by Diana Nixon
"What if I still love you, Rhea?..."
She chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous. You don't love anyone or anything but your job."
"You are wrong… As always." I felt like my tongue refuse to obey me. I emptied my glass and slammed it again the coffee table. "Good night, Cherry. If you change your mind about sharing a bed with me, you know where to find me."
"Never!" She turned on her heels and clip-clopped to her bedroom.
Fuck…I deserved this. She will never love me again, no matter what I do.
The next morning started with a headache, which was not a surprise. That third drink was too much, that's for sure.
I sat in my bed and grimaced. The day promised to be hell. No surprise again – hellish days and nights had become a normal routine, starting the moment the priest said 'I announce you husband and wife'."
"Maybe I shouldn't have proposed after all," I muttered, getting out of the bed.
"Great point," Rhea said, walking into the room.
"If you are here for a morning quickie, I'm afraid I'm not in the mood for one."
"Neither am I."
"Why am I not surprised to hear that?"
She ignored my question, even though it was rhetorical.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"Oh, really? What do you need this time?"
I couldn't miss the moment her eyes as if accidentally slipped down my body and then quickly moved up again.
I smirked. "Are you sure you are not in the mood for a quickie?"
She blushed, obviously realizing that her small observation didn't go unnoticed.
"One of my clients is throwing a charity dinner. He knows I'm married and he has sent an invitation for two. So… Will you…"
"Go with you? As your husband?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, as my pocket dog. Of course, as my husband!"
I smiled. It was the first time since the wedding day that she had called me her husband without trying to put as much venom as she could in that word.
"What time shall we be there?"
"Seven o'clock."
"Okay."
She looked pleased with my answer. "Thank you."
"Anytime, Cherry."
It was still a little surreal to call her that again. But she didn't seem to mind me doing it.
***
Rhea
I felt like I was about to suffocate. I had been all nerves starting this morning when I walked into Jeffrey's bedroom and saw him almost naked. I couldn't but see how well-built he was. Damn, I wanted to come closer and ran my palm down his chest and kiss him and then beg him to go back to bed, with me, and do whatever the hell he wanted to do with me. Because… Shit, shit, shit… I wanted it as much as ever.
"You need to calm down, Rhea."
My reflection looked back at me from the mirror and laughed aloud. Easier said than done.
I was almost ready to go. I knew Jeffrey had been waiting for me in the living room, but I seemed to be unable to leave the safety of my room. It was going to be the first time for us to go out as spouses, and something about it made me want to crawl under the blanket and pretend I didn't need to go anywhere.
The dress that Sandy and I picked out for the night was gorgeous: black and silky, with a halter-neck and completely open back, showing off my tattoo. It fit me like a glove and something was telling me my husband was gonna love it too.
I took one more deep breath, put my feet in a pair of high heeled shoes and went to see him.
The moment I entered the living room, he turned around and I stopped stunned.
He looked breathtaking in a slim-cut tux, completed by the white shirt and a bow-tie.
We gave each other a few moments to appraise the choice of our looks. I knew he liked what he saw and so did I. His eyes didn't miss a single detail. Even from across the room, I could see that he was enjoying the exploration.
All it took for my thoughts was to imagine him touching me and my plans about the night got dangerously close to being sent straight to hell. I felt like I was made of gunpowder and he was about to light up a match and make me burn inside and out.
"Shall we go?" I asked, breaking the intense silence. I swear I could feel his eyes everywhere they stopped, including the parts of me that I was sure were not capable of being so responsive.
"Looks like it's gonna be a long night, Cherry."
I had no freaking idea what he meant by that; I preferred not to think about it at all.
The ride in the elevator never felt so endless. It was as if we were living on the moon and then needed to go down to the Earth, not in a rocket, but on foot.
"Nervous?" Jeffrey asked.
"No. Why would I be nervous? It's just a dinner."
"You wouldn't stop playing with your purse."
I chuckled. "I didn't notice. Maybe you are right – I am nervous. Just a little."
He moved closer and said quietly, "Is it because you are going there with me, or…"
I turned my head to look at him and found his face dangerously close to mine.
"I don't want to lose one of my best clients. I still owe you a lot of money, remember?"
"Hard to forget." He smiled in a foxery manner, as if he didn't buy a damn word of mine.
Whatever, seriously, what-fucking-ever. He always enjoyed torturing me, and now that his name was written right after my first name, it looked like he enjoyed it even more.
When our car stopped at the entrance of the restaurant where the dinner was supposed to take place, Jeffrey got out first and then opened the door for me.
"Thanks," I said, taking his offered hand.
The flashes from cameras blinded my vision. Jeffrey put a palm at the small of my back and my whole body froze.
"I'm here as your husband, remember? It means I'm allowed to touch you on a legal basis."
I gave him my best 'Screw you' smile and we walked down the red carpet that led to the doors.
"Rhea, dear, I'm so glad you've made it," Mr. Wyles said. He kissed me on both cheeks.
"Meet my husband, Jeffrey Coleman."
They shook hands and exchanged polite smiles. "She told me so much about you, Jeffrey."
"Really?" My 'hubby' gave me a surprised look.
"She said you have an eye for the most gainful deals."
"Well, I'm married to the best woman in the world. So I guess she's right about my talents."
Mr. Wyles laughed. "I already like you Jeffrey. Come with me, kids. I'll introduce you to my guests."
The man was in his late fifties, but he changed wives like one changes gloves, and all of them were at least twice younger than him.
"He loved your dress," Jeffrey commented. Was I imagining things or did he actually sound jealous? "Good news – you are here with me and he won't try to seduce you."
"Which can't be said about you as well…"
He smiled at me and then whispered into my ear, with his palm still resting at the small of my back, "I would have felt guilty about the thoughts running through my head right now, if I didn't know yours were going the same way, Dear."
CHAPTER 19
Jeffrey
I swear my cock had never been so close to making a hole in my pants. The only thing that saved me from embarrassment was the fact that we were sitting at the table and no one but me knew about the pain in my boxers.
"How much longer shall we stay here?" I typed a message and sent it to Rhea.
"Is everything all right?" She asked, instead of typing me back.
"Something urgent came up… I need to get back home as soon as possible."
"Can you wait for at least thirty more minutes?"
Of course, unless I die from a sperm toxicosis much sooner.
"Sure." Long-term abstention didn’t do me any good. Especially living under the same roof with the woman I had wanted for as long as I could remember.
Tonight had been just too much. Her dress, the way other men were watching her, the way she reacted t
o my touches and words. Everything was just fucking too much to pretend I didn't want to make her mine, for real and not just by making her marry me.
"You look like you are in deep pain," she commented, watching me closely.
"You have no idea…"
"Just don't tell me you are sick." She looked around, obviously looking for the nearest men's room.
"Worse."
"Worse?"
"I'll explain it as soon as we get back home."
She checked on the clock on her cell phone. "The auction part shall end in about fifteen minutes."
"Great."
She gave me another worried look. "Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you to the men's room?"
"Trust me, Rhea, if we go there together, it will complicate things to the max."
It looked like my words made her worry grow. "Wait here, I'll go thank Mr. Wyles for the invitation and then we can leave. Okay?"
"Make it quick."
She nodded and went to the table next to ours. The man she introduced to me earlier tonight looked at me, then said something to Rhea and motioned for the restaurant manager, obviously asking him to accompany us to the exit.
"Can you walk?" My wife asked.
How was I supposed to answer that question?
I nodded wordlessly and we walked out and into the fresh air that was so much better than sitting in a room full of people I didn't know and daydreaming about the woman whose mere name made my body scream in need to be with her, in every meaning of the word.
"Can you finally tell me what is going on?"
We were in the back seat of a limo and my patience was getting to zero, way too fast.
"As soon as we get home," I said again. I didn't even look at her, preferring the view of the night city – the only distraction that kept my sanity under control at that moment.
"Fine." I heard her sigh and I mentally thanked the heavens she didn't want to ask any more questions, or her beautiful dress was about to be torn to pieces.
When riding in the elevator, I tried to look at anything but her. I even started counting the scratches on the metal door. Could the fucking thing move even slower?
I could see Rhea watching me from out of the corner of her eye. Did she have any idea about why we needed to leave earlier? Except for the reason I gave her back in the restaurant of course.
Well, I was telling the truth – the mentioned emergency couldn't wait any longer.
The elevator finally stopped.
Thank God.
I almost ran out of it.
"You are scaring me, Jeffrey." Rhea waited for me to fight with the lock. "Do you need help?"
"I will. In a minute." I finally opened the door and we entered the apartment."
"So?" She looked at me, waiting for the answer.
"I've been trying, Rhea… I really have, but tonight turned out to be the final nail in my coffin."
"I don't understand. What are you…"
I stepped closer and pulled her into a fiery kiss. I couldn't wait any longer, couldn't keep pretending I didn't care if she was seeing someone else. I couldn't keep wasting our time on pointless argues. We'd lost so many years. It was time to make up for each and every one of them.
"Jeffrey, wait... We need to stop."
"Sorry, Cherry... Not tonight." My palms ventured over the silk of her skin. The dress was a killer. I knew it would finish me off tonight, and I was right.
I broke the kiss, taking shallow breaths. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her. I wanted her to believe me, to trust me and let me show just how much I needed her in my embrace and in my life. A part of me wanted to pull away and let her make this decision, but then I saw the battle happening in her blue pools and I thought I needed to finish what I started, or we'd be lost for each other once and for all.
My lips found hers again and the world around us faded away. My tongue stroked hers and she suddenly started responding to my kiss, vigorously, passionately. She ran her palms up my tux and then untied the bowtie and dropped it to the floor. There was so little space left between us, but I needed to feel her closer, much closer.
I swept her into my arms and carried her to my bedroom. Tonight I wasn't going to let her sleep in any other bed but mine. No, scratch that – sleep was the only missing thing in my to-do list for the nearest future.
I burst through the door and stopped at the bed; her feet touched the floor and she looked me in the eye, then let her gaze travel down my face until it stopped at my lips. She leaned in and with her tongue, she traced a line down my lower lip. I groaned into her mouth. She then pushed her tongue in between my parted lips and started kissing me with so much need, which was a reflection of everything I was feeling at the moment.
For years, my mind had been wandering to Rhea. The perfect curves wrapped in a cherry smell; the voice so soft and beautiful that would take you to a land that never existed and make you believe absolutely anything, even if that was not true; the eyes that made any man looking into them lose their minds; the lips that I never stopped kissing in my dreams, if not for real. I let those sweet memories of her embrace me and keep me alive. Until the day she walked into my office like she owned it, and I suddenly realized that she had owned me as well, all these years…
I had been watching her all night long, thinking of all the damn time that we lost because of my youthful desire to prove to the world that I was worth having a name the sound of which made people respect it. And then, I caught myself imaging her in my bed, with her black hair spread all over my pillows, with her body waiting for me to explore it. I couldn't stop thinking about it and my body refused to give the sweet image go just like that.
The lacy fabric that covered her body looked so fragile. I pulled the ribbon tied at the back of her neck and the upper part of the dress slipped down to her waist, revealing a small black backless bra that could be removed without an effort.
I stepped closer and took it off her, revealing the two hardened nipples that begged for me to kiss them.
Our eyes met and I saw the traces of embarrassment crossing her gaze. There was nothing to be ashamed of, but it was our first time together and I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be the last.
I bent down and kissed the curve of her neck, then moved my way down her shoulder, breast and belly, until my hands dealt with her dress and it landed on the floor, leaving nothing but a black thong to cover her.
We didn't talk, but I could feel the intensity of our desire growing between us.
She stepped out of the dress and sat down at the edge of my bed. The heels stayed on and I liked it. There was nothing about her that I would want to change. It had always been like that – I loved her for who she was. It hadn't changed with time. I still loved everything about her.
She watched me with the fire burning in her bright-blue eyes. I started unbuttoning my shirt, her eyes followed each and every one of them. I took off the jacket and the shirt and then undid the belt on my trousers. With her palms doubling my blanket, she kept watching me undress. Just when I was fully naked, standing in front of her, she said in a whisper:
"This is what I call a tease."
I chuckled. "Look who's talking, Miss Sexy Dress. Tell me something, did you put it on to drive me up the wall?"
"Maybe…"
"So I thought." I leaned in and added. "Then maybe, just MAYBE…I will want revenge for teasing me all night long."
"The night is not over yet."
"This is exactly what makes my plans for you even more alluring, Mrs. Coleman." I never once called her that way, but now that the name was said out loud, I really liked the way it sounded. Lying would be pointless – I ALWAYS wanted her to have my name. Even when I was telling my father that she didn't mean anything to me, I still wanted her to mine, forever.
"Move up," I said and waited for her to comply; her eyes never left mine.
I copied her move and hovered over her.
"So beautiful…" I murmured into her ear.
It was still hard to believe that she was with me now, that I was going to make her mine for real, and not just in my imagination.
It was still hard to believe that she wanted to be mine as much as I wanted it.
"This is not a game," she said right before my lips found hers again.
"I know," I said in between my kisses. "And I like it. I'm sick of playing games I can't win."
Now she was the prize, and I wasn't gonna lose it.
***
Rhea
Strong arms hold me tight in their embrace. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from the burning desire that was eating me alive.
God, I had been dreaming about this moment for so long…
And now, that I was finally getting what I had wanted for as long as I could remember, I suddenly got scared…
What if it's gonna be just for one night? What if everything that looked so real, will disappear in the morning light? What if…
"I will never let you go, Rhea. Do you hear me?" Jeffrey's voice broke into my thoughts.
"Ever?"
He smiled at my question. "You will see." He gave me another hungry look and I felt like he could read my every unspoken thought.
Maybe it was time to let life put everything where it belonged. Because deep down inside, I always knew where I belonged – with him.
Jeffrey's lips moved down my neck and then right to one of my nipples. He moaned and sucked it, making my whole body tremble in his embrace.
God, he was too much. Everything about him was too much, starting from the way he had watched me during the dinner and to the touches and kisses that were making it harder to breathe. He knew exactly what he was doing to me, as well as I knew what I was doing to him. And we both liked it, a lot.
With the tip of his tongue, he started drawing circles around my nipples, as if those were the levers that turned me on and made me go wild.
Helpless noises came out of my throat.
Incredible.
There was no other way to describe how good he made me feel: wanted, beautiful and…loved.
