by Iona Rose
“This is my fiancé, Jerry,” she said when I turned to face them.
I turned to greet her Jerry and my smile froze. I knew him. Very well. We stared at each other in frozen shock.
“Do you two know each other?” Jenna said looking from me to him.
I was horror stricken. Jerry was a great guy but I remember him scaring me off at the speed at which he wanted to move things along. After dating for three months, he wanted us to talk about the future.
I had quickly broken it off and moved on with my life. Obviously, I hadn’t been that into him else I’d have been heartbroken over the decision to end things with him. I had moved on very quickly after that. He’d been a nice guy but he hadn’t been the guy for me.
Jerry cleared his throat. “Yeah, actually we do. Bianca and I dated for a couple of months a few years ago.”
There goes my new client, I thought. I waited for the awkward silence that I was sure was going to follow that declaration. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Jenna. Then to my surprise, I heard a giggle and I raised my head.
She had clamped a hand to her mouth to try and stifle her laugh.
“You should see how you two look,” she said, laughing openly now. “Relax. It’s not like I thought I was Jerry’s first girlfriend. You’ve both moved on, right?”
“Yes of course,” I say. “I’m engaged too.”
“See, there you go. No need to feel uncomfortable. I love your designs,” she gushes giving me the opening I need to shift the conversation to professional matters.
I can’t wait to tell Connor about it in the evening.
“I have a few ideas for the necklace and bracelet,” I said leading the way to office down the hallway.
We sat down and I handed the notebook to Jenna. Jerry went and stood behind her and as they studied my sketches, he gently massaged her shoulder. Every so often, she flashed him a loving look, making me feel like a peeping Tom.
I was happy that he’d finally met a woman who wanted the same things as he did. Pangs of longing came over me as I watched them. Just what would it feel like to really be engaged? To know that you were going to spend the rest of your life with the person you loved?
The image of a laughing Connor sprouted into my mind. He was easy to be with and he made life exciting just by being around. I imagined myself married to Connor. The thought did not give me heart palpitations.
Jenna said something to Jerry and then raised her head to address me. “I love this one.” She was pointing at the second design of the matching necklace and bracelet.
“Will it go with your dress?” I said.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I have several dresses to choose from.”
I raised an eyebrow and she laughed.
“It’s one of the perks of owning a bridal store,” she says.
“Oh how cool,” I say.
“Thanks. Look at that,” Jenna says, catching sight of the signature jewelry I was making for our online store.
“We sell those on our online store,” I tell her. I turn on the computer to show her.
“All your pieces are so unique,” she says leaning forward to stare at the screen. “They would be perfect in the store.” She looks up at Jerry. “What do you think? Our customers would love them. It would be like a one stop store and if someone wanted a custom-made piece, we would direct them to Bianca.”
“Makes sense,” Jerry said.
My heart pounded with excitement as I listened to them. They threw ideas between them and then Jenna turned to me and chuckled. “You must think we’re insane.”
“Not at all,” I said. “I’m intrigued.”
She explained to me then her idea of carving out a section in her store for my jewelry. We could work out a commission for them for every piece sold. We threw ideas back and forth. I reminded myself to be cool until I saw the actual store. For all I knew, it could be tucked away in a location that rarely saw any business.
“I guess the only thing remaining is for you and your sister to see the store and then after that we make a formal, legal document,” Jenna said.
“Sounds good,” I said happily.
We agreed that I would go to the store the following day in the afternoon. The first person I thought to call was Connor but I figured he was busy at work and texted him instead.
Me: Exciting news. Will tell you this evening.
I hit send and then it dawned on me that I was assuming an awful lot. He probably had plans for the evening. I quickly sent off another text.
Me: Or tomorrow if you have other plans this evening.
He texted me back almost immediately.
Connor: Nothing would keep me away.
I smiled, pleasure swamping me.
Me: I’ve got leftovers from yesterday.
Connor: I’ll make a fresh salad.
Me: It’s a date.
I called my sister next and she squealed when I told her the news.
“That will sort out our next phase of expansion,” she said. “We’ll be in a physical store but without the added cost of overheads. How perfect is that?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said. “For all we know it’s on a back street somewhere.”
“Sis, if this woman can afford one of your custom pieces, then for sure, her bridal store is not on a back street somewhere.”
She had a point there.
The hours dragged and by the time Connor arrived home, I’d looked at the clock on the wall a hundred times. When I heard his key in the lock, I gave up completely. I swiveled my chair around and followed his footsteps as he walked down the hallway.
The door was slightly ajar and he peered in before entering. It struck me anew just how handsome he was.
“Hi gorgeous,” he said, coming to kiss me on the mouth as naturally as a husband returning home after work.
Would that how it would be for us or would the magic end when the initial excitement ended and the real work of being in a relationship began?
“Hey,” I said and got to my feet.
Connor pulled me into a hug. He smelled so good. I wrapped my hands around his waist as my body molded against his. That was all I needed for my body to get other ideas. But first, I had to tell him about my meeting with Jenna and Jerry.
“Coffee?” he said.
“Let’s go and make it.”
I followed him out of the studio and to the kitchen.
“Sit, I’ll make the coffee,” Connor said. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing his muscled arms.
“You spoil me,” I said, ignoring the buzz of attraction ringing in me.
“You deserve it,” Connor said as he got the coffee machine going. “So, tell me about your meeting.”
I grinned. “It was crazy. A little weird at first. Can you believe that Jenna’s fiancé Jerry is my ex. We dated for three months. I almost wet my pants when I saw him.”
I wait for Connor’s laughter but it didn’t come. Instead he turned around and frowned.
“Ex. I hate him already,” he said.
I laughed. “Jenna was totally cool with it. She’s an awesome woman. She said she didn’t expect to be Jerry’s first girlfriend and as long as we were completely over each other, she was good.”
“Is he completely over you?” Connor asked.
It was cute the way he thought that Jerry would still have feelings for me. “Oh yeah. I think at the time, we both knew we were wrong for each other. Anyway, that’s not my exciting news.”
I rubbed my hands together.
“Wait. Let me pour the coffee,” Connor said and dashed about the kitchen in a comical way that made me laugh.
He placed the mugs of coffee on the island and slid on the stool next to mine. “I’m ready.”
“Jenna happens to be the owner of a bridal store downtown and she wants to have our jewelry in the store. Sort of like a one stop store for her customers.” I could barely contain my excitement.
Connor�
��s eyes widened and then his mouth widened into a grin.
“I’ll be damned! You’re going places woman,” he said and then draped an arm around me and pulled me close for a side hug. “Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.”
Connor
“Eva and I have been brainstorming several ideas on how to take the business to the next level and this was one of them.” Bianca’s eyes were gleaming with excitement.
“You get all the advantages of a store without the headache of running one,” I told her.
“Yes!” she said. “I’m just crossing my fingers that her store turns out to be close to the kind of store we’d want to partner with,” she said, a look of worry clouding her eyes.
“Hey, tonight is a night for celebration, not worry,” I said.
“How did I get so lucky to have you in my life,” Bianca said, swiveling her stool around to have a better look at me.
“I’m the lucky one,” I said.
“Did you talk to your boss?” Bianca said.
“Yeah, I did. The only new information I got was that the new owners are coming in next week. We’ll just wait and see.”
“You seem so calm about it,” she said.
I shrugged. “It is what it is. I weighed my options and decided that I wasn’t so badly off financially. I can manage for six months or more without a job. I call that a win.”
“That’s got to be a major comfort. You’d definitely have time to pick the job you want.”
I remembered my conversation with Marjorie and the conclusion it had made me reach. Without giving myself time to talk myself out of it, I plowed ahead.
“Speaking with her was also helpful in an unexpected way,” I said and told hold her everything that had transpired with Marjorie. Bianca made sympathetic noises.
“I feel sorry for her,” Bianca said. “All she has is her job.”
“I don’t want to be like that. I love my work but I also want love.” I stared into her eyes. “I don’t want to let the past cloud my judgment or make me miss out on the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
Her eyes widened.
“I’m talking about you Bianca. I think you’re more than amazing and I don’t want to be just lovers or friends with you. I want it all. I want to introduce you as my girlfriend.”
I couldn’t read the expression on her face. Had I frightened her off? I knew her feelings about relationships and how little faith she had in them as well as herself.
“We’ll just take it a day at a time and I promise I won’t come on too strongly. Just nice and easy.” I was rambling and probably making it worse. “Say something.”
Her lips curved into a smile and the knots in my stomach eased.
“That sounds good. I’d like that too.”
I stood up and moved between her legs. I rested my hands on her hips and gently brushed my lips against hers. I inhaled her scent as I slipped my tongue into her mouth and tasted her.
Bianca moaned and threaded her fingers through my hair. Our kiss deepened and grew frantic. My cock pulsed to life and pushed against my pants. I drew back to cup her face and stare into her eyes. It had all happened so fast but it felt right.
“My woman,” I said, my voice gruff with emotion.
“I want to celebrate,” Bianca said suggestively.
Without another word, I slipped one hand behind her and the other under her hips, and lifted her. I carried her to her bedroom, laid her on the bed and proceeded to undress her.
“I want to taste every inch of your skin,” I said.
She shivered as I pulled off her t-shirt.
“Are you cold?”
“Hell no,” she said and grinned.
“Good.” I took a nipple into my mouth and as I teased it, Bianca whimpered with need.
I flicked her hard nipple with my tongue before moving to the next one and showering it with attention. She writhed underneath me and murmured sweet words that I wasn’t sure she was aware of. It was official. Bianca was mine.
I made a vow to myself that I wasn’t going to worry that I was on the rebound. I’d enjoy peeling back the layers and getting to know her on a deeper level.
“I want you Connor,” she said gripping my head.
I growled at the need in her voice. I peeled off the rest of her clothes and then got up to undress. As I stripped off my clothes, I kept my eyes glued on her body. God, she was hot.
I arranged myself between her legs, careful to give the leg with a cast enough room. Bianca arched her back urging me to take her.
“Fuck,” I hissed, moving her legs further apart. Her pussy glistened with arousal. “You look so hot.”
“Please, I can’t wait,” she moaned.
I lined up my cock to her entrance and pushed the head in. I planted my hands on either side of her and watched as my cock disappeared inside her pussy.
“Oh my God,” Bianca cried when I was buried to the hilt.
I pulled out and thrust back in again. Pleasure was drawn on her face as I took her faster and harder. She panted and met my gaze. Asking Bianca to go home to Colorado had been the smartest thing I had ever done in my life.
Who would have known that doing so had opened a door to one of the best moments of my life?
“Connor. Please.”
“What do you need sweetheart?” I ask her without changing the pace of my thrusts. I knew what she needed but I loved hearing her voice coated with need.
“You. I need you,” she said.
“You have me.” I grazed my steel hard cock against her clit as I pulled out and she screamed.
I did that several more times and her body stiffened and then trembled uncontrollably as she came. I continued pumping, chasing my release and it followed a minute later.
Bianca squeezed her inner muscles gripping my cock tightly. I grunted and groaned as cum shot out of me, flooding her pussy.
“Don’t come out,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.” I shifted carefully, keeping my cock inside until she was lying on top of me. “I could have a second career as an acrobat, what do you think?”
She giggled. “I think you’re right.”
I massaged her back and perfectly rounded ass. Feelings of happiness overwhelmed me. Everything had somehow fallen into place. It was odd to think that all along, she had been right in front of my eyes, serving us whenever we went to The Ace.
“Do you want to know the first thing I’ll do when I get this blasted cast off?” Bianca said, shifting her body for a more comfortable position.
“Hey, don’t call it that,” I protested. “Had you not gotten a cast, we’d have gone our separate ways and never met again.”
She made thoughtful sounds. “You may be right. In that case when I get it removed, I’ll save it as a memento.”
“I think we can just do with the memory. It’ll take up too much space,” I said.
She laughed. “Anyway, I was telling you the first thing I’ll do when I get it off. I’ll come to your place.”
“That’s something to look forward to. I can’t wait to see you walking around my apartment naked.”
Bianca hit me playfully on the chest. “Trust you to turn an innocent conversation dirty.”
My stomach growled loudly reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since my lunch with Marjorie. I swatted Bianca on her ass.
“I’ll go start on that salad,” I said.
“I already made it. It’s in the fridge,” she said as she slid off me.
“Great.” I popped into the bathroom, freshened up before returning to the bedroom to dress.
I pulled Bianca to her feet when I was done and helped her dress.
“You know I can do this myself right?” she said.
“Yeah, but it’s an excuse to touch you.”
“You don’t need an excuse to touch me.” She draped her arms around my neck and went on tip toe to kiss me.
“I love how soft your lips are,” I said cupping her ass.
“And
I love how hard your body is,” she said.
I gently pried her hands from my neck. “If we don’t stop now, we’ll be back in that bed.”
I handed her the crutches and she hobbled after me to the kitchen. I got the leftover chicken from the fridge and warmed it in the microwave.
“Wow,” Bianca said when everything was on the island. “You do everything so fast. It’s almost like you’re on fast forward.”
“That’s from working in the lodge kitchen since I was young,” I said.
“How was it growing up in a lodge?” Bianca asked as we ate.
“It was cool having people around all the time. James and all the guys who worked there became like family. Plus I saw my parents all the time. They never had to leave to go to work. That was cool.”
It dawned on me how lucky Sarah and I had been to be raised as we had. Unlike a lot of friends I had known in school, we hadn’t been raised by nannies. I mused over how Bianca had been raised and protective feelings came over me. It pained me to imagine her been shuffled from one parent to another.
“If I ever have children, that’s how I’d want to raise them,” she said softly. “I’d love to be present for every important milestone.”
“Me too,” I said. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I’d found the mother of my children in her but I’d promised to take it easy.
I could easily imagine Bianca mothering our children and that thought got me aroused all over again.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Bianca said. “I want to see that store so badly.”
“Hey, do you want me to come and go with you. I can think of an excuse to give at work,” I said.
“That’s sweet of you but I’ll be fine. Eva is coming with me and we’ll take a cab.”
“How is she doing? Is she allowed out of bed?”
Bianca nodded. “She is as long as she’s not on her feet for too long. Nothing could have kept her away.”
We ate the rest of our dinner as we chatted. I cleaned up and then we settled in the living room to watch some TV. As we relaxed on the couch, with me spooning her, my phone rang from my pocket. It was Tony.
“Are you free for a drink on Friday,” he said, after we exchanged pleasantries. “You’ve been MIA for too long.”
