by M. E. Gordon
Breaking the kiss, he sat up, kneeling between my legs. Instinct took over. I reached out for him, dying to feel his bare skin under my hands. The tips of my fingers rippled over his abs. Covering my hand with his, he pulled me up toward him. Taking the bottom of my shirt in his hands, he pulled it off and tossed it on the floor, laying me back down. I prayed that I looked at least half as hot as I was picturing myself.
Swallowing hard, I tried to wet my dry mouth. I stared up into his warm brown eyes. I felt safe with him, comfortable. We had come a long way and I was ready to get and give more.
“You are so beautiful.”
I watched his eyes dance over me. All the self-deprecating thoughts left my mind because I knew that he was attracted to me, the same way that I was to him. Not able to wait any longer, I swiftly wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down over me, and kissed him.
“Elizabeth,” he said, pulling back slightly from my kiss, “I need to tell you the truth before we go any farther.” Taking a breath, he started again only getting a syllable out before all hell broke loose.
With what felt like a tornado, my door flew open.
“Baby girl, time to wake up and work--”
And just like that our sensual moment was ruined as we watched Charles barrel through my door. The word “work” still lingered in the air as his shocked saucer eyes stared at my bed.
Simon quickly moved off of me as I simultaneously pulled the covers over my head. “Charles!” I screamed from under the covers, letting only my eyes look over the top. “Can’t you freaking knock before coming in to someone’s room?”
Charles stood in the middle of my room, looking as if he wanted the image out of his mind as badly as I did.
“Jesus Christ, Beth...” he said, turning back toward the door. “Hurry the hell up and put some clothes on. Next time do me and everyone else a favor and lock your door!”
He slammed the door closed as I pulled the covers back over my head.
This would happen. The Gods have it in for Simon and me. I’m definitely convinced. I felt the covers start to slide down my face. Simon’s bright smile met me on the other side.
“Can you believe that?” I asked. “If it’s not your boss calling you to work, it’s one of my brothers.”
“Ah, come on. It will happen when it’s supposed to happen. Don’t worry too much about it. This is only going to make it all the better,” he said, kissing my forehead.
God, this man is perfect. Who says stuff like that? Simon Sullivan, that’s who.
He chuckled. “Well, I guess breakfast is going to be interesting.”
I put a pillow over my face. “Oh my God, I don’t want to get out of this bed. Kill me now!”
“Come on, it’s not that bad. Go take a nice cold shower. I’m sure Chuck won’t run his mouth. He looked just as embarrassed as you did.”
“You must not know my brother. He lives to rile me.”
Grabbing the extra cover at the bottom of the bed, I wrapped it tightly to my body. It was one thing to be lying under a hot guy, but to stand in front of them, in only my panties, in the light of day, was something that I had no intention of doing--ever.
I stood up, wrapped safely, or so I thought. Simon ripped it away from my body. Right away, I covered whatever I could with my arms.
“Nope, not a chance, baby. Now walk your sweet ass in that bathroom.”
Really? Jerk! Backing up, my feet grazed his T-shirt on the floor. I bent down, grabbed it, covering my ass with it as I hightailed it into the safety of the bathroom. I could hear him laughing through the door, which I made sure was locked.
“You better be careful. Paybacks are a bitch,” I yelled from behind the door, before turning the shower on.
After my shower, I reached for my towel on the hook. Dread nearly stopped my heart. Where’s my towel? In my closet of course, on the other side of the room. Holding his shirt over my chest, I opened the door slowly, praying it wouldn’t creak, and peeked out. I was safe. He was sound asleep. I tiptoed across the room, but stopped to watch him for a moment.
Perfect. This guy was everything I could have ever wished, dreamed, or prayed for. And I did all of the above. Why couldn’t I just be happy, content?
Fucking Salvatore.
***
Closing the door behind me, I made my way downstairs. A dozen or so people ran frantically around the first floor. Turning into the kitchen, I was pleased to see Gran sipping tea and reading the morning paper. Looking up, she smiled over to me.
“Good morning, muffin. Where’s Simon?” she asked.
“Still sleeping,” I said while getting myself a glass of orange juice and sitting next to her. “Thanks for waiting up for him.”
“Not a problem, muffin. Your brothers came home early this morning. Have you told them yet that Simon is staying here?”
“They’ll figure it out.” Chuck already did, and I’m sure he’s going to rat me out to Teddy. “I’m not a little girl. I can have man sleep in my bed,” I said, holding my head up high.
My brothers had never had to deal with me and a guy before, but they were going to have to get over themselves because Simon wasn’t going anywhere.
“I know that, and I respect it, but your brothers--”
“They’ll deal with it, Gran.” A look of concern was all over her face. “Spit it out,” I said. “I know that look.”
She wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings. I guess I got that from her.
“I was reading the paper this morning and it seems we’ve made the Times,” she said, casually handing me the paper.
I saw not only my brothers and me, but a picture of Spencer off to the side. There it was in black and white.
Spencer Salvatore to Attend Monroe Fundraising Event.
“I just lost all respect for journalism.”
“Have you talked with him to see what his intentions are?” she asked, sipping her tea as if it was no big deal and there wasn’t another man laying up in my bed.
These were the times I wished my Gran wasn’t so liberal.
“No, but as you can see, I guess he’s coming tonight.” My thoughts drifted to last night with Simon, and then to Spencer’s notes. The emotions I’d squashed when Simon wrapped his arm around me crept their way back to the forefront of my mind.
Teddy and Charles came in the kitchen, papers in hand. Great, here it comes. Is it weird that I can sense when I’m about to be ridiculed?
“Good morning, Beth,” Teddy said, kissing the top of my head as he made his way to the coffee pot.
“Hey,” I replied.
Taking a chance, I glanced at Charles as he turned my way. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and body as if a chill went down his spine. Go figure. I should really revel in this. I’ve never known what it’s like to have the upper hand on him. This feels good. No wonder he messes with me so much. It’s a great feeling.
I busied myself the rest of the morning, checking on all the activities we had set up for the children that were attending this year’s event. On my way back to the house, I spotted Simon sitting on the porch steps, talking on his phone. And, from the looks of it, he wasn’t having a very pleasant conversation. Once he spotted me, he quickly got off the phone, ending the conversation abruptly.
Strange, but you know what? These days, not much surprises me.
“Hey, sleepy head,” I yelled over at him.
Shoving his phone in his pocket, he stood, walked in my direction, took my hand, and kissed my cheek. “It looks great out here.”
“It looks okay,” I said, smiling up at him. “Who were you talking to? Looked serious. You don’t have to leave, do you?”
He shook his head. “No.”
I gripped his arm tightly. He smiled down at me. I didn’t buy it. It wasn’t his usual carefree smile. There was something else going on that he wasn’t telling me.
“Your brother, Chuck, came to see me,” he said, squeezing my hand.
“Oh God, wh
at did he say to you? He couldn’t even look at me this morning. Which was kind of nice actually.”
Pulling me even closer, he laughed softly. “It wasn’t bad. He just wants to make sure I’m treating you good. Very big brother of him. I didn’t get the father sitting on the front porch with a shot gun vibe from him.”
I chuckled at his analogy of my brother. Simon had it dead on. “He’s much more laid back. Teddy, on the other hand, is definitely a shot-gun-wielding father figure.”
“Well, for my sake, I’m glad it was Chuck and not Teddy this morning.”
We made our way back to my room to get into our costumes. The kid part of the party was less than an hour away. As Simon took a shower, I got ready. The door to the hallway opened slowly and Charles stepped in, looking around--no doubt making sure no one was naked.
We stood there not saying anything for a while.
“All right, let’s get this over with,” he said. “I’m sorry I barged in. I never thought that--I mean, I wouldn’t have--I’m sorry.”
Charles apologizing? I couldn’t help but snicker. Of course, he wouldn’t think I’d be sleeping with anyone. Ouch, that hurts a little.
“Thanks, I think. I’m sorry you had to see that, trust me.”
Shaking his head and body like he did at breakfast, he finally made eye contact with me. “Don’t worry, my lips are sealed, especially to Teddy. If it would have been him, I think Simon would be on the next flight home.”
Even though they were fourteen months apart, my brothers were decades from each other in the way they treated me. I loved that we both got how old school Teddy was. It was the one thing that we could agree on. I walked over to my brother, who was already in his vintage suit and fedora hat, and gave him a hug.
Pulling away from each other, we turned in unison as the bathroom door opened. Simon came walking out. His muscular body was glistening from his recent shower. His hand ran through his sandy hair as droplets of water fell onto his face. And the best part? Only a small, white towel was sitting low on his hips. If my brother wasn’t standing right in front of me, I think I would have jumped him or taken a picture.
Glancing up, Simon realized that it was more than just me in the room. Quickly, he covered his body with his arms. Funny, I believe he made fun of me for that this morning--two words, pay back!
“Dude, for real, the next time I see you in my sister’s room without clothes on, you’re sleeping on the front lawn,” Charles roared. Rolling his eyes at us, he adjusted his hat and exited my room, stopping at the door. “And remember to lock this please,” he said, slamming it closed.
I glared over at Simon.
“What?” he demanded, shrugging his bare shoulders. “I forgot to take my clothes into the bathroom with me.”
Chapter 13
The big night had finally arrived. We were all standing in the kitchen when Simon entered in his other costume. He’d thought his Superman spandex might be a bit much for the more upscale party. Although I was sad to see the spandex go, I loved the “Newsies” look. Wool cap turned backward and newspaper in his back pocket, he truly looked like he’d stepped out of the 1920s. Gia arrived just in time for the main event. Donned in our retro dresses, we were waiting for our hair and make-up artists to arrive. If we were going to do this, we were going all out!
Later, just before people started arriving, I took one last look to admire the amazing job the ladies did on my hair and make-up. My hair was in perfect, honeycomb waves, half of it pulled back, and the rest falling over my shoulders and back. I felt beautiful and confident--that was, until I glanced at the box sitting at the bottom of my closet.
All the confusion from the past few months was going to be resolved once I was able to confront Spencer. I needed this little infatuation to be over. I needed to move on. It was the right thing to do. I grabbed all the notes, shoving them into my clutch, and left the safety of my room. I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight, but I knew I was ready to get it all over with and move on. I hoped.
***
Standing with my brothers, monotonously saying hello to everyone as they arrived was making me more anxious, for with every car that arrived it was one more closer to having to confront Spencer.
Before I knew it, I was being escorted into the ballroom in our house. No Spencer. A wave of relief/sadness engulfed me. I knew this was all a joke, that someone like him would never be interested in someone like me. What was I thinking? I should know by now. He was just being nice to me because he was in business with my brothers, simple as that. I’m not going to feel bad for myself!
I took a moment to scan the room. People were happily mingling with each other. Waiters were serving drinks and hors-d’oeuvres on shiny silver trays. It seemed like everything was going great. In my scan around the room, I saw Gia openly gawking at Charles. Although he was giving her a little bit of the cold shoulder, I still caught him checking out her ass when she walked by him. Charles was still Charles and I guessed he couldn’t completely ignore a beautiful woman.
On the opposite side of the room, Simon was hard at work taking pictures of all the guests. When I caught his eye for a second, he gave a cute little wave and wink. I waved back, blowing him a kiss. This was how I wanted my life to be. I was so grateful he was here to share this with me. I couldn’t think of anyone else--
Suddenly a sharp chill ran down my spine. Rubbing my arms, I felt the hair on them rise as goose bumps covered my flesh. I turned around, expecting to see someone. When I found no one remotely close to me and the doors securely closed, I turned around again, trying to locate where the chill had come from. Weird, must be a draft above me. Rotating away from the crowd of people again, I looked up at the vent-free ceiling. I had no clue what that chill was. In mid-spin back to the filled ballroom, I jumped back when I realized there was a man standing in front of me. How the hell? Jesus Christ, I think I’m having a heart attack. I clutched at my chest and I tried to steady my frighten heart.
I bent over, putting my hands on my knees, while I took a few deep breaths. Straightening, I focused in on the mystery man. It took me less than a second to figure it out. Salvatore. I narrowed my eyes up at him as he removed his dark sunglasses and placed them on the inside of his jacket pocket. Those cool, sea-blue eyes found their way to mine, and I felt like a pubescent, pimpled-faced, pre-teen getting caught looking at naughty pictures.
“Good evening, I hope I didn’t catch you too off guard,” he said in that sweet, seductive tone as he held his hand out.
Not even thinking, I placed mine in his and watched as his lips brushed across my knuckles. Frozen, who knows how long, a second, a minute, an hour? Everything came back to real time, as I looked down at my hand in his. I instantly ripped it away and held it tightly to my stomach.
“Hello,” I said boldly, as if my world hadn’t just literally gone into slow motion when he touched me.
Placing his hands in his pockets, he turned his head, trying to hide a chuckle, but I saw it. Jerk.
“Looks like a nice turn out. Hope I’m not too late.”
Oh no, don’t do it. Please. Dammit, he’s running his hand through those dark, Greek God locks of his. Focus, Beth!
“Yes--I mean no, not at all, you’re not late. It’s a wonderful turn out.” Ugh, someone shoot me.
“I was--”
The pure sound of his voice was like a melody I could have listened to all day. That’s it, I can’t let him talk. He’s a jerk, just remember, he’s a jerk.
“So,” I said cutting him off rather rudely. “Who are you supposed to be dressed up as? Yourself?” Jerk, he would come to a costume party dressed as himself. What a conceited jerk!
Maybe that wasn’t the best idea. A seductive grin turned up his lips as he chuckled softly to himself. “You have a bit of an edge tonight. You can’t tell?”
He stood there, fixing his jacket and looking all sexy. Stay strong! I shook my head and popped my hip out, as if I was bored by him.
“I�
��m an agent from Men in Black,” he said, pulling his sunglasses out of the jacket and putting them on for a second before taking them off again.
“Humph. Very clever.”
He made me so on edge, but I sure as hell wouldn’t admit I was so affected by him. I’m only talking to him right now to get to the bottom of whatever he wants with me.
I should have stayed planted right where I was, asked the questions I needed answered right there. But I didn’t I want an audience. I looked around and saw a few people pointing in our direction, no doubt trying to decipher what was being said between us.
“Will you come with me?” I asked, pointing with my clutch at the door.
“Of course,” he replied without delay.
No one followed us as I led the way down the hall and around the corner to my father’s office. The large window behind my father’s desk let the moon light shine in, which danced off the glass book shelves. It always reminded me of a disco ball and tonight was no exception.
Setting my clutch on the desk, I reached in and grabbed the notes, holding them tightly in my hand for strength. Looking up, I watched as Spencer closed the door behind him. The notorious click of the lock made my heart quicken. Why the hell is he locking the door? Great he probably locks all his girls up then kills them or something. That’d be my luck. Fear and excitement coursed through my veins. I prayed that I hadn’t missed the article that said he was an axe murderer.
Smoothly turning back, he strode toward the desk, all Greek God like. The tips of his fingers slid across his bottom lip. Oh my goodness, I want to touch those lips--Beth! I snapped myself back to reality, which looked pretty damn good right then, but I needed to get serious. Checking that I had what I needed still clutched in my hand, I took a deep breath and began my interrogation.
“What is all this?” I demanded, walking from behind the safety of the desk--which was the only thing keeping him from me and me from him. He calmly undid the buttons on his jacket. I could only watch, motionless for the second time tonight. He shrugged his shoulders, and the jacket fell easily down his arms. A sliver of jet black hair slipped out of place as he laid the jacket on the chair next to him. His crisp, white shirt was tight enough to see the outline of his muscular body but loose enough to bunch together.