Single Dad

by River Laurent

  I won’t be able to do this when we get back to the states. I can’t be his assistant if he can’t even respect me enough to tell me his feelings. He can’t just keep stringing me along until he’s ready to make up his mind about me.

  I know he has feelings for me. Maybe not love, but certainly some sort of affection and desire for me. But the fact that he won’t tell me bothers me. It’s like he’s ashamed he has feelings for me, and I think that part hurts the worst.

  I stayed up half the night, crying and looking for a new job.

  I walk into my bathroom, hoping I don’t have to see him for the rest of the day. I don’t want to talk to him. I just want to get through the rest of this trip and go home. I’m so over this entire episode.

  Before we came on this trip, I wanted to be with him so bad that I would have sacrificed almost anything to make it happen. I would have done whatever he asked me to so we could be together. That had been a mistake. I never should have given my heart away.

  I just want the pain, the hurt, and the anger to stop.

  I want it all to go away.

  There’s a knock on the bedroom door, and I hold my breath, but it’s obviously not important because there isn’t another knock. There aren’t sounds of him clearing his throat or any desperate declaration of love. My breath comes out in a rush. At this point, I have to admit that there never will be.

  I turn the shower on, setting it all the way to hot. I step inside and quickly suck air in through my teeth. The water is almost scalding. It stings my skin like cleansing fire. It’s a good way to burn away my feelings.

  The bathroom is steamy already, and I haven’t even been in for very long. I wash my hair and then my body, trying to free myself of what I’m feeling inside. Of what I’m thinking. I stand and let the water fall over my body for a long time. I’m soaking up the heat. I know I’ll have to face him again when I get out.

  Finally, when I can no longer put it off, I reach down, and turn the water off. I slide the glass door open and snag my towel off the nearby rack. The cool air sweeps across my naked, wet body, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I towel off and look for what I will wear.

  It takes me almost an hour to get ready, but that’s because I’m dragging this out. I have to go to his presentation, regardless of how I’m feeling. I have to sit and listen to the man I love talk to hundreds of strangers when he refuses to talk to me.

  When I emerge into the lounge, I see that everything I laid out for his speech yesterday is gone, and so is he.

  I wait until the last minute to head to the auditorium. I’m nervous. My stomach is in knots. God, why am I so nervous? I’m not the one who has to give the damn speech. I’m not the one that has to stand up in front of hundreds of people and make my company look good.

  I walk over to the giant convention center that’s attached to the hotel. My heart feels fragile as I think about how excited I was when we first got here. Everything seemed like such an adventure. My first trip abroad. Being with Luke. My heart had been so carefree and so full of expectation. I thought I was going to have fun.

  I place my hand on my stomach. I still don’t understand why I’m so nervous. I smile politely at people who smile at me as I enter the convention center. I’ll die before I let any of these people know I’m not okay.

  My eyes dart around the room. I don’t see Luke, but I assume he’s in the back somewhere waiting. He should be starting in just a few minutes. I find a seat towards the front. I wanted to sit in the back, but I know I need to be close, just in case he has issues with any part of his speech. Broken or not, it’s still my job to be his assistant, and I owe him that much. I won’t just leave him high and dry up there if things go tits up.

  I only wait five minutes before someone comes up to the podium. It’s one of the people we met when we got here. Something that now seems so far away. A distant memory that maybe one day I won’t even remember, along with the rest of this trip.

  The guy introduces Luke and the room claps. He’s a big name, and everyone here has been looking forward to his presentation. I have to catch my breath when I see him. He looks so gorgeous, so hot, so distant. It seems incredible to think that I had sex with him. I woke up next to him. My heart starts to race. I hate that I have to stare up at him for the next hour or so when I cannot have him. My eyes fill with sudden tears. It’s dark in the hall and I surreptitiously wipe my eyes.

  He smiles at crowd before stepping up to the podium. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. For the three or four of you who don’t know me, I’m Luke Remington, CEO of Omega.”

  A wave of laughter sweeps through the room. He’s already got them eating from the palm of his hand.

  “I’m so glad to be in this beautiful country, talking to you today. It’s been an honor to come here, to learn about the culture, and meet a lot of cool people. Although I mostly came for the Thai food.”

  The crowd laughs again.

  I look around at the hundreds of people here, all watching Luke. I wonder what it’s like to stand up there and have all of them staring at you. It’s got to be nerve-wracking. But Luke is as confident and commanding as he is in a personal meeting. Despite everything, I’m impressed.

  “I know that I’m supposed to be up here talking about business,” he says. “I’m supposed to make you guys trust me and like me. I’m supposed to make you trust my business. But there’s something else I want to talk about. Something far more important.”

  I’m confused. None of this was in the notes I prepared for him. He’s going off book, and it’s really irritating me because I worked so hard on it. It’s almost like he’s kicking me when I’m down. Like, ‘Hey, Jade. Let me stomp on your heart some more. This speech you worked so hard on is useless.’

  I want to walk out of here and never look back. Instead, I stare at my nails, trying not to let my anger show.

  “You see,” Luke continues. “I came here on a business trip, hoping to get some new clients and expand my business. What I didn’t come here for was love.”

  I freeze and look up at the stage. He’s looking right at me. He found me in the dark! I’m not sure what he’s doing, but I know I’m supposed to be listening. I continue to make eye contact with him while he continues his speech.

  “Today, is a momentous day for me,” he says. “Because I’m going to make an announcement to you all. I am madly in love with my assistant, Jade. And before everyone freaks out as to why this matters, I’ll tell you why it matters. I hurt her. And I’m sorry.”

  I vaguely hear gasps and muttering from the crowd, but it’s all white noise in the background. Tears sting my eyes, and I’m trying hard to hold them back. I don’t want to cry in front of all these people.

  “I hurt you, Jade. And for that I’m sorry, but I need you to know something.” He looks around the room. “I need all of you to know something.”

  He gets off the stage and walks over to me. Whoever is running the stage lights follows him with the spotlight.

  “I’m in love with you,” he says, standing in front of me with the mic still around his head. “I love you, and I want to be with you. I’m ready to take the leap if you are.”

  Chapter 24

  Jade

  I feel hundreds of eyes staring at me, but I don’t care, because the only eyes that matter in this moment are his. He gazes down at me, and there’s no more fear or uncertainty there. All I see is love. And then his perfect lips press into mine.

  At first, there is stunned silence, then the crowd goes wild. Cheering, clapping and whistling.

  My heart feels as if it will burst with happiness as I kiss him back and cling to him desperately. In my kiss is everything I want him to know. I forgive him. I want to be with him. We pull apart because we’re still in a room full of people.

  He stands up tall and waves to the crowd. “Thank you all for allowing me to share this with you.” Then he grins sheepishly and adds, “Um, creating wealth is great, but always follow your heart, I guess
is my message.”

  He tosses the microphone to a guy standing nearby, and grabbing my hand, whisks me up the walkway toward the doors.

  People are still cheering for us, and it feels amazing. It’s the affirmation I needed.

  We fly out the doors, back into the hotel, and into the elevator. The doors barely close behind us before we are all over each other. His mouth is on my mouth. His hands are on my body. He’s touching me, feeling me, loving me.

  I want him. I want him so fucking bad it hurts. I press into him, and I can feel his hard cock sinking into my hip.

  He pulls back and looks at me. “I want to be with you. Fuck what my dad did and fuck whatever anyone else thinks. I was so stupid for doubting that things could work between us. I should have listened to my heart and never pushed you away. I love you, Jade. I love you, like I’ve never loved anyone or anything before.”

  “I love you, too,” I say. Tears are falling from my eyes again. “Judging from the crowd’s reaction, I don’t think anyone thinks any less of us for being in love.”

  Luke gently brushes my tears away with the tips of his fingers and smiles. “I know. Trust me. I feel like a jackass that I ever thought they would. Can you forgive me?”

  “After that speech, I suppose I can give you another chance to make it up to me.”

  The elevator doors open. He grabs my hand, and we run down the hall. He shoves the key card into the slot and throws the door open.

  We go inside of the suite, and our lips lock together again. I hear the door close on its own, shutting us away from anything but each other. His hands rove over my body, touching me the way I’m dying to be touched.

  He moves his hands to my ass and squeezes.

  “I love this dress,” he says against my lips. “But I want it off.”

  He spins me around so my back is to him, and his fingers clasp the zipper. He yanks, and the dress opens in the back.

  The air feels cold against my flushed skin, and goosebumps pebble my flesh.

  “I want you so much, Jade,” he says as he helps remove the dress from my body.

  I pull my arms through the sleeves and then shimmy out of it as he drags it to the floor. I’m only wearing panties since the dress has a built-in bra.

  He gazes down at me hungrily.

  “I want you, too,” I whisper.

  His palms graze my breasts, and I shiver. His eyes lock with mine, shining with love. “Not just like that,” he says. “I want you. All of you. I want you to be mine forever.”

  I look down at where his hands are resting and laugh. “I want you, too. Forever.”

  He moves his hands to my waist and pulls me into him. “You’re so perfect,” he says, kissing me again.

  I love the way he tastes. It’s sweet, as if he had a piece of fruit with his breakfast this morning. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve missed kissing him.

  His hands slide down to my ass. He gives me a spank, and I jerk my body into him. He kisses me and pushes me at the same time, so that I’m walking backwards to the bed. I feel it against my legs, and he pushes a little harder, knocking me off my feet, onto the bed.

  He pulls down my red thong and throws it to the floor. Placing two fingers on my clit, he begins to stroke me.

  I moan at how good it feels. It’s not just his touch that has me soaring, although it certainly helps. It’s the fact that all the worries and the doubts have evaporated into nothing. There is nothing standing between us anymore, and it feels amazing.

  He stops, and I open my eyes. He trails his finger down my clit until he finds my aching slit. “Damn,” he says, his voice low and deep. “You are so fucking wet.”

  Then he plunges his finger inside of me. I gasp at the pleasure it sends rippling through my body. He pulls back out and pushes it back in. The steady rhythm is driving me crazy, and my body won’t sit still.

  I grind my hips against his hand, desperate to feel more. I want to feel all the pleasure he can give me, hard and fast. And I want to come more than anything right now.

  I close my eyes again and feel him slide another finger into me. My hands reach for my breasts with a mind of their own, squeezing them and pinching my nipples. My hips writhe on the bed as he strokes me with his fingers, in and out.

  He picks up the pace, and I moan louder. He grabs my nipple and pulls.

  Sensation grips my entire body, making me dizzy with lust. I breathe in ragged pants with every skilled stroke of his fingers.

  He rocks it against me, hard and fast.

  It feels so good, and it pushes me closer and closer to the edge. I want to come. I need to come.

  Then he stops.

  My eyes fly open, and I stare at him desperately.

  “Sorry, were you close?” he asks with a sly grin.

  I know he isn’t actually sorry. Otherwise, he would have let me come.

  He stands and takes his jacket off, then undoes his tie. Taking his own sweet time while I lie here frustrated. He tosses his tie to the floor and then starts to unbutton his shirt. Desire rages inside me, and the sight of him undressing for me makes it surge more intensely. I want him so badly that I can’t just hold back and watch.

  I sit up on the edge of the bed and unbuckle his belt for him. I make eye contact with him, and I lick my lips suggestively, making it clear what I’m about to do. I want him to feel the anticipation the way I’m feeling it.

  The dark look in his eyes tells me that he’s eager.

  I unzip his pants and pull them down, followed by his boxer briefs. His cock springs to life in front of me, hard and thick, and I grab it in both hands. I move them up and down, and he grunts at my touch. The sound of it spurs me on, and I stroke harder and faster.

  Then I look up at him, open my mouth, and slide my lips over the tip of his cock.

  “Fuck, Jade,” he groans and places his hand on my head.

  I take him deeper into my mouth and then pull back. I do it again, going just a little farther down than before. Then I pull back. I lightly graze his cock with my teeth, a trick I read in a magazine, and I hear him suck in air.

  “Goddamn baby,” he grunts out.

  I open my mouth wide and shove him all the way inside.

  Grabbing my hair, he pulls my head back so his cock is barely in my mouth. Then he shoves my head back onto it until he hits the back of my throat. He holds my head in place and starts to thrust in and out of my mouth.

  He’s moaning and fucking my mouth. It’s so hot I’m dripping with excitement.

  He lets go of my hair, and I look up at him.

  “Lay down,” he commands.

  I scoot back so my back is lying flat on the bed, and I spread my legs open, exposing myself to his hungry gaze. He rubs my clit with his fingers, and I tremble.

  Luke gets onto the bed and positions his cock up against my throbbing pussy. “Do you want it?” he asks.

  I nod.

  “Tell me how bad you want it,” he growls, staring at me like he’s about to consume me.

  “I want it so fucking bad, Luke, please,” I beg. “Please fuck me.”

  His hips thrust forward, and he buries his entire cock inside of me.

  “Oh, my God!” I gasp. The way he fills me up feels so fucking good.

  He pulls out and does it again. He repeats this, over and over, until neither one of us can handle it anymore. Then he leans forward and starts thrusting in and out of me with a faster rhythm.

  “You feel so damn good,” I pant.

  “Oh, yeah?” he asks. “You like it when I fuck you?”

  “Yes, yes, yes,” I moan, my voice breathless.

  He moves faster. It’s hard and hot, and it’s driving me crazy. I can barely think or breathe. My entire world centers down to the two of us, joined together in ecstasy. I’m loving every second of the way he fucks me.

  He stops and clasps my legs together, before throwing them over his shoulders. Gripping my ankles tightly, he pushes into me again. I’m tighter because of the way m
y legs are positioned, and it’s harder for him to get inside of me, but it makes him go deeper, and I can feel my pussy squeezing around his cock, gripping onto it and driving him crazy.

  “Oh, fuck,” he groans and starts to fuck me harder.

  I feel myself getting closer. “Don’t stop,” I moan. “Just like that.”

  He pounds into me, never letting up, as I get closer and closer until the pressure is too much and I explode. White stars burst in my vision. All of my muscles clench, my pussy throbs and pulses uncontrollably. Pleasure pulses through my entire body in waves, one after the other.

  He’s still fucking me, but it’s gentler as he lets me ride out my climax. “Ready for me?” he asks, gazing down at me.

  I nod my head.

  “Good. Now get on your hands and knees. I want to take you from behind.” He pulls out of me and releases my legs.

  I flip over on the mattress and get on all fours, leaning forward and jutting my ass into the air for him. The head of his cock parts my lips, and my pussy clenches with anticipation. He thrusts hard, and I feel him plunge all the way in.

  “Fuck,” he groans, squeezing my ass.

  I bite my lip. He feels so freaking good.

  His fingers dig into my hips. It’s rough and hot, and I love it. His hips rock faster behind me, pushing harder and farther with every thrust. He’s so deep inside of me that it almost hurts, but feels amazing at the same time.

  Pausing, Luke grabs my hand and places it on my clit. “Play with yourself,” he orders, and slides back inside of me. Gripping my hips, he fucks me hard.

  I rub my clit at the same tempo that he’s thrusting into me. The combination sends pleasure rocketing through me, and I feel myself getting closer to another orgasm. “Don’t stop,” I cry out. “Don’t stop!”

  “Are you gonna come for me again?” he asks.

  “Yes.” I whimper. I’m getting closer. I move my fingers up and down my clit, faster and faster, as his cock pounds into my pussy.

  I’m so close. This feels so incredibly good. I’m about to come again. My body responds to his every movement, and then the intensity of my pleasure consumes me. I fly over the edge, into sweet oblivion. I’m falling and floating at the same time. Sensations surge through me, and I’m bucking and quivering against Luke’s body.