by Godiva Glenn
“True. I’m just not in the habit of contacting him.”
“We’re alike there. I know if I called Nikki over she’d come. Yet she’s usually the one to make things happen. Even here.” She set her glass down and spun it on the table, toying with the stem. “Julian and I had dinner here the night I broke up with him. When Nikki found out, she brought a ton of her friends and we partied all night to erase that memory from this room. So I could think of something else.”
“But it didn’t work.”
“Not that well, no. We had fun, but it was one night. It couldn’t last forever.” She idly adjusted the folded napkin in front of her. “But I think sharing this room with you can help. I don’t like the notion of being haunted by him.”
Blair placed his hand over hers, stopping her fidgeting. “I don’t want to ruin dinner, but maybe you’ve been holding this in for too long. You previously refused to say his name, and even now… you’re so vague. If he hurt you, I’d like to know. I can’t change the past, but I can certainly do my best to avoid whatever he did to you.”
“You’re not going to go crazy and threaten him?”
“The thought has crossed my mind, even without knowing a thing,” he admitted. “I’m sure Earth has its punishments but the fae are creative, and magic… well, there’s very little that can’t be done if you know the right fae. Still… as good as it would make me feel, it probably wouldn’t help you.”
“If he disappeared from this planet, I’d be briefly amused. Then I’d feel guilty,” she admitted. She’d certainly wished the worst on Julian over the years, but she never gave serious thought to making anything happen. “Revenge isn’t something we do. It’s not proper.”
“I’ll keep my reaction controlled, then.”
A door opened to their right and a server entered holding a tray with two plates of salad. He set them down and left without a word. Blair arched a brow at the leafy vegetables and looked to Alethea.
“I hate salad, but I make the exception for this.” She dug around in it using her fork. “It’s got cranberries and walnuts. Makes me feel less like a rabbit.”
He took a bite but didn’t look impressed. “So, you were saying?”
Her fork paused in mid-air and she lowered it reluctantly. Just because she had to tell the story, didn’t mean it would come easily. “I suppose the abridged version wouldn’t work.”
“I’m not forcing you to talk about it.”
Because maybe you’ll think I’m stupid for staying with him so long. She sifted through her salad. “Because it’s embarrassing. This is a guy I thought I’d marry. I was so certain.”
“None of us are perfect.”
She took a deep breath. “I met Julian a month after my mother passed away of cancer. He took my mind off things, and he managed to make me feel special. I mean, after she died I could feel the comparisons on my shoulders. I didn’t look like her, didn’t have her poise or natural ease under pressure. With him, I felt like it didn’t matter. We started off as friends, but it became more than that, and though I realize now that was his plan, at the time he made it seem like I was the one pursuing him.
“It wasn’t perfect, but I made exceptions for him. He’d get short with me but always turned it around to be my fault. As if everything would be better if I expected less, required less attention. I started to let everything slide. If he made a mean comment about my body, if he forgot to return a call, anything big or small, I let it go.”
Blair shook his head. “That’s not right.”
“I know, but he made my dad happy and I thought he made me happy too. Then… well, he traveled a lot. I got jealous and paranoid, but he promised it was nothing. Sometimes his clothing smelled like perfume, or he’d ignore his phone when I tried to call him at times I knew he was free.” She drank some water and licked her lips. The memories were easy to recall, but that didn’t mean she could stifle every residual emotion. “It was another thing I ignored, until I discovered his second phone. Filled with pictures. Women. Him with them. A year’s worth of affairs saved like trophies, and when I brought it to him, he tried to make it my fault.”
“Your fault? For him being a worthless speck?” He clenched his jaw. “How could it ever be your responsibility?”
“Because I didn’t satisfy him. Because I was fat and useless.” Her lips twisted wryly. “He was using me for a title and notoriety, and screwing models and other men’s wives all the while. It broke my heart, but now… it’s an empty anger, I suppose.”
“That’s disgusting.” He looked at a loss for words.
She pushed her plate away and sat back. Her appetite was tapped out for the time being. “Somehow I had enough clarity to make a deal with him. I kept the phone and told him that if he leaked a word of his side of the story to the press, I’d leak the phone. Basically, trashing both our names instead of allowing him to bring shame to just me. The women on that phone weren’t just random women. We’re talking heiresses and wives and mothers. He would have felt the push of a lot of angry men and women for what he’d done.”
“I see.”
She fingered the wrought iron table edge. “I wouldn’t have done anything, of course. I had no interest in bringing that sort of mess to the public eye. But my bluff worked. To this day, Julian still evades questions about why our relationship ended, and he doesn’t protest that I’m the one that ended it.”
Blair took a moment to let it all sink in. “Does your father know?”
That was the hardest part of the ordeal. She picked at the lace edge of her napkin. “He doesn’t. I didn’t think he needed further evidence of his daughter’s incompetence. He still thinks Julian and I can try again, and I just…”
“I’d never do that to you.” He turned in his chair and reached out to cup her face. “I can’t even imagine looking at someone other than you. I don’t want your money. I don’t even know if I fit into this gilded world. But I want you. Just you.”
The door opened again but Alethea held his hand to her cheek and ignored the fresh plates being put in front of them. Once they were alone again, she lowered her eyes.
“I kept that secret for so long and now I don’t even know why,” she admitted. “It felt so large in my head, but now it feels like nothing.”
“Good,” Blair said and brushed his thumb over her lip. “Then he won’t be ruining our dinner tonight.”
“No,” Alethea agreed. Blair’s nearness was like a light that swallowed the gloom of her story. The weight of her past fell away. “And he certainly won’t ruin dessert.”
As much as Alethea had missed Blair’s presence and the simple joy of speaking to him one on one, she was nearly shaking with the desire to have him alone.
She pulled him into her main apartment and almost instantly tackled him to the nearest couch, sending tasseled pillows crashing to the floor. A nearly feral craze took her over. She succumbed to what her body needed, accepting the dizzying pull of his scent and taste. Her skirt rode up and he helped it too, his hands spreading over her ass and groping each cheek through her pantyhose.
Straddling Blair’s lap, Alethea sucked hungrily on his lip and raked her fingers down his chest. She could pretend to be calm when others were watching, but now that she had him alone, her desires were amped up and requiring her full attention. The only real thought running through her mind was a simple question. Here, or on the bed?
Blair’s fingertips dug into her waist then impatiently yanked her blouse free of her skirt. The moment he touched her bare skin he moaned. The contact was electric, and sent tingles through her body, most notably to her core. She withdrew from his mouth and arched herself back just enough to frantically unbutton her top. She’d barely opened three before he was there, licking between her breasts, which were pushed up and practically overflowing her bra.
She sucked in a breath as he nibbled and teased. He loved them, and she loved his attention to them. Feeling his teeth seeking out her nipples through the satin and lace
made her think of other things. Like how he’d once spilled his cum on her breasts after fucking them. Like how he’d made her desperate enough to beg for him. That was her mood tonight, too, but she knew she wouldn’t have to beg. His swollen bulge wasn’t going to let him walk away.
Wrapping his tie around her hand and pulling, she changed their position so that he was on top. He kissed her again while his hands stroked her thighs. When she’d first brought him into her room he’d been reluctant, but that time had passed.
He ground against her, his hard erection a divine torture against her sensitive parts. There were too many barriers between them. Pants. Underwear. These damn pantyhose. He didn’t seem to notice and slid his hand between their bodies to rub her. Even with the thin layers of fabric, his touch made her squirm as he caressed her slit and circled her clit. She wanted him to just rip everything off, so they could touch the way they both needed.
Her eyes closed as the pleasure built and made her entire body tremble. She wanted tonight to be the night. Not only because her hormones were on red alert. There was more happening here than simple lust. Her heart was no longer tethered by the ghosts of her past. Blair knew everything about her, and he accepted her. It was just a matter of time until she wore her father down, and then… It scared her to even think it, but she wanted to be with Blair forever.
I should tell him.
Her mouth opened and closed but all she managed were breathy moans. She dug into his shoulders, pushed and pulled, trying to squirm her way from him for just a moment, just long enough to form a sentence. But he was relentless, and when he wanted to make her come, his focus was unbreakable. This she’d seen enough times to know.
A loud, steady knock echoed through the room. One set, followed by another, more urgent.
“Damnit,” she hissed.
“Princess?” Lydia called through the heavy door.
Blair shot to his feet and Alethea grumbled as she rolled from the couch. She fixed her skirt and rebuttoned her shirt while she walked, then wiped around her mouth, knowing without a mirror that she looked like a hot mess. Blair stood awkwardly to the side.
She opened the door a crack. “Yes? Is there a reason you’re calling this late?”
Lydia smiled innocently. “Your father wanted me to check and confirm your morning appointments. I just need a quick moment to go over them with you, and then I can let him know.”
She pulled out her phone and flashed a calendar, as if this was standard protocol. It wasn’t. If anything, Lydia would be delighted to watch Alethea forget engagements, and her father never asked for confirmations even when he was treating her like an absolute screw-up. Which meant this was code. Her father knew what she was up to. All in all, this was a dignified way to handle it, she supposed. Not like she wouldn’t prefer privacy and control of her own sexual activities, of course.
She sighed and welcomed Lydia in. Two guards were standing behind her.
“I thought Mr. Blair could use an escort out. And a car is already waiting, of course,” Lydia said with syrupy sweetness.
“Of course,” Alethea replied evenly. She turned to Blair. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it,” he said, his eyes only on the guards.
His jaw ticked, and he moved close to her. She expected a hug but instead he dipped her low and gave her one last scorching kiss. He righted her on her feet and grinned. “Good night, lovely.”
She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. Lydia’s look of disapproval made the moment even sweeter.
Look at that. I’m going to have it all.
Alethea closed her eyes and inhaled the clean air as it brushed across her face. Lately everything seemed sweeter, and she knew it wasn’t just her optimism or imagination. It went deeper than that.
Her life was finally following a path she believed in, and though she couldn’t discount the arduous work she’d done to pull things together, she owed the first steps to Blair. Who knew that seeing a matchmaker would lead to this?
Because she’d gotten more than just the hot, well-endowed guy she requested, that was for sure.
As if summoned, Blair stepped out of his apartment and onto the balcony. “Isn’t it great out here?”
“It is. I suspect... magic?” she asked.
He handed her a drink—a watermelon mojito to be precise. He was still learning skills he thought helped him as a boyfriend, and his current focus was bartending. She took a sip and smiled. The drink, his gorgeous face, the breeze wrapping around them... it was like their own private getaway.
“I may have coaxed the flowers in the area to be a little more fragrant,” he admitted.
She set the drink down on the railing but kept her hand steady around the cold glass. “I can’t believe Nikki found this. It’s perfect.”
“It took time, but I’m glad to be out of the hotel. Room service was turning me into a hermit,” he teased. He tucked an errant curl back behind her ear. “The best part is when you’re here, though.”
She squinted down at the street below. Marie and another guard were down there somewhere. Discreetly monitoring the entrance to Blair’s building. Their relationship had somehow avoided the public’s attention so far, but every time they met they both knew it could be the last quiet moment. They’d agreed to keep things quiet as long as they could, not because they didn’t want the world to know, but because once it was out, things would never be the same.
It had been a few weeks since Blair had first visited her home, and now that he had his own place closer to her side of the city, they’d been able to spend several nights together a week.
Her only frustration was that they’d yet to have sex. Not because they didn’t want to, but because the time was never right. Blair hadn’t just found a home. He’d found a job. Between that and her own busy life, things had a way of falling through. Even tonight, she wouldn’t be able to sleep over, and besides, she was already exhausted.
“I was thinking,” she said grabbing her drink and stepping back into the cozy warmth of his living room. “Maybe we could organize something to overlap between the nature center’s outreach program and Grand Adventures.”
He lounged on the sofa and patted next to himself. “I can ask my supervisor. They’re always looking for new ways to get children involved.”
Alethea’s phone chirped just as she was settling next to Blair. She groaned because not only was that sound not something she could ignore, but it had to do with security. She crossed the room and lifted her phone from the small table beside the front door. “It’s happened.”
“What’s happened?” he asked.
“Paparazzo got us on the balcony.” She pursed her lips and sent a quick response thanking Marie for the heads up. “They’ll give themselves an hour maybe, just to try and figure out who you are before they release a statement.”
“Maybe we should just tell them who I am?”
She scoffed. “Let them work.” She sat next to him and pulled his hand onto her lap. They’d never expected to keep their relationship a secret for more than a few days, despite their plotting and hopes. She’d foolishly wondered if they’d manage to hide forever. “For the millionth time, are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I don’t understand being afraid of photos and lies.”
“I really hope you can still say that after a few months of it.” She nuzzled against his cheek and kissed his jaw. “I have about half an hour—”
Her phone chirped again. Then again.
They both stared at it.
“I guess you have to go,” Blair said, reading her mind.
Alethea made her way to her father’s library as soon as she got home. They were supposed to have dinner tonight, but since he hated discussions at the dinner table, he’d asked her to meet him in a place more befitting the delicate topic. She planned on side-lining the imminent Blair drama.
She entered the room and her father gave her a tired look. Not one that indicated he was t
ired of her, or even upset, just tired of everything in general.
“It’s not bad,” she pointed out. All they had were a few shots of Alethea holding Blair’s hand before they’d gone back inside. “They can’t even make a scandal out of it.”
“I know,” he agreed. “And they’re… nice. Which makes me a little uneasy, to be honest.”
The hopeful article had been a shock to her too. Princess Alethea finds happiness again! The beginning of a new era? “They like Blair. He has that effect on people.”
Her father grunted and sat in his favorite leather chair. “It could be because they haven’t figured him out yet. All they’ve managed to scrounge up is that he’s likely fae.”
“People love the fae.”
“Right. They’ll probably love him right out of a job,” he replied.
There was an ounce of concern in her father’s voice. She wanted to pry, but there was something else she needed from her father. “This is just the start of an ongoing task. We’ve both been here before. I was hoping to discuss something else.”
“Alright. You’ve got my attention.”
She sat down on the couch across from him and over the next few minutes, outlined her idea. The crowning contribution she wanted to offer as her legacy.
The Nurture Lutheyis Foundation. A way to organize and provide grants and other assistance for projects aimed at the enrichment of children through community involvement. She already had Nikki’s pledge of support. Blair’s too, of course. Pavel said he’d participate anonymously to avoid attention.
“I’ve gotten financial and legal advice… all I need at this point is your approval.”
Her father appeared as stern as he’d ever been, but he’d been quiet through most of her explanation, only asking a few questions. “You don’t need my approval,” he said finally. “I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that you’ve reminded me more of your mother with each passing day. I love your idea—but you have to already realize that.”