Without Consequence

by Michelle Corchis

  “I appreciate your candor, Mr. Fitzwilliam, and I don’t mean any disrespect when I say that I think that is up to Darcy to decide.” He stared at me as his lip curled. If that didn’t scream unimpressed, I don’t know what would, and yet, I didn’t care.

  “I’m going to be honest with you, Elijah,” he smiled, “You are not good enough for my daughter.” Then, just like that, the pompous ass dropped his façade. “Mind you, Bennett Construction is second to none, and I’d hate to see all that hard work go to waste.”

  “Your message is received loud and clear, Mr. Fitzwilliam. I’ll get my things and leave, but before I do, the idiot you left Darcy with isn’t good enough for her either,” I stated.

  “You don’t have any room to judge people, he’s a very well-off man on the rise,” he declared.

  “Well, that may be so, but money doesn’t buy class and certainly doesn’t give him the right to treat Darcy like an object,” and I stormed off. I heard the click-clack of high heels behind me and knew Darcy was right behind me.

  I opened the door to the pool house as Darcy shot inside. “What did my dad say to you,” she asked. Though, I had no time to answer as I closed the door and pinned her against it with my body. I pawed at her tits that hung dangerously close to spilling over the fabric.

  “You want to know what he said,” I growled as I bent down and pulled her bottom lip with my teeth. She moaned, and that only made me want her more. Darcy was never going to want that douche as much as she wanted me.

  I grabbed the hem of her dress and hiked it over her head, discarding it like garbage. “Your dad thinks I’m trash,” I muttered as my lips crashed over hers. I pushed my leg between hers and felt her wetness through my pant leg, “Fuck, you’re so wet,” I whispered against her lips. “Do you know how fucking sexy that it?” Darcy moaned, unzipping my pants.

  “God, Eli, I need you,” she muttered breathlessly while stroking me. I let out a growl that flared from my chest as I lifted her, and as if like clockwork, Darcy wrapped her long, lean legs around my waist. That was the beauty of us, we were always in sync with each other.

  I walked over to the couch, sat down, and Darcy gripped the base of my cock. She dragged out a long groan and nudged the head against her opening, working it through her pussy lips and back down.

  “Stop fucking teasing, Darcy,” I groaned as sweat trickled down the back of my neck. “You know that makes me crazy,” I croaked out as a smile graced her beautiful face. “Sometimes, I think you’re a she-devil woman.” Then her decadent warmth engulfed me, and the rest of the world faded away.

  I lost myself the intensity of her heat, the scent of her skin, and her breath in my face. The last coherent thought I had before I bucked up inside her was I would never be able to let her go.

  I anchored her to my lap, holding her in place as I bucked up inside her. Darcy’s mewls of pleasure were like a fist-pump to my libido. Her perfect tits bounced with every thrust and fuck me if that didn’t make my mouth water.

  I placed my hand on her lower back, wrapped my free hand in her hair, brought her to me, and claimed her mouth. She opened wide and stroked my tongue with hungered lips. I pulled back and licked the side of her neck, tasting the sweetness of her skin as I worked my way to her breasts.

  I devoured each of her perfect mounds, grazing my teeth over her ripened nipples as she laced her fingers in my hair, and grabbed onto the back of the couch. Nothing was more enticing to my ears than the music of our bodies slapping together.

  ‘Could this woman be my forever?’ kept circling in my mind as I lost myself inside her body.

  Darcy’s strangled cries accompanied with her nails digging into from my shoulders. Her lips latched onto the side of my neck, and my balls pulled up, “I’m so fucking close, baby,” I hissed and grabbed her shoulders. I hammered without care, looking for the end of the rainbow that was so fucking close I could feel it.

  This was more than fucking, it was my body owning hers, devouring her and making Darcy Fitzwilliam, mine. The overwhelming fierceness of my feelings, coupled with my cock buried deep inside this woman, was fucking with my head. That, along with her gasping breaths, fucking did me in, and I said something I had held in for the last few days.

  “Holy fuck, Darcy,” I grunted as her heat filled my senses, and without thought and my full heart, I declared, “I love you.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Darcy

  With my head buried in the crook of his neck, I did not react to Eli’s words, even though I heard them loud and clear. I was not born yesterday, and although he said the ‘L’ word, but said during sex and that meant squat shit. It was another word muttered in a rush of ecstasy.

  As I went to climb off him, our mingled fluids slid down my inner thigh. Why did I do these things to myself? I never used any protection for my body, since being with him and sure as hell didn’t have any for my heart.

  Elijah’s hands tightened around my waist, and I gazed up at him from under my lashes.

  “I meant it, Darcy,” he said softly through shallow breaths. “I don’t know when it happened or how and yeah, it’s probably too soon to feel this way. But, I couldn’t be more serious than I am right not.” Eli cupped his hand over left my cheek as tears stung my eyes. It was too much for me, too soon, too crazy, and I needed to free myself from his grasp.

  “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, babe,” he spoke softly. “But I want you to know that I’m all in. Whatever you want to give me, I’ll take it.”

  He made my heart beat faster, made me dream of white picket fences and babies. He affected me in strange ways and made those damn butterflies take flight and cause me to think that love could conquer anything.

  Right now, I couldn’t deal with this, with him and me, with us. Was there an us, in all of this?

  I found my dress and shimmied back into it, “You can let yourself out, Eli. I have to go back to the party,” I told him, avoiding any eye contact. If he looked in my eyes, then he’d know how I feel.

  With my heart breaking in two, I told him, “Let’s talk later, okay.” I headed for the door, hoping Eli would let things be so there wouldn't be any arguments over something either of us had no control of or how my father was using me to better his business. I didn’t need anyone to paint a picture for me, I already knew.

  Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get out of the pool house without Eli saying something. He grabbed my wrist and turned me to face him, “What the hell is wrong with you, Darcy?” The hurt in his voice evident, and the look on his face was unbearable. I was disgusted with myself at how unfeeling I must’ve looked to him. But, this was never going to work, my dad would be relentless in his pursuit to ruin whatever we had.

  “I came here tonight because your old man was up to playing matchmaker. He told me that I’m not good enough for you, and he knows about us.”

  I gasped at Eli’s words, he knew? My father knew? Why hadn’t he mentioned that to me instead of Eli, Who he feels is below me?

  “He knows? But how, does he know?” I asked him, as a burning sensation sparked at the edge of my eyes. Eli backed me against the wall, boxing me in with his arms. “I think you should leave,” I told him. Not because I didn’t need him, but I needed distance between us before I lost the nerve to let him go. “This thing, whatever it is, is ending, right now before someone gets hurt.”

  He shook his head, “Are you fucking serious, right now, Darc. Before someone gets hurt?” His eyebrows knitted together as he searched my face for an answer. “Don't you mean as long as you don’t get hurt,” he hissed. “You’re a fucking piece of work, you know that,” then slammed his fists against the door and backed away from me. “We’re not done! I'll give you some space, but that's it!” I thought my chest would explode from an overwhelming fear of losing Eli.

  What the hell was wrong with me? This wasn’t going the way it should’ve gone, and how much longer was I going to let my father dictate what career I would hav
e and who I would be with. God, I was an educated, wealthy woman who was acting like a knowledgeable, power-hungry man. Namely, my father?

  I needed time to process my feelings and the shitshow that was my life. “Eli, come on, I’m just not good with emotions.”

  “Huh,” he muttered and shook his head, “I guess that would be a huge understatement where you are concerned.” I covered my mouth with my hand and listened to what Eli had to say, and I deserved every horrible word he threw at me.

  “I just told you that I loved you, and you're telling me to get out and go live my life without you!” He threw his hands up, “I hope you and that little fuck will be happy, at least someone can do that for you!” Then, he was gone. Without a goodbye or a fuck you, Eli walked out of the front door, taking my soul with him.

  I fell against the wall, holding my head in my hands when I heard Austen’s voice. “Darcy, where are you?”

  I took a deep breath, hoping it would keep my voice from trembling. “I’m here, Austen,” I answered, watching Eli from the side window as he backed up his truck out and disappeared from view.

  That left a world of pain from where we were only thirty minutes ago. This had gone monumentally wrong, and I felt like the worst woman on earth. I knew we had to end it, but to the extent that it was tearing out my own heart, that part didn't seem right to me.

  Why did that feel like my life just walked out the door? The way he left in a hurried rush felt permanent. Okay, I told Eli that we should call it quits before this got out of hand. God, I was such a damn fool! I didn’t even know what I was feeling anymore.

  “You okay,” he asked me, I nodded, although it could not have been further from the truth. So, I lied, but I'm pretty sure he knew that and was it going to change anything? Hell no.

  “Are you coming back to the party?” Austen asked.

  “Do I have a choice,” I questioned not waiting for his answer as I wiped a tear away. “You really should put some ice on your leg, you know.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Austen muttered and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, “You should tell dad to fuck off.” I chuckled at that.

  We walked into our parents’ house, where their guests were. Before I had the chance to grab a glass of wine, daddy dearest grabbed my hand and ushered me through the people.

  “Dad, what are you doing?” I asked as we came to a full stop in front of the idiot that my dad hoped would be a love connection. “Uh, I have nothing more to say to him,” I stressed, “Excuse me.”

  “No, Darcy, you will get to know him,” my father demanded. “It’s in your best interest,” he declared.

  “No, dad, he’s in your best interest, but my best interest has nothing to do with your business connections or this poor excuse of a man,” I argued. “If you think that I would even consider being with this poor excuse of a human being, then you don’t know a damn thing about me!”

  The fifteen or so guests watched as if we were a circus act. Hey, Mr. Fitzwilliams’ didn't care about them, so why the hell should I.

  “We will talk about this later, young lady,” he sneered. “This union is going to happen, is that understood?” I was shocked at his blatant disregard for me as a person. Who was this man that I had called dad my whole life? I didn’t know, and I didn’t even care.

  “Say what you want, dad,” and I considered every word before I spoke. “I’m not a pawn for your business, and we don’t live in the seventeen forty-six.” I think there was actual smoke coming out of his ears as I left him standing in a room with his business friends. As if Business Friends were real friends.

  I headed to the pool house, yanked out my cell, and called Charlee. It rang and went straight through to voice message. Great, I thought, changing out of my ridiculous dress as I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a matching shirt.

  I pulled my pink duffle bag and two large floral rollaway suitcases from my walk-in closet and started tossing clothes in it. With every dresser drawer open, I shoved everything that I could inside of them.

  The side door to the pool house open and close, then Austen stood my bedroom doorway. “If you’re here to talk me out of leaving, don’t bother. There is nothing anyone can say to make me stay here and put up with this shit, and you can tell dad that, too.”

  He laughed, “Like dad would hear anything I had to say. Remember, I'm the family fuckup, Darcy.” Yes, our father was not the most caring or present parent. He controlled every aspect of our mom's life, and I guess he thought his children would be replicas, too. Boy, did he have the wrong offspring, something I would've laughed about under any other conditions.

  With three full suitcases, my keys and purse in hand, I made my way out the front door to my car. Austen helped me load them in the trunk, “Darcy, where are you going to go?”

  I heard the tremble in his voice and grabbed his hand, “Anywhere that’s not here,” I stressed. “I can’t stay here anymore, Austen. Dad has no right to say those things to me or treat me like he owns me.”

  “You’re right, Darc, but I worry about you.” We hugged as the light from the moonlit the side of Austen’s face, “You’ll let me know where you are, right?”

  “Of course, I will, little bro,” and I reached up and mussed his hair.

  “Hey, don’t mess with the hair, that’s for the ladies, only.”

  We both laughed, “Am I, not a lady?” I asked him.

  “You’re my sister, you don’t count.” He snickered, “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I just don’t get how dad thinks, Christ, don’t we live in the twenty-first century?” I caught myself before I said anything else. Austen didn’t need to hear me complaining about our manipulative father. “I’ll call you when I know where I’ll be staying.”

  “You sure you’re not too upset to drive?” Austen asked, pinching his lips together.

  “I can drive, Austen, don't worry.” I smiled, “Now, I’m getting out of here.” He stood watching me back out, and I was struck by the finality of the actions I was taking as I drove away from the pool house.

  Leaving was hard, especially when I wasn't sure where I was going. But anywhere that my control-freak father wasn’t would be a perfect destination.

  ~~~

  I drove around for hours before pulling into the gravel parking lot of the jogging trail. My phone went off the moment I got in my car and drove away, everyone, including my Aunt Catherine, called.

  The only two people I wanted to hear from, Charlee or Eli, had not bothered to call. Why I expected Eli to call was beyond me. He was giving me time, right?

  Instead of sitting here feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go for a run. It always seemed to calm me and relieve stress.

  The sun was setting, and the sky blossomed with oranges, pinks, and purples. It was things that I couldn’t touch that effected me. All this beauty and I was under so much pressure that it didn’t have its usual luster.

  I swung the door open, and my cell blared with the song I programmed for Charlee’s ringtone. “Hey, Charlee, where have you been?”

  “Forget about me, where are you? Austen called, and he’s worried, what the hell happened, Darcy,” she asked and babbled on. “You should’ve stayed in the pool house.”

  “It’s not mine, Charlee, it belongs to my dad,” I grumbled at the realization that I didn’t have anywhere to go. “I’m not going back there, I need to start taking care of myself, without my dad making insane demands on me.”

  “You can stay with me, Darcy, that’s a non-issue,” her voice thick with emotion. “Just come over here, please,” she begged, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t pull at my heartstrings.

  “I’m at the trail around the corner from your place, and I’m going for a run. I need to clear my head, Charlee,” I explained. “Where were you earlier?” I asked her.

  “Well, a funny thing happened,” she giggled. Yeah, I knew what that meant.

  “Is Jon there right now?”

  Charlee gasp
ed for air but didn’t say much, “Uh-huh.”

  “Right, I’ll talk to you later. I just got here, and I have to stretch, so I’ll call when I’m finished,” and ended the call with a quick goodbye. Charlee deserved happiness, and I had no right to feel sorry for myself because of my stupidity.

  I mean, what was love all about anyway? Two people wanted to be together, looked forward to spending time with each other, and making a life with mutual goals, right.

  To be honest, that is only half of it… there’s also burning desire, off the chart chemistry and heat that sets fire in your soul whenever you think of him. At that moment, I knew I was in love with Eli, and I also knew that I'd made the biggest mistake of my life when I let him walk out my door.

  I should've professed how much I needed him, wanted him, and loved when he was inside me. The only man that made me so mad I could spit and made me so wet that I needed relief.

  I looked out over the trees stretching across the trail as if they were searching for lost lovers. That's when the tears came, and there was not a chance in hell that I could stop them.

  Two weeks ago, life was good, or should I say, I thought it was good. Then, Elijah Bennett crashed into my world, and everything flipped upside down. All my thoughts were focused on him, when was the next time I’d see him or the next time he’d be buried deep inside me and make me come.

  How did I turn this into such a hot mess?

  Here's my life in general, my dad was off his rocker, my aunt was always on my ass, my mom was like a step-ford wife, my best friend was finally with a guy that cared, and my brother, oh he was always the same. Then there was me, sitting in my car, alone, at a jogging trail, crying like a newborn baby.

  I wiped the tears from my eyes, wondering what was going to come next in my life. Was I even going to be able to stay at the firm? Who knew with my father going off the deep end!

  Then I noticed a familiar truck pull into the parking lot.

  Eli's loose dark hair looked beyond sexy as he gave me that ever-present half-smile that flared heat between my legs. He stood in front of me and pushed the stray hairs behind my ear. Then kissed the top of my head, clasped his warm hands around my waist, lifting me off the ground.