Oh, wow. Emma’s words have just slapped me in the face and created a deep knot in my stomach. Indeed, Alex might be sitting in front of me, but I remain invisible to him. He hasn’t said a single word to me during the whole dinner. I can’t help but wonder if this is his way to grieve, or if, as Emma just said, he really has moved on.
Jeez, the idea terrifies me, and I have to close my eyes to calm myself down. My God, it hurts. It hurts loving someone you can’t be with. And it hurts even more when that someone gives up on you. As I reopen my eyes, I see that Alex is looking at me. There is no smile on his face though, and I know it’s easy for him to figure out how I’m feeling inside. Oh jeez, why? Is he enjoying seeing me in so much pain?
It is what is. Just accept it and move on, I keep telling myself.
Recognizing the first notes of the piano, my ears instantly perk up.
“The look… of love…” I hear Diana crooning.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the music, but I give Alex a small smile as we both recognize the song. After all, it’s the song we danced to at our engagement party and the one we wanted for our wedding dance.
“Ah! Alex will give his speech right after this song,” Dad announces with a joyful tone.
What? I can’t believe it! Dad knows perfectly well that Alex and I danced to this song at our engagement party. I bet he did this on purpose to ruin it for me. Maybe as some sort of revenge.
I look unsmilingly at my dad and ask, “May I have one last dance with my godfather before he leaves for Singapore?”
Neither Dad nor Alex say a word. And while everyone else at the table stares at them in amusement, Alex takes a sip of his water, speechless, before glancing at my dad.
“Sure,” Dad utters, visibly conflicted.
Alex doesn’t seem very enthusiastic either. After removing his napkin from his lap, he finally stands up. “What I wouldn’t do for my goddaughter.” His restrained, gentlemanly voice makes me hate him even more. Or not…
Nevertheless, I remain seated, waiting patiently for him to stand in front of me, and to extend a hand. Once he does so, I take his hand, and we make our way to the dance floor, leaving our table and my father behind us.
Hidden in the darkness among countless couples, I put my arms around his neck as Alex holds my waist, aiming to keep a safe distance between us. But I don’t care, and I take a step forward—a step a bit too close for his taste, but perfect for me. With my body nestled against his, cheek to cheek, we start swaying back and forth while Diana croons in the background.
But then Alex mutters, “You shouldn’t be so close.”
“I love it,” I reply in a low voice as our bodies keep moving together, following the sensual beat. “And I love everything about this song.”
I hear nothing but a heavy grown. “Fuck…”
My lips curve up with pleasure and guilt at his discontentment. I can feel him growing hard under his pants as I keep my crotch pressed to his. “Indeed,” I whisper. “That’s exactly what I’d like to do with you right now.”
His lips part with a ragged breath. “Petra, stop it,” he insists. “This is inappropriate.”
But I don’t listen, and I stay just as close to him. Because this is what I want. This is what we want. Him here with me slow dancing to one of our favorite songs, feeling each other, and, most importantly, being with each other. Regardless of anything else, this is the life we want. And this is the life we deserve to live. “Don’t move to Singapore,” I plead, my tone low but shaky. “I can’t let you go.” My eyes shut at the immensity of my pain, thinking how, in a few moments, he will make it official. “I beg you, don’t go.”
Nothing but the instruments and my torment can be heard.
Then he looks me in the eye, his thumb stroking my cheek to calm me down. “I love you.” My heart stops upon hearing him. I have missed those words so much. “Whatever you do with your life, I’ll always love you.” And he seals those words with a long kiss on my forehead just as the music stops and the magic of our dance disappears. It feels like a goodbye. I sniffle, but make the conscious effort not to let the tears fall. I’ve cried too much and too many times for this man.
“Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen,” says Diana under a wave of applause. “It was a pleasure being here tonight. God bless you.”
As she leaves the stage, Alex and I walk silently back to our table. And I know at this precise moment that nothing will make him change his plans.
Not even me.
Not even our engagement.
Nothing.
Dreams will remain dreams. And the nightmares I’ve had will actually become my new reality. I just never thought I wouldn’t be able to prevent it from happening.
When we arrive at our table, we hear the presenter calling my Dad onstage, and I see him leaving his seat with a big grin, more than ready for his speech.
I decide to take Dad’s chair and sit beside my fiancé, or to everyone else, my godfather. I’m still holding his arm, but I don’t care.
While my dad is already at the podium telling some dry joke and everyone is laughing hard at it, I remain quiet, staring at Alex and trying to memorize every single line on his face. But the harsh reality haunts me—tomorrow, he’ll be flying back to Singapore, and we’ll never see each other again. As I look down, I see my hand tightly holding his. A small smile settles on my lips, but it disappears just as fast when I hear Dad call him onstage. Alex gives my hand a kiss before releasing it. He then waves to the crowd, who are applauding him, and stands up.
This is it.
I close my eyes while my fiancé walks away, ready to embrace his new life in Singapore.
“Thank you, Roy, for the warm introduction,” I hear him say into the microphone. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It’s indeed with the greatest joy that we are here tonight, not only to celebrate Miss Van Gatt’s healthy return among us, but also to share with you some exciting news.”
“Are you alright, Petra?” Dad asks when he returns, probably seeing my eyes closed.
I nod, and for the sake of politeness, I reopen them, giving him a smile as he sits beside me. I look at the stage, and, just like Dad, I wait patiently for Alex’s announcement. But unlike Dad, I hope it never comes.
“Therefore, in order to accelerate our growth in Asia, we’ve decided that someone from headquarters should move permanently to Singapore and become the new managing director.”
My heart squeezes tight at the word Singapore, and I feel it pounding faster and louder with every second.
“As CEO, it’s my great pleasure to announce—”
I have to close my eyes again. I feel like I’m going to faint at any moment.
“That Mr. Paulo Marques, our dear CFO, will be the new managing director in Singapore.”
WHAT?! I look at Paulo and Anabela instantly. They don’t seem surprised. Then, at Dad. He, on the other hand, is under the same wave of shock as me. He is mute, gaping and glaring intently at Alex while everyone else is clapping and cheering for Paulo, who is now standing up to go onstage. I also look back at Alex, and that asshole has got the cheekiest smile on his face. I can’t help but beam with joy, clapping my hands hard—as hard as I can. “Congratulations, Mr. Marques!” I scream.
Paulo shakes Alex’s hand, taking his place at the podium.
“Relax. It could have been worse,” I tell Dad as I barely contain tears of joy.
“How? Just tell me. How?”
“Well,” I lean closer to Dad’s ear, lowering my voice, “he could’ve made a public announcement about our engagement.”
Dad shakes his head in return, and, standing up in annoyance, he mutters, “I need some fresh air.” And he leaves the table.
I also leave the table, but not for the same reason.
“Hey, Miss…” I grin at the man standing right in front of me. “Did you enjoy the speech?”
“Oh, it was…” It was perfect! “It was a great decision. Paulo has always e
njoyed Singapore. And Anabela doesn’t like staying alone in New York,” I say as Alex keeps walking toward me.
“I agree.” And then, reaching for my hand, he whispers, “Come with me.”
Actually, I do want to come at his words right now from all the excitement. I follow him, holding his hand as we leave the main ballroom. We take the stairs up to the next floor, walk down the hallway, and Alex opens a door at the very end, rushing me inside. It’s dark, but with a few windows lighting up the place, I can see it’s another dining room as there are chairs and tables spread all over. Before I can look further, he snatches me up and shoves me against the wall, his mouth devouring mine and my hands already pushing his jacket off. With his help, I remove it, letting it fall to the ground behind us, but we don’t care. Nothing else matters—just us. As he unfastens his belt, I remove my panties hurriedly, wishing they were never there in the first place.
Oh, he is not leaving. He is here. With me. He lifts my legs, wrapping them around his waist, and as my tongue plays with his, I grow desperate to feel him inside of me. I’m even sweating simply at the thought of it. Oh my… how much I missed him. His kiss is long, hungry, and passionate. “Ahh…” At the intensity of his first thrust, my mouth opens wide, but not my eyes. “Ahhh!” The deeper his thrusts, the deeper I feel how much he loves me, how much he missed me, and how much he needs me. Fuck! “Ahh…” This time I hear him too. I tighten my grip around his neck to hold on to while he mounts me eagerly against the wall. “Ah!” He becomes more insistent, his thrusts more hurried as he breathes in and out against my mouth. Then he moves to my neck, sucking it hard as he fucks me. And at that instant, with all the mixed emotions consuming me, I let the tears I was holding back all night fall. I have no shame in admitting it—I do need him in my life. Yes, I do. Like a terrible obsession. Like an addict with any vice, I don’t want the cure—I can’t even cure it.
“You really thought I’d leave you, huh?”
I can’t reply. I barely have air in my lungs to breathe. He reaches my mouth again, kissing me lustily. And I know he knows I’m in tears. “I’ll never leave you. Do you hear me?” he scolds, searching my gaze. But I shut my eyes at the intensity of everything, sniffle, and nod. “I need you in every fucking sense of the word,” he adds, emphasizing the fucking.
“Oh, Alex…” I rest my face against his shoulder, sniffling. “I need you so much.” And then I suck his neck, inhaling his cologne. “Ahhh! Oh!” I feel my pussy throbbing, dopamine filling every inch of my brain, as I lean my head against the wall to moan, to breathe, to come. “Oh, fuck! Don’t stop!”
Alex doesn’t stop, no. He keeps going. He keeps going even harder. “Ahh!”
“Petra.” His hand covers my mouth. “Don’t moan so fucking loud,” he scolds between clenched teeth as our imminent orgasms barrel toward us.
To my greatest pleasure, he keeps pounding me until he gives me the best part of him, the part I was missing the most. “Ahh…” he groans. Oh, there is nothing better than this. My eyes remain shut, as I moan against his palm at the warm sensation of him unloading inside me. I don’t care if I’m loud. He knows how to fuck me, and I don’t care if the world knows it.
Then, as we come back to our senses, we hear nothing but our panting breaths and our heartbeats. He plants a kiss on my forehead while remaining inside me, just as I like. We look at each other, and I find myself smiling quite proudly. “You know… I’m no longer taking the pill.”
He lets out a chuckle at my statement, but the same smile settles on his lips. “I know.”
And mine keeps growing until he steals it with a kiss.
As I feel his cum coursing down my thighs, I ask, “Do you have any tissue?”
He lets out a quick laugh, most likely in embarrassment. “They are in my jacket… which is lying on the floor.”
I shake my head, beaming with joy. “We’re gonna have to stay here forever, then.”
“That wouldn’t be such a bad idea.” And I close my eyes to receive another peck on my lips. “Not having to deal with your parents would solve most of our problems.”
“Do you think Dad will forgive you?”
“You mean, for betraying his trust and announcing publicly that I’m not resigning like I promised him I would?” he asks rhetorically. “Not sure. But it was worth it.”
As we leave the venue, we don’t see Dad around. Alex and I greet some guests at the entrance, and we find his driver waiting for us, standing outside the car. Alex invites me in, and we sit beside each other, my body nestled against his. “One-twenty Fifth Avenue,” he instructs.
I smile immediately; that’s not my address. “We’re going to your condo, right?”
Our eyes lock, and we smile at each other. With an arm around me, he brings me even closer to him, and whispers, “Where on earth would my fiancée go if not to my place?”
This new reality tastes even better than my wildest dreams. While I know this is most likely just a temporary—or a weekend—move until he speaks to Dad, I couldn’t care less. It’s still way better than anything I expected for this weekend.
“Do you have plans for the weekend?” he asks.
I can’t help but chuckle. “Yes,” I reply, lost in his blue eyes. “You.”
Chapter 27
Manhattan, October 18, 2020
Petra Van Gatt
For the first time in a month, I slept without nightmares, without waking up with a jump, and without screaming in tears. I wake up just like it should be—with the man I love by my side, placing warm kisses on my neck and nibbling the shell of my ear. “Good morning, Miss Van Gatt,” I hear him whisper. “Breakfast is served.”
Breakfast? Already?
“Mmm…” I mumble, stretching my body under the sheets. “What time is it?”
“Half past eleven.”
Jeez, so late! My eyes open wide, and I turn to face him. Okay, he is already all dressed up, casually lying next to me on top of the sheets. “You woke up early, didn’t you?”
He grins at me in response. “Just two hours ago.” Given the fact that we made love until five a.m., two hours ago seems quite early to me. “You are so damn beautiful when you sleep.”
“Oh, shut up,” I tease.
“C’mon, let’s go,” he instructs, pushing the blankets down. “It’s a glorious sunny day in Manhattan. Let’s have breakfast and then go outside. You need a tan.”
“The terrace is outside,” I protest, still gaining the courage to get out of bed.
I look around for something to wear. And I realize this was my first time sleeping here in his condo, as I had only spent the weekends in Bedford Hills before. I find his white shirt laying on a chair, and, well, a shirt will do.
I drag myself sleepily to the terrace, waking up at the sight of my fiancé.
Fuck, look at him, with the sunlight beaming deliciously on the locks of his hair and his face as he’s working on his iPad.
Then, as I scan the table, I can’t help but say, “There are only two of us. Why so much food?”
“You said the same thing in Aspen…” And once his eyes are on me, a small smile charms his face, probably in amusement at seeing me in his shirt.
Letting out a quick chuckle, I say, “You did order too much food.” Then I take a seat in front of him and grab some avocado toast.
“And what was my reply then?”
I swallow dryly as his blue eyes lock with mine. No matter how many times I have seen him, his face, his eyes, his smile, and his unbrushed hair falling on either side of his brow, I will never get enough of him. Blinking twice, I think of the answer. “Um, that you didn’t know if the food was good or not. Oh, so you ordered all of this?”
His lips curve up. “Do you see Maria around?”
And hope sprouts inside of me to the point that I can’t contain my smile. “So does that mean we are gonna stay here, just the two of us?”
“For the weekend, at least.”
I take another bite
of my toast, my heart filled with joy. I still can barely believe he is finally back. “Did you manage to talk to Dad?”
“No, I didn’t.” Alex looks down before letting out a sigh. “I already left him two voice messages, but we have a meeting Monday, so we’ll talk then.” He pauses, pondering further. “Petra,” he says cautiously, his eyes meeting mine. “What I did yesterday might have grave consequences for both of us.”
I crease my brows at his comment, but I’m not surprised. “I know…”
Then he keeps looking intently at me, and all of a sudden, he asks, “Do you want to live with me?”
Oh my! My jaw drops at his question, and I remain speechless, blinking twice. As I observe him, I can tell Alex is damn serious about it. “Of course,” I breathe, my heart pounding in excitement. “What a question.”
“I’m not sure what your dad is gonna do next,” he warns, his tone laced with concern. “But it’s safer if you live with me and don’t return to Park Avenue.”
“I have always wanted to live with you,” I say instantly. “And, um, whatever happens next, we are in this together.” We remain quiet as we smile at each other. “Thank you for coming back.” My tone is low, but filled with gratitude. After all, I know how much is at stake.
After finishing my toast, I pour some matcha tea into my cup and drink it. Meanwhile, Alex remains engrossed in his iPad. Then, as I watch him, another question pops up. “Why didn’t you reply to any of my texts?” I pause, gauging his reaction. “I know most of them were stupid, but…”
“Your phone is being tracked,” he announces before putting his iPad down to revel in my astonishment. “And mine was too. I had to get a new one in Singapore.”
“Oh…” Of course it’s being tracked! Why didn’t I think about that before? Jeez, I feel so embarrassed, realizing my parents have most likely read all my texts.
Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter Book 2) Page 26