by Suzanne Hart
I was walking out of the restaurant, leaving Elsie sitting there at the table. I didn’t care if I saw her again.
Elsie
I knew I shouldn’t have said that. I wanted to hurt him, the way he’d hurt me. But saying that about his father was just wrong. I stood up from my chair and followed him. It was difficult to keep up with him. Jared walked quickly ahead of me, and I didn’t want to shout for him in a sophisticated place like this.
My heels clicked against the marble floor as I chased him down the luxurious lobby. I could see he was headed for the elevators. This was the hotel he was staying at!
“Jared,” I said his name, as loudly as I deemed it to be polite. He didn’t stop or turn around. He only stopped walking when he arrived at the elevators and pressed the button.
“Jared! I’m sorry!” I said, rushing to a stop beside him. He kept his face firmly forward, staring up at the pinging lights above the elevator doors.
“Jared, please look at me. I’m sorry for what I said.” I could hear the pleading tone in my own voice.
I stared at his strong, handsome profile. It was like he’d grown even more handsome with age. More sexy. I tried to ignore the tightness in my belly. When would I ever stop wanting him?
“I shouldn’t have brought up your dad. I’m sorry…you’re nothing like him.” I was facing him, trying to keep my voice down, and finally he turned his dangerous gray eyes at me.
“Why did you say it, Elsie?” he asked. His voice was cool and controlled. He wanted a straight answer, but I didn’t know how to explain it to him. I despised him because he left me. I hated him because he didn’t give me a chance to tell him how I felt. And now it was too late.
“Why?” he growled and took a step towards me. I couldn’t back away from him. I was frozen to the spot. He was looming over me now. Tall and strong. I had to crane my neck to look up at him. Goosebumps washed over my body.
“I wanted to say something that would make you angry. I was angry. I wanted you to stop talking about the job,” I whispered in response meekly. I wasn’t afraid of him, just afraid of the way my body was reacting to him.
I watched him clench his jaw. The elevator doors pinged open and two people stepped out. Jared didn’t seem to notice them, he just kept staring at me. Our bodies were barely inches apart.
“The last thing I want to be is my father,” he said, after the two people had walked away from us. I nodded my head.
“I know, and you’re not. He was a cruel, violent alcoholic. You’re none of that,” I replied. He was peering into my eyes, like he was assessing the truth in my words. I wasn’t making this up. I couldn’t even imagine what it took for him to build this life for himself.
The elevator doors were sliding shut, but Jared reached out a hand and stopped them.
“I want you to come up to my room, Elsie, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he hadn’t taken his eyes off me while he spoke. I gulped. My throat had gone dry.
How did this happen? How did the tone of this evening change so quickly?
I stepped away from him. I should have turned around and walked away from him, but instead…I stepped into the elevator. Jared came in after me.
The doors had barely shut, but I was in his arms already. His arms were around my waist and our bodies were pressed together. He ran his tongue up my neck and I threw my head back. My pussy was throbbing and wet between my legs. Jared covered my mouth with his, pushing his tongue in between my lips.
I gasped as he kissed me roughly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back with force. Why did we keep doing this to each other?
Jared pulled his lips away from me only when the doors slid open again. He caught my hand and tugged me out. Neither of us spoke and I followed him down the hall towards his room.
He turned to look at me as he swiped his key to open the door. His eyes were dark, just like his stormy face was. Some of his sandy blond hair was falling over his forehead now; his stubble looked wilder.
He pulled me into his room by my hand and then kicked the door shut behind us.
“Jared…” I said his name softly. I didn’t even know what I wanted to say. My breath was caught in my throat. He came up to place a finger on my lips before he kissed me again.
“Don’t say anything, Elsie. This is just a dream,” he whispered in a low voice and I closed my eyes. I could feel my senses fading. His fingers were on my dress, pulling it down my body. His hands cupped my breasts, fumbling with the bra hook.
I kissed his neck, pulled at his tie and his shirt buttons. I was naked within moments, and he slid his hands down my legs and slid my shoes off. When he reached down to kiss the spot between my collar bones, I wrapped my arms around his neck again. My fingers weaved into his hair as Jared lifted me up.
I was in the air, being carried towards the long window on one side of the room. The view of Chicago was beautiful from it. What were we going to do? I was naked and in his arms, helpless because I had no control over myself anymore. Jared put me down and flipped me around. I was facing the glass now, looking out. It was breathtaking.
Jared was standing behind me. I could feel his powerful presence, his hands on my body, stroking my skin. When he cupped my butt, I gasped, pressing the front of my body to the glass.
It was cold to the touch, a sharp contrast to how hot I was feeling. I could sense the heat of Jared’s cock, too. He was naked behind me, with his massive, hard cock hanging between his legs.
“Do you even know how beautiful you are?” he asked, pressing his mouth to my left ear. My breath fogged up the glass while we remained stuck to each other.
From my butt, Jared’s hands travelled down the slit to my front. His fingers were on my pussy now. His hands were large, warm and rough. He was teasing my swollen clit, testing my pussy for its wetness.
The harder he stroked me, the wetter I got. I moaned with desire, pushing myself against the glass. I was desperate to feel him inside me.
Jared moved the hair off my shoulders with his other hand. I felt the softness of his lips on my neck, and the roughness of his stubble. It was an electrical sensation, washing like waves all over me.
While he kissed my shoulders and my neck, I felt his finger slid into my pussy. I gasped again, and he slid his finger out.
“I want you to feel good, Elsie,” he whispered in my ear and I pressed my eyes close. I couldn’t say anything. The truth was that I’d never felt anything like this before. I’d imagined it with him, in bed at night on hundreds of occasions. But nothing had even come close to feeling like this in real life.
His finger continued to slide in and out of me, till I was teetering on the edge of an orgasm. I knew I was about to come. I slammed my palms on the glass, trying to hold the orgasm back, but Jared didn’t stop. He kept thrusting his finger in and out of me till I couldn’t control it.
I came in a rush, crying out while my juices spilled out of me. I could feel the stickiness running down my thighs. My body shook as I remained pressed against the glass.
Jared knew when I stopped coming, because my panting subsided. He slipped his finger out of me and, instead of stepping away, he grabbed my butt tightly.
“My turn,” he growled in my ear. Without warning, his cock was inside me. I cried out from the surprise. This was the moment I’d been waiting for. To feel the length of him inside me.
Jared pushed himself into me and my pussy pulsated. My folds were wrapped tightly around his thick cock, and he started pounding. The glass vibrated while Jared thrust into me with force. I could hear his grunts in my ear. Even though I’d just finished, I felt like I could go again.
His arms wound around my body. One was tightly wrapped around my breasts, the other around my waist. He had me pinned to himself, while he pounded me like a machine. He wasn’t going to stop till he’d emptied himself in me.
I bit down on my lip hard till I was afraid I’d draw blood. Jared’s cock slid in and out of me with force. Ou
r bodies bounced off each other, my butt off his flat, muscular stomach.
“Elsie, I’m going to come!” he growled, just seconds before he erupted. I felt his seed flood me, shoot deep inside me. My mouth was hanging open; I was gasping for air. Even though I wasn’t coming myself, it felt equally rapturous. Jared Morin was coming inside me. It was my wildest fantasy and now it was coming true.
Several moments later, after he’d drained the last drop of his cum in my pussy, Jared released me. He was panting violently, while I gasped for air too. I could still feel the force with which he’d held me. Jared stepped away and I peeled myself off the glass.
Thankfully, we were high up in the hotel and the danger of someone having seen me naked at the window was low.
I heard the sound of his belt buckle and turned around. Jared was dressing himself. I reached down for all my clothes. My cheeks were burning up; I couldn’t look at him while I covered myself.
Jared cleared his throat, while I was halfway done with my clothes.
“We have got to stop chasing after each other,” he said. I met his eyes ashamedly and nodded.
“Yes, I agree,” I told him.
Jared was fully dressed by now. He ran a hand through his thick blond hair, settling it back into place.
“I know we can’t be friends anymore, but this is…this is madness.” He shook his head and then pushed his hands into his pockets. I could feel my anger seething again. Was he trying to imply this was my fault somehow?
I zipped up my dress and glared at him.
“It wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t ask me to meet you here,” I snapped.
“Why can’t we have one civilized conversation without either fighting with each other or fucking like rabbits?” Jared shouted back. He silenced me, because I knew he was right.
I looked away from him.
“I should go,” I whispered and a part of me hoped that he might ask me to stay. Did this really mean nothing to him? Why couldn’t we resist each other? Wasn’t he even slightly curious to explore the possibility…
“Yes, but we should meet somewhere in daylight and have a civilized conversation with each other. I think if you give me a chance, Elsie, you’ll see what I’m offering you is more than fair.” Jared spoke with conviction. That business-like tone had returned to his voice.
My heart dropped to my stomach. It hadn’t even taken him ten minutes before he switched back to business.
“Tomorrow evening at five. I’ll meet you at Lewisham Park. I’m babysitting my niece,” I told him.
Jared said nothing. He just watched me leave. I was carrying my heart in my hands out of the room.
Jared
I knew why Elsie wanted us to meet at the park, in the presence of her niece. She wanted to eliminate all possibility of us having sex again.
I was already longer in Chicago than I was supposed to be. I’d missed one important meeting in LA and I was going to miss another one tonight. I’d just have to do it over conference call. For some reason, getting Elsie on board was suddenly the most important thing in the world. I was stubborn.
I waited for Elsie at the park the next day. This was getting out of hand. We had had sex twice already and I was worried. I didn’t want to revert to those days of being obsessed with her. When nothing else occupied my mind other than Elsie. The past ten years were good for me. I’d achieved so much.
Elsie arrived with her niece at five. I watched them walk into the park hand-in-hand. I wasn’t especially good with kids. I hadn’t spent any time around them and I didn’t know what to say or do.
Elsie was dressed casually today. In a pair of loose jeans and a thin spaghetti-sleeved top, with her long hair plaited. Perfect park attire. She could have been one of the moms.
I stood up from the bench when they approached me. I saw similarities between the two of them. There was no denying they were related. The kid seemed cheerful and happy, and she had a skip in her step as she walked.
“Hello there.” I tried to sound cheerful too.
“Emma, this is my friend, Jared. Say hi,” Elsie spoke to her niece, who looked up at me with awe in her gaze.
“Hello, Emma. It’s very good to meet you,” I said, and bent forward to extend a hand to her.
Elsie chuckled while Emma stared at my hand like I’d offered her something horrible.
“She doesn’t do handshakes, Jared, she’s four years old,” Elsie said and I drew my hand away. I looked up at Elsie questioningly. I was beginning to panic. What the ?ell was I supposed to do with this child?
“Emma, honey, why don’t you go to the swings. I see Lucy there,” Elsie said and waved at another kid. I could sense that they came to this park often.
Emma ran off, skipping still, and Elsie sat down on the bench. She had every intention of keeping a close watch on her niece.
“May I?” I asked, tipping my head to the seat beside her.
“Do what you like; I’m not your keeper,” she said, keeping her face firmly ahead. My eyes swooped over her. Elsie’s top stretched tight over her perfect breasts. Her bare arms looked long and slender. Even in the simplest clothes, she had the ability of making heads turn.
I sat down beside her and watched Emma play.
“Sorry that was awkward. I don’t really know any kids,” I began.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re not here to impress Emma,” Elsie replied.
“Can we have a proper conversation this time?” I asked, and she finally turned her eyes to me.
“I can’t promise that I’ll like what I hear,” she told me and I nodded.
“I have that file here with me. All you have to do is go through the details of the position. I think it would be perfect for you. You’ll have a host of challenging responsibilities and I can assure you that working at my company has many rewards,” I told her. I was carrying the file under my arm and I extended it to her now.
Elsie stared at it for a few moments, gulped, and then took it from me. I watched her as she flipped through it in silence. I was hopeful that she’d say yes. I’d made sure that my offer was solid; something any sane professional wouldn’t dream of turning down. There were more perks that came with that job that anyone could hope for.
Elsie didn’t spend too much time reading it. Within a few minutes, she looked up from it again and flapped it shut.
“Tempting,” was what she said. I clenched my jaws. She was going to refuse me. Why? Because I’d offended her when we were kids?
“But…” I began, and she cut me off.
“But I’m not quitting my job to go work for you instead,” she remarked and handed the file back to me. I didn’t take it from her.
“You should probably spend more time with it,” I insisted. Elsie sighed.
“Lookm Jared, it’s very simple. My focus right now is building wells for drinking water in remote villages in North Africa. What you’re offering me, in comparison, is the opportunity to help you get richer. I don’t need to think about this. I know that I’m not going to work for you,” Elsie replied, and she placed the file between us.
I nodded my head.
“So, you think that my work isn’t worth your expertise,” I remarked.
Elsie shrugged her shoulders. “I think that you’ll be able to find many other people equally good at this job, or better,” she said.
I wanted her.
She was right. I could find someone instead of her tomorrow if I wanted. Elsie was good for the role, but there were thousands of others all over the world who were better. Still, I wanted her. I didn’t want to admit to myself why.
When I didn’t say anything, Elsie looked away from me.
“Oh my God. Where’s Emma!” she shrieked, jumping off the bench in panic. I looked over at the swings and saw that Emma was gone.
Elsie
I felt like my body didn’t belong to me anymore. Emma was nowhere in sight.
In the time it had taken me to go through Jared’s file, Emma had d
isappeared somewhere. I ran to the swings. Lucy’s mother was there and I grabbed her arm.
“Where’s Emma?” I shouted. Lucy’s mother, a typical soccer mom with her hair perfectly done up, squealed.
“What are you doing? You’re hurting me!” she snapped and yanked her arm away.
“Where’s Emma? She was right here. She was playing with Lucy!” I knew I looked like a mess, like a mad woman, but I didn’t care.
“How am I supposed to know? You should have been keeping an eye on her,” the woman snapped. I could feel tears brimming my eyes.
“Emma!” I screeched, turning full circles on the spot. I scanned the park, and several people looked up at me.
“You should have been more careful!” Lucy’s mom continued to snap at me.
“It’s not her fault,” Jared appeared beside me. I saw the woman’s cheeks color. It was the natural reaction any hot-blooded woman had towards Jared. Her eyes softened as she looked him up and down.
“That’s not what I meant. I was just…” she tried to track back on her words. Jared grunted.
“Either help us look for her or keep your opinions to yourself,” he growled, and I felt his hand on my arm.
“Elsie, we’re going to find her,” he said to me. I yanked my arm away from him.
“Get away from me. This is all your fault!” I shrieked, and then I ran.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks while I ran around the park. I looked behind every tree, running up to every little kid at the park. Emma was nowhere. Why would she leave? Why would she go anywhere? Had someone taken her?
I was crying, blubbering, unable to shed the fear that was gripping my heart.
“Emma! Emma! Please!” I kept crying out, now running out of breath. I didn’t want to leave the park just yet, in hopes that she was still here somewhere. It was all Jared’s doing. He distracted me. I shouldn’t have looked away, I should have been more responsible.
Panting and still crying, I fumbled in my jeans for my phone. I felt dizzy as I tried to dial nine-one-one.