by Sandi Lynn
“FUCK!” I screamed as I dropped the coffee pot and it shattered all over the floor.
“What happened?” Wyatt came running into the kitchen.
I stood there in shock as I held my arm with my hand and looked at him.
“Jesus, Laurel.” He grabbed me and took me over to the sink. “Here, put your arm under the water. “Leave it under there and don’t move,” he commanded as he bent down to pick up the glass.
“What is going on?” my mother asked as she stepped into the kitchen. “Oh dear, what a mess.”
“Be careful, Adalynn,” he spoke.
“Do you have a mop somewhere near by?” she asked.
“In the utility room,” I spoke.
Wyatt picked up the glass and threw it in the garbage. He turned off the water and looked at my arm, which was bright red with small blisters that started to form.
“How did you do this?”
He grabbed a towel and gently wrapped it around my arm to dry it off.
“I was pouring the coffee into the mug and I missed. Ouch.”
My mother returned with the mop and started cleaning up eight cups of coffee that spilled all over the floor.
“Mom, I can do that. Go sit down.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Laurel. I can clean this up. I’ve been cleaning up your messes for years.”
And here it comes. I knew it was too good to last.
“I think you need to see a doctor,” Wyatt spoke.
“No. All I need is some burn ointment and a bandage.”
“Let’s get you upstairs and put some cold cloths around it. I’ll call Ryan right now and have him run to the store and get whatever else we need.”
Wyatt hooked his arm around me and led me up to the bathroom, where he ran a washcloth under cold water and then wrapped it around my arm. About twenty minutes later, Ryan came upstairs with a plastic bag and handed it to Wyatt.
“Can I take a look?” Ryan asked. “My mom was a nurse.”
I held out my arm and he examined it. He grabbed the tube of cream and held it up.
“May I?” he asked.
“As long as you don’t hurt me.” I pouted.
“I’m sorry, Laurel, but this is going to hurt. There’s no way around it.”
He squirted the cream onto my arm and I flinched. Taking a tongue depressor from the bag, he began moving the cream over my burn as if he was icing a cake.
“Wyatt, can you open that non-stick pad? Then I’ll need you to unroll some of the gauze and get the tape ready.”
“Well, look at you, Dr. Ryan. I think you missed your calling.” I smirked.
He looked at me with a smile as he placed the nonstick pad over my burn, wrapped some gauze around it, and taped it in place so it was secure.
“You’re all set,” he spoke. “You’re going to want to take some ibuprofen for the pain about every four hours. Make sure to put on some more cream tonight and a new pad.”
“Yes, Doctor.” I saluted him.
“Thank you, Ryan. I appreciate your help. I’ll be down in a minute.”
Wyatt helped me up from the toilet and wrapped his arms around me.
“You okay?”
“Besides being in extreme pain, I’m fine.”
He broke our embrace and brushed his lips against mine.
“You need to be more careful, sweetheart.”
“I know. It was just a freak accident. I’m sorry about the coffee pot.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll have Ryan pick up a new one.”
“No need. I have my Keurig down in storage. I bought it when I first moved here.”
“Then why didn’t you just set it up when you moved in?”
“Because you already had a coffee maker.”
He placed his forehead against mine.
“I love you. Did you know that?” he asked.
“I know, and I love you too. You better get to the office.”
“Are you going to be okay with Adalynn? I can always tag along if you want me to.” He grinned.
“Are you trying to get my mother all wound up?”
He pulled me into one last embrace before heading off to work.
****
I was overwhelmed, to say the least, of all the beautiful wedding dresses that stood in front of me. My mother wanted me in a poufy ball gown Cinderella-type dress, and to amuse her, I tried a few of those styles on first. I’d admit they were beautiful, but I was more a fitted-style type of girl.
“Oh, Laurel, you look absolutely stunning,” she spoke.
I stared at myself in the three-way mirror while Bella walked up and whispered in my ear.
“Thanks for trying this on for her, but I know it’s not you. I think I might have found one that you’re going to love.” She smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
I gave her a smile and listened to my mother gush about the dress I wasn’t going to buy. I tried on a couple more ball-gown-style dresses and then slipped into the one Bella brought to me. Instead of leaving the dressing room, she helped me get into it.
“Oh my God, Laurel.” She placed her hand over her mouth.
“It’s beautiful.” Tears filled my eyes. “I think this is the one, Bella.”
“I’ll go tell Mom you’ll be out in a minute.”
I stood there, in the dressing room, staring at myself in the white sweetheart neck, A-line, hand beaded lace and Swarovski crystal bodice dress with the chapel train. It was perfect and so me. I took in a deep breath as I stepped out of the dressing room and stood in front of my mother. She stared at me from head to toe and didn’t say a word. She hated it and I silently smiled. She got up from the chair, set her glass of champagne down on the table, and walked over to where the veils were displayed. She grabbed one, a white cathedral veil with the same Swarovski crystal beading around the edges, and carefully placed it on the back of my head.
“Now the dress is complete.” She smiled as her hands wrapped around my arms. “You look beautiful, Laurel.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I reached up and placed my hand on hers.
“We’ll take it,” she spoke to Judith, the bridal specialist who was helping us. “Your father is paying for it.” She smiled at me in the mirror.
“He doesn’t have to do that.”
“He wants to, darling, and yes he does.”
After I changed, the three of us had a nice lunch and then we went back to the penthouse so my mother could grab her bags because she was staying with Bella tonight. Thank God.
Chapter Twelve
Wyatt
I arrived home from the office around six thirty p.m., and after setting my briefcase down, I went into the kitchen to see if Laurel was in there. She wasn’t, so I headed upstairs and found her sound asleep on the bed. I was starting to get concerned because this wasn’t like her to sleep so much.
“Sweetheart,” I quietly whispered in her ear as I stroked her hair.
She stirred for a moment and then opened her eyes.
“What time is it?” she asked in a groggy voice.
“Six thirty. You feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I was just a little tired from wedding dress shopping.” She smiled as she sat up with her back pressed against the headboard.
“Did you find one?”
“I did, and it’s perfect. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers.
“I can’t either. How’s your arm?” I asked as I gently picked it up.
“It hurts like a bitch. Another reason why I needed to lie down.”
“We should put some more cream on it and change the bandage in a little while. How about some dinner? We can order in if you’re too tired to go out.”
“How about a pizza?” she asked.
“Okay. Pizza it is.” I kissed her forehead.
“Can we get it loaded with green peppers and ham?”
I was taken back by her suggestion.
“You don’t like gree
n peppers. That’s why I only get them on my half.”
“I like green peppers, Wyatt.” She cocked her head.
“No, Laurel, you don’t. In fact, you specifically told me that they’re bossy and overbearing.”
“Why would I say that?” She smiled.
“I don’t have a clue. You said that green peppers are enough to ruin your day.”
“Fine. Then just order what we always get,” she spoke with an irritated tone.
“Don’t be upset, sweetheart. I’m saving you from the bossy and overbearing green peppers.”
I got up from the bed and went downstairs to order the pizza. I got our usual: ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, and green pepper on half. As I was thinking about the conversation we just had, Laurel walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I just want you to know that I was teasing you and I’m sorry if I took it too far.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked with concern.
“I’m sorry, Wyatt. Sick sense of humor, I guess.”
“If something’s going on with you, I want you to tell me.”
“Nothing is going on with me. I was kidding about the green peppers.” She pulled away from me. “Jesus, you can’t take a joke?”
What the hell happened today to put her in this kind of mood?
“Listen, sweetheart, let’s just forget about this. The pizza will be here soon,” I spoke as I clasped her shoulders from behind.
She turned around and our eyes locked. Her hands began to fumble with my belt, and before I knew it, she had my pants unbuttoned.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” She smirked as she took down my pants and underwear.
“Laurel,” I gasped as she wrapped her hand around my growing cock.
She got down on her knees and took me in her mouth, gripping my shaft with both her hands. I swallowed hard at the pleasure as I closed my eyes. Her tongue massaged every inch of my skin as I grew harder. Moans escaped me as I could feel the tip of my cock touch the back of her throat.
“Jesus Christ, baby,” I moaned.
Her mouth was like a vacuum, sucking every inch of me as she swirled her tongue around as if she was licking a lollipop.
“Oh my God,” I panted as my hands tangled in her hair. “Don’t stop. Oh God, I’m going to come,” I moaned as my cock exploded in her mouth.
The penthouse phone rang, and she stood up to answer it.
“Great. Send it on up. Pizza’s here.” She smiled.
I pulled up my pants while she walked over to the door to get the pizza. Taking two plates down from the cabinet, I set them on the table. A moment later, Laurel set the pizza box down on the table.
“Want to talk about what just happened?” I asked.
“What?” She looked at me in confusion. “You mean the blow job?”
“Yes.” I took a slice of pizza and sat down.
“What about it? Didn’t you enjoy it?”
“Of course I did. I loved it. I’m just wondering why you suddenly felt the need to give me one.”
“Because I know you love them, and I don’t know, I just wanted to. You should be very happy about that, Mr. Coleman. Some women refuse to give their men blow jobs.” She grinned.
“I am happy. Trust me. I just found the timing a bit odd. We were just in the middle of an argument, and the next thing I know, my cock is in your mouth.”
“Don’t question it, baby.” She took a bite of her pizza.
Chapter Thirteen
One Week Later
Laurel
As soon as the alarm went off, I opened my eyes while Wyatt reached over and shut it off.
“Good morning,” he spoke as his lips brushed against mine.
“Good morning.” I snuggled into him and closed my eyes.
“As much as I would love to stay like this all day, I have to get up. I can’t be late for my meeting.”
I let out a yawn and rolled over while he got out of bed.
“Aren’t you getting up?” he asked.
“Yeah. Just a few more minutes.”
I was tired, and I didn’t feel like getting up. I heard the shower turn off, and when I opened my eyes, Wyatt was standing over me.
“Sweetheart, aren’t you getting up for work?”
“Nah. I’m not going in today. I’ve decided to work from home.”
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked as he ran his finger across my forehead.
“Yeah. I feel fine. I just want to work from home.”
“Okay. Then I’m going to finish getting ready and head to the office.”
I awoke two hours later to the ringing sound of my phone.
“Hello,” I sleepily answered.
“Laurel, where are you?”
“Shit, Eric. I forgot to text you earlier. I’m working from home today.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t feel like coming in to the office.”
“Your article on Tessa Trainor is due by the end of the day.”
“I know, and you’ll have it.”
“George said he’s been texting you all morning and you haven’t responded.”
“That’s because I’m sleeping. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to it.” I ended the call.
I lay there and tried to go back to sleep, but my head was pounding, making it impossible. I got up and headed down to the kitchen, where I took four Motrin and made a cup of coffee. I hadn’t forgotten about what Rori LeMay said to me and I wasn’t willing to let it go like Wyatt asked. After I showered and got dressed, I hailed a cab to her office instead of asking Ryan to take me because I didn’t want to run the risk of him telling Wyatt.
I walked through the door and saw Claire sitting behind her desk.
“Miss Holloway. Can I help you with something?” she nervously asked.
“I need to speak with Rori, please,” I spoke as I removed my sunglasses.
“I’m sorry, but she’s not in.”
“You’re lying.” I smirked.
“Claire, what’s going—Oh, it’s you,” she spoke.
“Yeah. That’s right, it’s me. Do you know who I am?”
She let out a laugh. “Does it matter?”
“Oh, it matters. I’m Laurel Holloway and I work for a magazine called Daily Fusion. Ever heard of it?”
“Yes. What’s your point?” She rolled her eyes.
“I write articles. One popular column is Everything Laurel. I’m also doing a wedding section, blog style, to keep everyone up to date on the stages of planning our wedding. I’ve also hired a wedding consultant and her name is Hannah. Perhaps you know her?”
Her face turned pale.
“Of course you do. She used to be your assistant. She’s the one whose career you’ve sabotaged when she told you she was quitting. Well, guess what, Rori? She’s under my protection now and if you even think about fucking with her or her career, you’ll have to deal with me.”
“Like I’m afraid of you. Now get out of my shop before I call the police.”
“You should be afraid. I can ruin your career, and this little fake business you’ve built for yourself will come crashing down on you. I told you karma was a bitch.” I smiled as I put my sunglasses on and walked out the door.
As I was walking down the street, my phone rang, and Wyatt was calling.
“Hello there, my handsome man.”
“Hello, gorgeous. How’s your day going? Getting any work done?”
“Actually, it’s going great. I’m out running a couple of errands. I’m going to get back to work as soon as I get home.”
“I just wanted to check in and make sure you were doing okay.”
“I’m great, Wyatt. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. I’ll see you when I get home.”
I continued walking down the street, trying to hail a cab, when I walked past a pet store and saw this adora
ble white kitten with dark markings staring at me with its blue eyes through the window. Upon opening the door, I walked inside and stood in front of its cage.
“Isn’t she a beauty?” the sales clerk asked.
“She is.” I smiled as I stuck my finger through the cage and she rubbed up against me.
“What kind of cat is she?” I asked.
“She’s a Balinese and she’s twelve weeks old. The owner breeds them and she’s the last one we have left.”
“Can I hold her?”
“Of course.”
She opened the cage and handed her to me.
“Oh my gosh.” I held her up to my face and hugged her tight. She meowed, and my heart melted. “I’ll take her!” I beamed with excitement.
Not only did I buy my sweet little kitty, I also bought everything to go along with her, including a cat tower. There was no way this was fitting in the back of a cab, so I texted Ryan to come and pick me up. About fifteen minutes later, I saw him pull up to the curb. The look on his face was priceless when he saw me holding her.
“Laurel, what’s that?” he asked.
“Ryan, meet Coco Chanel Coleman.” I held her up to him.
“You do know that Wyatt is allergic to cats, right?”
“She happens to be hypo-allergenic, so he’ll be fine. I have a crap load of things that need to be brought to the car. They’re sitting by the door.” I pointed.
After I hugged Ryan and thanked him for helping me with everything, I sat down on the couch with Coco Chanel.
“You are the prettiest kitty I’ve ever seen and your daddy’s going to love you.”
I brought her into the kitchen with me and set her down by her food dish. As soon as she started eating, I ran upstairs to use the bathroom and grab my laptop.
“Laurel!” I heard Wyatt shout.
I ran down the stairs as he stood in the living room with his briefcase still in his hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why is there a cat in the house?” His tone was firm.
“Isn’t she so sweet?” I smiled as I picked her up and held her up to him.
“I will ask you one last time. Why is there a cat in the house?”
“She’s ours. I adopted her today.”