by Katie Dowe
“I can come to America or you can fly over to Paris, Emma,” he had said softly.
“I can’t,” she had told him sadly. “I am heavily involved with the company now and my daughter is getting married in a few months. Besides I don’t think it is a good idea for us to see each other, Manuel.”
“We left off in the middle, Emma, and I am sure you would agree with me. We left things unfinished. I was not willing to wait for you and you were never going to leave your husband.”
“What happened with her?”
“We were never suited, my love,” he had told her softly. “And to be fair to her, I never loved her. I loved you.”
“We can’t.”
“I am not going to accept that I am afraid. I will come to you and we can have dinner and talk.”
“Just talk.”
“Of course. I will see you in a week.”
Emma pushed away the box and stared into the distance. She had thought about him so many times and had felt guilty about doing so. She fixed a smile on her face as her daughter came charging into the room. She looked so much like her father that it left a pang whenever Emma looked at her. “Mother, what are you doing in here?”
“Trying to see if I can rid of my summer wear,” she said lightly. “I thought you were out with Jeffry.”
“He had to go and play tennis at the club, some competition that was finishing,” she said with a wave of one delicate hand. “I have some things I would like to give away as well.” She sat on one of the padded benches. “It is going to be so strange not living here anymore. What are you going to do here all by yourself?”
“I will probably move into one of the apartments. But as you know, darling, this place belongs to you and your brother.”
“It belongs to Teddy first as long as he starts a family.”
“Whichever of you starts one first.”
“We have a lot of good memories here,” Eleanor commented as she got up and wandered around the room, touching one sparkling dress after another. “Dad was not such a bad person. Remember when he rented the entire circus for my fifth birthday?”
“You were always his princess,” Emma said with a whimsical smile.
“He was always so hard on Teddy,” she murmured. She took out a blush rose dress with scalloped neckline and held it against her body.
“He was. Honey, I think that would look great on you. Why don’t you take it?” Emma suggested.
“Thanks, Mother. I think I will.” She came back to have a seat. “I love Jeffry and if I found out that he was cheating on me, I don’t know what I would do.”
“You are strong and beautiful and I am sure Jeffry appreciates that. You are going to be fine, darling.”
*****
Ebboni kept expecting him to show up. For the entire time she was at work at the front office, she expected him to show up and demand that she honor her part of the arrangement, whatever it was! She had gone through her email again and the letters were there verifying that she did not owe one cent. She was debt free for the first time in her adult life. She wanted to celebrate and jump all over her tiny apartment, but the celebratory moment came with a price. She had to get married. She had to get married to one of the richest families in the country and she had no idea what to do! She kept wanting to tell her best friend about the strange series of events but she had no idea how to do so! “Hi, Andrea. Guess what? Billionaire Theodore Amberville paid off my debts and I have to become his wife.” It seemed gothic and like something from a Victorian novel!
It had been three days since he had issued the ultimatum, but still she had expected him to call. Every time her phone rang she expected it to be him and every time she answered the phone at work she expected to hear his voice in her ear. She pushed away the feeling of weakness at the thought of his lips on her and the way he made her feel. It was four days until she had to give him her answer which she already knew what it was going to be! She took a deep breath as she thought about becoming Mrs. Theodore Amberville. A move that was going to change the rest of her life.
She looked up as Doctor Manning came over to the desk. “My dear, I want to thank you for the flowers that you sent to the funeral. It was so appreciated,” he said with a slight smile.
“She will be missed,” she told the man softly seeing the sadness in his grey eyes.
“She will be.” He patted her hand and walked away, his shoulders stooped. With a sudden decision, she decided to send up something nice for him to eat and maybe a bottle of his favorite wine, trying not to think that she was marrying a man she was not in love with!
Chapter 5
He was waiting for her when she got to her apartment a week later as promised. She had mulled over the problem for the entire week especially last night and had decided that she should go ahead and agree to the strange deal. He was driving an unassuming car and she suspected that he did that so no one would recognize him. He got out of the vehicle and stood there waiting for her to come to him.
“I thought we would go to my apartment for the privacy. I will take you and have you back at work by morning.” He was wearing a dark blue dress pants and light blue shirt with the sleeves folded. His hair was slightly tousled and he looked as if he was up to no good.
“I am not sleeping at your place,” she told him firmly.
“It would be prudent for you to do so,” he said mildly. “I live several hundred miles away from here and in order for you to get back to work in the morning; you will have to wake up too early in the morning. I will fly you to work or if you prefer we can take the day and start preparing for the wedding.”
“I have not said yes,” she pointed out.
“But you are going to.” He grinned at her. “Go get your stuff or if you prefer we could order something for you to wear to work tomorrow.”
“I will get my stuff,” she said, looking at him in mild irritation.
“I will be waiting.” He got back into the vehicle while she made her way to her apartment building.
Ebboni’s heart pounded in her chest as she let herself inside her apartment. For a moment, she stood in the living room, her thoughts muddled. She was agreeing to marry a man she did not know. She did not know him at all otherwise from what she and the rest of the world had read about the family on social media. “What am I doing?” she whispered as she moved towards her bedroom to get her stuff. She knew where her going to his apartment was leading to. It was as clear as day that they were going to make love tonight! Without really knowing what she was doing, she dug into her underwear drawer and took out the sexiest panties she can find. They was black and sheer with lace at the edges. She went to find a nightgown to match and took out one she had bought at the mall some years ago and never bothered to wear. It was made of pure lace and when she had tried it on had looked great against her caramel complexion. It was cut deep at the chest and the cut stopped at the navel. She touched the navel ring she wore and shivered as she thought about his reaction when he saw it. She shoved the articles of clothing into an overnight bag and picking out clothes to wear to work the next morning along with toiletries, she was out the door.
*****
He carried the conversation for most of the journey as he tried to get her to open up.
“I need help,” he said quietly when they had gone a few miles well.
“What?” She turned to look at him with a frown.
“I have been pouring my heart out since we started and otherwise from the few monosyllables when responding to me out of politeness, you have not said anything much.” He glanced at her quizzically. “Talk to me.”
“I don’t have anything much to say.” She looked out the window at the scenery whizzing by. It was the first week of September and the heat was tempered.
“Tell me about growing up,” he urged. “I grew up with my sister and it was a trip.” He laughed suddenly causing her to turn and look at him; her heart pounding as she looked at the transformation. He had dimples in his cheeks
and his eyes crinkled when he laughed! She had read somewhere that he was twenty-eight and knew his birthday was in December.
“I always wished that I had a sibling, preferably a sister to confide in and exchange clothes,” she told him with a whimsical smile. “But Mom said she could only manage one child.” Her expression became bleak and she turned her head away. “She had a rare form of bone disease that had her in constant pain. Dad spent his life catering to her so I was kind of left by myself.”
Theodore heard it. The loneliness and disappointment of her youth. He had suffered at the hands of his father but his mother had always been there to make sure he was okay. “I am sorry to hear,” he said softly. She jerked a little as he reached out and took her hand in his.
“It’s okay.” She shrugged and tried to move her hand out of his, but he held fast and negotiated the traffic skillfully using one hand.
“It’s not actually,” he told her a little grimly. “My dad was more into running around and behaving less than his age to think about spending quality time with his family.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it softly sending prickles of awareness up and down her spine. “When we start having children it is certainly not going to be that way.”
She looked at him as she felt the powerful pull of attraction between them. “You are assuming a lot.” Her voice sounded thin even to her own ears.
“I am not assuming,” he murmured softly. “We are here.”
Ebboni turned her attention to the towering glass building. It was set back away from the road and had high electronic gates that opened as soon as the person recognized who it was. It was the height of sheer luxury with professionally maintained palm trees blowing gently in the breeze. A valet rushed forward as soon as he stopped the vehicle. The man opened the door for her with a smile before taking the keys from him. “Put it away for the night, Ben,” he instructed.
“Yes, sir.”
Another man hurried over to open the door and took the bag from him. “It’s okay, Dilly. I will take it up. I am not to be disturbed.”
“Of course, sir.” He nodded and ran to press the button for the elevator.
They rode the elevator in silence but the sexual tension between them was very potent and obvious. As soon as they stepped out a door was swung open and an elderly man wearing black dress pants and a white shirt stood there, his graying hair brushed back severely from his forehead, his light blue eyes sober.
“Eaton, this is Ebboni Lancaster,” he told the man as he stepped back and allowed them to enter. “Ebboni, Eaton is the person who runs my life.”
“Nice to meet you, miss.” The man nodded as he took the bag away from his employer. “I prepared a rack of lamb and a fruit salad. I also left the wine in the cooler as you requested.”
“Bridge night?” Theodore asked him with raised brows as the man went to get his coat.
“And I intend to win back the money I lost on Saturday.” He smiled at Theodore before sparing Ebboni a glance. “Nice to meet you, Miss Ebboni.”
“Eaton has been with the family for years. He played the role of father when I was little,” he said lightly as he put her overnight bag in the elegant living room. Ebboni could not help but stare at the sheer magnificence of the rooms visible to her. Piles of rich tan carpets lined the floors and the chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling was priceless.
“This is-” She shook her head as she looked around. A Rembrandt hung over the huge mantle. On the far side above the huge flat screen television were scattered several quaint paintings depicting old men either fishing or making some form of art.
“Delightful?” he supplied as he came next to her. “I like an eclectic collection when it comes to artwork. The expensive as well as the frivolous.” He pointed to one where the man had his head bent over a fishing rod, his expression intense. “I bought that one from an upcoming artist in a tiny village in Morocco.” He pointed to the one next to it. “That one I picked up in the Czech Republic.” He turned her around in his arms. “I will take you to those places very soon.” His hands framed her face, brushing the wisps of hair from her face.
“I have conditions.” Her voice was husky and her body shivered at his touch.
“Let’s hear them.” He took her hand and led her to one of the several plump sofas in the room.
“Separate rooms.”
“No.” He held up a hand as she opened her mouth to protest. “That’s not negotiable. I want to be in the same bed with you. I also want the chance to make love to you every night if we are able and I want to hold you after we are done.”
She felt the heat cloying at her body and could not believe the effect he was having on her! “I have to work,” she whispered.
“Not where you are working now.” He held her still as she tried to pull away. “If you insist on working, it will have to be at the apartment building we are acquiring and it will be in a management position.”
“You are going to run my life?” she asked him darkly.
“Far from it.” He used his thumb to press against her lip. “Want to hear my conditions?”
“A prenup?” she asked with a frown.
“I never thought of that,” he said in wonder, his gaze amused. “I am sure my lawyers will insist, but I have no intention of entering my marriage with the thought or expectations of getting a divorce. I want us to talk about our day, no matter how trivial. I want us to go places together and I want us to take one night away from Eaton and cook together.”
Her throat clogged as she stared into his blue-grey eyes.”You cook?”
He nodded as he smiled at her. “I make a mean beef pot roast” He bent his head and his breath fanned her lips, curdling her insides. She jumped in shock as his tongue snaked out and touched her lip before using his teeth to nibble delicately. She moaned, her body sagging towards him. “Are you hungry?”
She could not respond, not if her life depended on it. His tongue entered her mouth and her fingers curled into his shirt tightly. The kiss started out slow and erotic as he pulled her on top of him. She moved restlessly and heard his aching groan and then felt the hard evidence of his erection. He deepened the kiss, his hands holding her firmly as his tongue grappled with hers. It was unbelievable! She thought hazily as she returned the kiss, her body igniting from within! He was the one to end the kiss, his breathing harsh as he looked down at her. His eyes had turned into a startling smoky grey. “I want you,” he told her baldly. “If you tell me you would like to eat the delicious meal Eaton prepared I will understand, but I want you so much that I might take you right here.”
“Please,” she begged.
“Tell me,” he rasped.
“I want you too.”
With a groan, he lifted her up and walked swiftly through a series of rooms before coming to a half-opened door. “I will give you the tour sometime tonight,” he murmured as he kicked the door shut behind him. “But not now.” The room was huge and sparsely furnished, the bed taking up a lot of space. He climbed the steps and placed her on it. He took off her clothes slowly, his eyes going over her shapely body and lingering on her hard nipples. Ebboni had wanted to shower and change into the lingerie she had brought with her but there was no time. He stepped back and took off his clothes leaving his underwear on before coming to join her on the bed. He sat there looking at her before passing his hands over her flat stomach. “So beautiful,” he whispered as he bent his head.
Ebboni reared up in shock as his teeth encountered her nipple. “No,” she moaned as she twisted her body restlessly. His tongue soothed the sting and she felt the desire heavy in the bottom of her stomach and her pubic area. He lifted his head after a while and removed the rest of their clothing before continuing his form of torture on her. His mouth drifted from her forehead and then to her eyes and went down to her cheek before claiming her lips in a brief kiss that had her clinging to his broad shoulders. He moved past her breasts and went down to her quivering stomach as Ebboni moved beneath him
helplessly, her body shivering uncontrollably!
When he hovered above her pubic area, Ebboni’s eyes flew open and met his. “I want all of you,” he told her roughly. She did not know if he wanted her to answer him or not but she was not able to. He bent his head and flicked his tongue over the tight bud causing her to rear up as the hot flash of desire raced through her body! His tongue circled the bud slowly, the torture too much. He took his time before entering her, using the tip of his tongue to ease inside her, the thrusts teasing at first and then more intense as her body reacted to the movements. He held her hips firm, bringing it up to his mouth as he tasted her and then devoured. Ebboni came immediately, the orgasm ripping through her body with a force that threatened to ravage her! His teeth scraped her flesh sending her into another spasm that had her trembling violently and curling her fingers into the fine Egyptian cotton sheets. He brought her down from the high slowly before he released her only to climb over her and entered her swiftly. She was in for another surprise as his erection went deep inside her, touching her core. She brought her hands up and curled her fingers into the broad expanse of his chest, her short nails digging in and holding on for leverage. He brought her legs up to give him more access and started to move inside her causing a wet slicking sound in the silence of the room. Theodore felt his heart thundering inside his chest as she gripped him tight and held on, squeezing everything from him. He had told her the truth when he had said he was not the type to run around with different women, but he had honed his skills with the few he had been with. He bent his head and captured her lips, capturing the keening sounds coming from her mouth. He was very pleased that she apparently had not been with anyone for a long time as indicated by the grip she had on him. His tongue tangled with hers as he deepened the kiss. He relished the pain as she dug her fingers into his shoulders. He could feel his testicles tightening up and knew he did not have long to wait before he spilled himself deep inside her. He had deliberately not thought about using protection because with her it was not necessary. She was it for him and he was going to do his best to make her fall in love with him!