
This was business. This was why I came to Florence. And I wanted to see Justin again anyway.
***
“He’s good, huh?” Justin smirked at me as we got back out on shore. “Told you. I would never steer you wrong.”
“I know, I should have trusted you right away.” I patted him on the back and chuckled. “Although, it is a little smaller than I was expecting. However, as you know, things have happened, my priorities have shifted, and actually, I think maybe I should be picking up companies that need it. You think it’s a good idea, right?”
“Well, like I said, I will put you in touch with my financial advisor, but I think if anyone can make you money, and if anyone deserves it, it’s Landon.”
That just confirmed it for me. I already felt like I was doing the right thing, but to have that cemented by someone who knew what he was talking about felt great. Justin had made a solid name for himself, he’d gotten far all by himself, and now I could see even more that he was an amazing friend to me.
“Thank you for steering me right; I do appreciate it. Florence is awesome, too,” I gestured around. “I can’t believe I haven’t spent more time here.”
“I like it,” he replied with a smirk. “But that’s for more reasons than just the view.”
“Your lady friend, huh?” I plastered a smile on my face, but there was an intense jealousy coursing through my veins. Somehow, despite all the odds being stacked against him, Justin was making the whole long distance thing work. Of course, the distance wasn’t quite as huge, but still… I wanted that! “How are you dealing with that? It must be hard being so far apart.”
“Oh, we make it work. She’s the right one, so it isn’t hard!”
I wanted to question him. I wanted to find out how he worked out that this woman was the right one, but I didn’t get the chance because Landon came back out, holding mugs of coffee for us. I decided to use that moment to finally confirm the good news for him.
“So, Landon, I’m going to meet with a financial advisor soon, but I certainly want to put some money into this business. I want to give you the investment, and I’ll do my best to get it all done for you by March, okay?”
His whole face lit up, and I could almost see the new and endless ideas shooting through his brain. “Oh, wow, that’s incredible! Thank you so much. I feel like I should be taking you guys out for some real drinks to celebrate.”
“As tempting as that is, I have plans tonight,” Justin interjected, which I nodded along with. Yes, I wanted to celebrate the first step forward I’d taken in my new life, but at the same time, I would much rather spend my time with Eliza than anyone else.
“Yeah, maybe we’ll do something soon. I have to get a move on, too.”
We drank the rest of our mugs, discussing some of our plans for the future, with Justin actually making some awesome suggestions, before saying out goodbyes. I’d had a great day. I enjoyed being out on the water and actually felt like I was getting better at it, but I couldn’t wait to get back to the cabin. I needed to pop to the store, pick up some food, then I could hopefully have some dinner prepared for the moment Eliza joined me.
As I drove, I went past the salon, and I felt the magnetic pull trying to drag me inside. It would have been so easy to stop in just to see her, but at the same time, it might have made things difficult for her. I didn’t have any real excuse for visiting. I’d already had my hair cut, so it would be obvious what I was doing. If she wasn’t quite ready to tell Laynee that we’d hooked up again, it might have made things awkward.
I would have to just resist for now. I was going to have to wait.
Just as I was about to make my way into the store, my phone blasted. I assumed it would either be Landon or Justin, I hoped it would be Eliza (unless she was going to cancel!), but it wasn’t any of those. It was Bill, probably calling to report on the new security company.
“Hey, Bill, how’s it going?” I glanced down at my fingers, examining my nails, treating the news about the casino as more of a side business than my real focus. It just didn’t feel quite like reality anymore.
“Not good, I’m afraid.” It was only the fact that he sounded so shaken up that got my attention. “We’ve been robbed; it’s been… Well, it’s been one hell of a day, to be honest.”
“What?” I exclaimed a little angrily. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
“Well, I tried to call you, but your phone was switched off.” Of course, I was out on the boat. I wouldn’t have had any reception. “Then I’ve been with the police all afternoon.”
I paced the parking lot, tugging my fingers through my hair. All of a sudden, my two lives were crashing toget
her in the worst way possible. The dream-like quality everything in Vegas had taken on was now much sharper. It was all real once more. “Well, what was taken? What did the police say?”
“Money – they took lots of money. Tens of thousands, and they smashed up a couple of the machines. They… They think it was the old security company out for revenge.”
“Oh, fucking hell,” I muttered angrily. “Well, I need to be there. I need to sort things out.” Everything else spun from my mind; all I zoned in on was the casino and the problems there. “I should have been there all along. I should have known this was going to happen.”
“It isn’t your fault…” Bill tried, but it was too late. The blame already lay thickly on my shoulders. I’d been away for too long. I’d been treating this as far too much of a vacation; I should have known that was going to backfire.
“Just hold off for now, I’ll be back soon.” I jumped back into my car, already forgetting all the night’s plans. “Just… I don’t know, are you going to close the place for tonight or try and keep it running?”
“We’re open for now; we cleared up the damage and stepped up security,” he told me, confident that he’d done all the right things. He was an amazing manager, that was why I relied on him so heavily. “But, yeah, it’ll be good to see you so I can go through everything properly.”
“I just have to get my things, and I’ll see you soon.”
Shit, fucking hell, this is a nightmare. My casinos were doing well, but I couldn’t afford for this sort of fuck up. I didn’t need to be on the shitty end of a revenge plot; it was just a shame that I hadn’t considered this as a possibility. I needed to get back now; I had to return to real life. I couldn’t let this go on for another second longer.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Eliza – Thursday
“I don’t want to leave you agaaainnn…”
“Oh, my God, are you singing?” Laynee exclaimed in shock as she joined me at work. “Something amazing must have happened last night. I don’t think I’ve ever come into work to hear you singing!”
