by Fiona Murphy
“Marry me.”
My breath catches, why is it a surprise to hear those words? It shouldn’t be, I nod. “Yes.”
Alex’s smile is so bright it’s nearly blinding and I bury my face in his neck, overcome with emotion. His arms tighten around me, “Soon, no waiting for us. It feels like I’ve waited for you forever.”
“Yes, Alex, I don’t want or need a big wedding. You, me, and a judge and I’m good.”
His sigh of relief is clear. “Thank god, I can’t wait for the honeymoon.”
“There’s no need to wait. Make love to me now, please.”
“Days, and very long nights. Somewhere sunny and private so I can see your beautiful body uncovered, for me alone to enjoy.”
“Yes, Alex, whatever you want Alex.”
“I like the sound of that. Will you vow to obey me, my love?”
How the fuck did he make that sound so hot? Feminist ideals be damned, when it came to Alex the word obey feels enticing and erotic as hell.
“I feel you wetter at that, I’m going to take that as a yes. Legs up and back, open yourself wide to me. I have to taste you. Fuck, you’re so wet you’re dripping. Hmm, it turns you on doesn’t it? The same way it did when I forced you on your knees in the closet and fucked your mouth. That night I couldn’t wait to get you home; and pulled you on me and had you sit on my cock in the parking garage. You came in minutes, I thought it was the public sex, but no, you were turned on from my demand to have you then and there. My baby likes to give up control. I had wondered, now I know, and fuck it’s hot. Mine to do with as I please. You’ll open your mouth and your pussy to me when I want as often as I want.”
I can only nod, embarrassment has my throat tight. I rock my hips needing the release only he can give me.
“No baby, no shame in what gives you pleasure, no shame in the way we make love. Seeping down to your ass, I love when you get this wet for me. Tonight, baby, I’m going to fuck your ass. It’s taunted me for so long. I think I’ve loosened you up enough you’ll welcome my cock. You want that? I love when you whimper for me. Hold your legs back for me, under your knees. Just like that.”
He devours me, tongue hot, he licks every inch and sucks with murmurs of satisfaction. Delving deeply, he taunts me and then he begins sucking and nibbling everywhere his tongue has gone first. When he plunges two fingers into me, I almost come off the bed, frantic for my orgasm I’m pleading for more. Faster he works inside me, then his fingers are gone and my hands are back in his hair. Now they return and are pushing into my ass. I’m so close I think I’m going to come from it. For weeks he has toyed with me but never going further then light teasing with his tongue and two fingers, now he’s fucking me fast and there is no teasing. Sobbing for more, I’m so close. When he finally covers my clit with his mouth, it takes only seconds for me to hit a climax so powerful it feels almost painful as my whole body is wracked with deep shudders.
It takes a long time for me to come down, aftershocks continue to run through me for long minutes. Alex has me in his arms, running a hand down my back trying to soothe me. He wipes away tears I hadn’t known I cried.
“I’m sorry.” I mumble as I struggle to understand why I’m feeling so jumbled up inside, and raw, as if my skin is gone.
“Shh, sweetheart, don’t apologize.”
“I don’t even know why I’m crying. It was amazing, it always is but this time, I don’t understand why it felt so different.” I cling to him, needing him against me.
“I think maybe it’s different because you really let go with the knowledge I love you. There have been times it felt like you were holding back and protecting yourself. Other times it was if you were willing yourself to let go and yes, it always feels good because I’ve always loved you and tried to show you. We’ve never fucked, we’ve never had sex, it was always love, hard and fast, slow and sweet, you down on your knees or bent over the kitchen table. Tonight, I think you finally realized that and it makes a difference.” As he speaks, he runs a hand through my hair and lightly kisses my face, my cheek, my chin, my forehead, a soft, reverent kiss on my lips.
“Please, don’t ever stop loving me.” I whisper because he’s right. He’d wiped away my discomfort about my weight easily yet deep down I’d hung back from giving in to the love he showed me every day. He had shown it to me, in the small touches, the way he fixed breakfast in the morning. The way he made my coffee just the way I liked it, the multiple trips to the symphony and the Shedd I loved to visit like a kid. The slightest hint of something catching my eye and it was instantly mine. It wasn’t just money, it was his time he shared freely, without a single reserve. He has never raised his voice in anger at me, when he argued it was often because my confidence had me questioning us and the future. I would try to hide but he wouldn’t let me. Hearing him say the words has been what I needed in order to let go and trust in him completely.
“Not going to happen. We’re going to have our arguments and we’ll probably at one point or another want to push the other from a moving vehicle, but it will be that moment, that time when life is pushing at us, and it will pass. No matter what, I’ll never stop loving you, it’s not possible. You’re in my heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
A small chuckle escapes me, I don’t doubt his premonition of our future and I love how he says it with ease. There is no promise everything is going to be hearts and rainbows. We’re going to have bad days but it won’t be enough for us to ever stop loving each other. “Ditto,” I whisper against his mouth and he laughs. “I do believe we were in the middle of something before I interrupted it. Can you please make good on your promise?”
His eyes darken, letting go of me, he rolls to his side of the bed. He takes out a bottle of lubricant, laying it on the bed. I’m getting wet again with anticipation. My eyes on the small bottle I don’t see it until it’s right in front of me. A little white box is in the middle of his large palm. “First, I’m going to need you to put this on to make good on your promise.”
Happy shock fills me, why am I surprised? Then he opens the box. I gasp at the sight of the ring. Holy fucking shit, eyes wide, I’m pretty sure I haven’t blinked.
“Don’t be mad. I know it’s too big, I couldn’t help myself. It’s stupid but you’re so beautiful I don’t want anyone looking at you and not seeing right away you’re not available. Grace, please say something.”
It has to be over ten carats, has to be, it’s so big it almost looks fake. Only there is no questioning the clarity and sparkle of the diamond. It’s an Aascher cut, in what is probably platinum. A as if the diamond weren’t big enough, the band is pave diamonds all the way around. He’s right, it’s too damned big and questions swirl through my mind? How rich is he, when did he get it, can we take it back? But I look up from the ring, seeing the lines back on his forehead, all of the questions and the arguments disappear. He loves me, and he wants a ring that makes the statement loud and clear. It’s the only thing that matters. I launch myself around his neck and squeeze him tight, “It is too big, but I don’t care. If this is the ring you want me to have then it’s the ring I want.”
His hold tightens until it’s hard to take in air. “Thank you, thank you for loving me, Grace. Give me your hand.”
He lets me go. I sit back and give him my left hand. It slides on easily, perfect. I run a finger over it, it’s sparkly. “When did you get it?”
“The day after the night in your office.” He’s sheepish. I’m shocked. For once not that he bought it that quickly, that doesn’t surprise me. What surprises me was he had it and took so long to ask me.
“I would be annoyed if I didn’t remember thinking that night changed not just the way I saw you, but my entire world. Make love to me now, Alex.”
Hungrily, he kisses me until I’m breathless. My head goes back; too heavy to hold up as he travels along my ear and finds the spot that always has me moaning his name. His hands are at my breast. He knows what I like, alternating betw
een light and grazing and tweaks and tugs verging on pain. I love his mouth on my breasts. Alex knows it and makes sure I have the attention I need. One night he managed to bring me to climax simply by the long and continuous attention of his tongue. We’d both been shocked by it. It had been very fun since, trying his best to repeat it. It hadn’t happened, yet, but I enjoy the way he tries. Lost in the pleasure of his hands, my eyes slide closed. When his mouth covers a nipple, I’m surprised. He’s moving more quickly then he usually does. I grow wetter at the knowledge he’s excited.
I want to take him in my mouth, but I don’t dare. Alex hates when I do it too early in the night, as it takes a while for him to recoup. I love it. He stays harder longer and sometimes is able to bring me to three orgasms a night from being inside me. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing wrong with that but Alex worries he’ll make me sore. There had been that first weekend when there had been more soreness than I expected. He has been more careful and patient with me since then.
Tonight he’s rougher, sucking harder for longer. More, I whisper, he gives me what I ask for. Tugging on my nipple with his teeth pain blends with pleasure. When he stops and moves to my other breast I want to cry out, I had been so close. His fingers continue to play with the breast but it’s not the same. Sucking while flicking his tongue over the tight nipple, he bites down and pulls, sucking long and hard and it happens, I spin into a climax and come apart.
He moves me onto my stomach. I’m a ragdoll, letting him pull me up at the hips. The lubricant is cool as he works a finger inside slowly and methodically. Then two and then three inside me, and I’m moaning for his cock now, no fingers. I want his cock inside me. I shiver in response to just how hot his cock feels to the touch. I can feel the head of his cock leaking as he slowly pushes into me. A gasp escapes, he’s so thick, much thicker than his fingers and the heat of him feels so good. Slowly, he pushes without stopping, past the tight ring until he’s past it. We’re both breathing hard. Pain is there but I don’t dare ask him to stop, I want this. Deeper, he pushes and when I’m not sure I can take anymore he’s all the way inside. For long minutes, he doesn’t move and I’m grateful, I don’t dare open my mouth, afraid I’ll let loose the sob of pain I’m holding in.
When his fingers slip inside my pussy, he begins to work my clitoris, I’m grateful. The pain begins to recede. Now he begins to move, just a few inches out and then back again, and by the fourth thrust, the pain has disappeared. Farther out he moves and then back again and I’m whimpering for more. He gives me more, he isn’t moving slowly anymore.
Faster with more power in every thrust, it’s building now. Yes, this, but more, harder, I beg. His fingers are gone from inside me and they’re on my hips. Faster, harder, deeper, I’m chanting, and now he’s pounding into me. One moment I’m moaning for more and the next I’m screaming from my orgasm that slams into me without any warning. It’s so strong, my arms give out from under me. I’m clinging to the mattress shaking from the intensity of it. Alex is still moving and now that I’ve come, he knows he can, too. He’s barely controlled. Minutes later, he comes and the sensation of his cocking jerking and filling me has me shuddering all over again. I clench around him in reaction, never wanting it end. As he begins to pull out I moan for him not to yet.
Carefully, he moves to his side, pulling me into his arms. His hand is stroking me slowly on my stomach. It’s a movement he makes often, when he holds me from behind, it used bother me until I realized he just loves touching me. For him he isn’t taking in my roll or stretch marks, he simply loves the feel of my skin. His lips graze my temple, “Were you ever going to tell me it was painful and to stop?” I sigh and clench around him, he still feels thick. He hisses my name as he slides out of me. Damn, rolling me under him, he doesn’t let me hide. “Answer the question, Grace.”
“No, if it had stayed painful I would have kept going until you came. Then I would have told you it wasn’t comfortable and I didn’t want to do it again.” I meet his eyes, he’s angry.
“Grace, I don’t want you doing that. If you aren’t with me the whole way then I don’t want to go there.”
I run my hand over his mouth, “Tough, you made it better. You made it so good, I want to do it again and again and again.”
“Sweetheart, you have to talk to me, I’m not a mind reader. The only reason I was able to make it so good was because I know your body and you weren’t with me.”
“So, you aren’t a mind reader but you read my body. I know you do, and even if you hadn’t been able to give me an orgasm, I don’t care. I like making you feel good. That’s what makes me so wet when you take control, I know I’m making you hot and it’s my body that makes you hot and gives you pleasure.”
Sighing, he drops a kiss on my forehead. “I give up. Do you want a shower?”
Shaking my head I settle onto his chest, I like falling asleep with him on me and he knows it. “I feel so good like this.”
“All right, get some sleep. We’ll have to leave early to make it to the lawyer’s office.” He flicks off the lamp by the bed.
“You want to come with me?”
“Of course, you said your ex was being an asshole. I don’t want to worry about you running into him alone. I also want us to go into the office together. We’ll tell Tim and Edward first thing.”
“Okay, I’d like that.”
Chapter Nine
I reach blindly for Alex’s hand. He takes my hand, squeezing it tightly. “Why, why did she go to such great lengths to make sure he didn’t get anything? They were very close.”
The lawyer coughs uncomfortably, “From what I understand, Mr. Leroy had stolen from his mother and tried to sell, not just the contents of the home but the actual home, out from under his mother. His gambling addiction created a rift between them. She actually had him arrested several times.”
What? My surprise is clear and the lawyer nods. “I can’t believe he’s been arrested or she had it done. It must have gotten bad.”
“Yes, Ms. Moore. In fact, due to the severity of the situation I’ve had security at your home now since Ms. Leroy’s death. Twice Mr. Leroy has been removed. The last time he swore he’d burn it to the ground before he let you have it. It’s one of the reasons why I think it’s a good idea to sell to Mr. Gruner as soon as possible. Mr. Gruner’s offer is a little under market value but there are updates needed that are significant, including a new boiler. In the end, it’s a fair and reasonable offer. He’s also paying cash and is ready to close in a week.”
Looking to Alex, I’m pleading for him to make sense of this for me. I don’t feel any clearer on what’s going on than when I first walked through the door.
Alex squeezes my hand again and looks at the lawyer. “She’ll take the offer from Mr. Gruner. I don’t want her anywhere near the house if he’s so unstable. Call in a moving company and have them pack up everything, everything from the curtains to knick knacks. Have them moved to this storage facility, I’ll have a locker ready for when they come to deliver. When she’s ready, she can go through the items at her own pace.”
Seeing my willingness to let Alex take control, the lawyer nods and is obviously relieved. “Just sign here and this accepts the bid from Mr. Gruner. Here are the death certificates for Ms. Leroy, the insurance company will need one. They are waiting for your call and they’ll send the check to your home. I haven’t had contact with the other insurance she had through her employer but she said they have your information. They’ll also need a death certificate and I’m sure it will be easy enough. If you have any other questions or need anything else please call me. I’m here to help make this process smoother for you.”
Nodding, I’m leaning against Alex as he guides me out of the office. My mind is still buzzing, Anita had Larry arrested, Larry stole from her and tried to sell her home while she was living in it? It’s still hard to take in, yes Larry had sometimes been mean, and even a little vicious. There had been the last time when he had tried t
o force himself on me, but to so completely become someone else?
Then I remember the drinking and gambling that had kept Larry out late. It had gone from a few nights to every night. I had accepted it because it was something that kept him busy. I shared only the smallest of my worries with Anita because I hadn’t wanted to sound whiny. Anita waved off my concerns with the pat answers of men would be men and women were there to keep them in line.
When I had told Larry I wanted a divorce, there was a part of me hoping he would shrug it off and not care. Yet, I had known deep down he wouldn’t like it, not because he cared about me, but because he didn’t like people to think of him as a failure. Especially, his mother, he needed her approval. It was the one thing that made him happy. His mother treated him like a king. I often think her liking of me was what led him to ask me to marry him.
After the divorce, we had met a few times, she had thought there was a chance Larry and I would get back together. Without letting her know he’d thrown me to the ground after a few well-placed slaps, and tried to rape me for telling him I wanted a divorce. I only said Larry had made it impossible. I only managed to get away while he’d gotten stuck trying to undo his pants and then fallen out of them. While he was on the floor I ran for the door.
I had already rented an apartment and moved some clothes and important personal things over. Larry and I hadn’t shared a room in a year so he didn’t notice anything missing. When I ran that day I never looked back.
I don’t want to look back at all now. My marriage had been a mistake, but it taught me important lessons. Maybe in the end Anita learned some too. Maybe that’s why she had left everything to me, because the lessons had been so painful she felt I was owed something for them. I don’t know why, I’m just going to be thankful.
Alex stops short and I bump into him. It’s only then I hear the yelling. I look up and Larry is in front of us screaming at me, and calling me a thieving bitch. Only, it’s not the Larry I remember. He’s put on over a hundred pounds, his clothes don’t fit, and he looks like he hasn’t washed in weeks. I can smell him from twenty feet away, a few of his teeth look black. Without thinking, I cling to Alex. Pulling me close, he steps toward the curb and holds up a hand for a taxi, one stops almost immediately. Opening the door, I’m pushed in. I hear him tell Larry to stay away from me. Larry stops yelling and just stares at him, seconds later Alex is in the taxi giving the address for work.