by Layla Frost
My pussy tightened, pulsing. Greedy.
“Addicted to you.”
My mouth opened, my moan silent as my orgasm stole my breath. I heard Theo’s groans in the distance, like they were an echo travelling through my body. Only when I finished was I able to focus on the raw beauty of Theo coming in me.
Starting at my pussy and travelling through my entire body, I shivered as Theo slid out. Exhausted and totally spent, my arms nearly gave out. Before they could, he picked me up and carried me the rest of the way into the bedroom, my shoes falling as we went.
Theo set me on my feet in the bathroom, keeping hold of my hips. “You okay?”
I smiled a lazy smile, my eyes heavy. “Yeah. I think the drinks and early morning have more than caught up to me.”
“Make it quick then,” he said, smacking my ass. He headed for the door, already stripping off his shirt.
My eyes went wide. “Oh no! Did I do that?”
Two dark red marks were noticeable on his tattoo. Almost like thick scratch marks, which were something else I was prone to leave on him.
Theo peered over his shoulder into the mirror and grinned. His eyes were hot when they met mine. “The heels.” Leaving it at that, he left the room so I could rush through my nighttime routine.
When I walked into the bedroom a couple minutes later, Theo was sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxer briefs, staring down at his phone. His shoulders were bunched and tight, his jaw clenched.
“Everything okay?” I asked, surprised when he looked startled.
“Yeah,” he answered, getting up. “Message from Luc.” He plugged his phone in, dropping it onto the table. He brushed his lips across mine as he headed into the bathroom.
I pulled on a tee and loose cotton shorts before collapsing into bed. Rolling to the side, I saw the light on his phone flash. There was a passcode required to get into his phone, but he’d never tried to hide it from me.
Just a peek.
Fighting the urge, I rolled onto my other side. I knew he was lying about something being wrong, but I also knew it wasn’t anything for me to worry about.
Even if I was curious.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I remembered, I was being pulled against a naked Theo, my back to his front. As I drifted back to sleep, I muttered a jumbled good night.
Theo squeezed me tight, saying something, but I didn’t catch it as I feel into a deep sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Love Me Meow
Dahlia
I screamed.
Loudly.
I was blind.
All I’d been trying to do was bake some cookies. And I’d blinded myself.
“What’s wrong?” I heard from behind me. Since it was just Gus and me, and last I knew, he couldn’t talk, this made me scream louder.
“Gus?!”
“Gus?” the voice questioned. “You mean the cat?” The voice became amused. “Dahlia, it’s Ben.”
“Oh. Hey, you called me Dahlia. Also, I’m blind. But, really, I’m glad you aren’t Gus.”
I heard his chuckle. “The power is out. You blew the fuse. I’m going to go flip the switch in the basement. Don’t move. At all.”
“Got it.”
I was drunk. Not wasted or anything, but still drunk. Probably drunker than I should’ve been on a Wednesday. But Theo’s company had made a ton on some big deal, so we went out celebrating. Unfortunately, our celebration had been cut short by a call from Luc. He got a fair number of those, which was part of running his own business. But there was something different about this one.
Left to my own devices, I’d decided to bake cookies.
This was a major mistake.
Not because I’d been drinking. I was drunk, but not unsafely wasted. I knew to set a timer, turn the oven off, all that good stuff.
I just sucked at baking.
“What are you doing here?” I yelled out.
“Theo asked me to come hang out since…”
“I’d been drinking?” I finished for him.
“Something like that.”
The lights came back on and Ben entered the room a minute later, his amused chuckle turning into a deep belly laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You’ve got a little something…” His words trailed off, but he gestured to his entire face.
“Crud. The mixer was going slow, so I was looking to see why. Next thing I knew I was blind.”
“Go wash up, I’ll get this mess cleaned.”
Walking into the bathroom, I erupted in giggles when I saw my face was completely covered in flour.
I returned to the kitchen a minute later to find the ingredients neatly lining the counter. My weird dough was dumped in the garbage can and the mixer was clean. There were a couple bowls added to the workspace, too.
“Ready?” Ben asked.
I nodded, pulling my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head. “I don’t know what I did wrong.”
“I’ll show you.” Creaming the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla slowly together with the mixer, Ben handed me the flour and a bowl. “You’re supposed to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. If you dump it all in together, at best you end up with dry and cakey cookies.”
“And at worst?”
“At worst, you end up with flour all over your face and an overworked mixer that blows the fuse.”
“Oh.”
Listening hard, I followed his instructions exactly, not trying to take a shortcut. He’d tweaked the recipe by using brown sugar instead of white, and adding a bit of coarse salt. Since he wasn’t the one who’d been covered in flour, I figured it was safe to trust his changes.
I was glad I had, because less than an hour later, all the dough was gone and we were snacking on the best cookies I’d ever had. The outsides edges were crunchy, and the rest was chewy.
“These are really amazing,” I said, finishing my third one. “Where’d you learn to bake like this?”
“My mom.”
Racking my brain, I tried to remember if he or Theo had ever mentioned Ben’s family. Coming up with nothing, I said, “Oh, that’s sweet.”
He lifted his chin, his lips pressing into a tight line for a moment. “She used to love to bake.”
I was still a bit tipsy, but I heard his tone and word choice crystal clear. He wasn’t inviting further conversation about it, and I knew from experience how it felt to not want to talk.
With my alcohol loosened tongue, I blurted in one break-less whoosh, “My mom died when I was a baby, so no one taught me I wasn’t supposed to just dump everything in one bowl. Now I know. So thank you.” I inhaled deeply and smiled. “I’m going to clean up. Want to watch a movie when I’m done?”
His brows shot up as he shook his head. “I’ll take care of it.”
I waved away the offer. “You did more than enough, I’ve got it.” I started the bowls soaking before putting away the rest of the ingredients. “Thanks again for all the help, those cookies came out way better than any I’ve made. Or bought. Or tasted. I like the brown sugar; you can really taste the difference.” I hummed as I did the dishes quickly, putting them on the rack to dry. When I finished, I began packing the cookies away. I split them in half, putting some in the cookie jar and the rest in a Tupperware bowl. I turned and held the bowl out to Ben. “So you work the security side of things at Amaric? Is it interesting? Do you like it?”
Ben didn’t say anything at first, his eyes scanning the counter then moving between the bowl and me.
Shaking the container lightly so I didn’t break the cookies, I waited for him to take them.
He finally did, but he had an unreadable expression on his face. “Thanks.”
I shrugged. “Hey, you made them. I just tried to explode the mixer.” I grinned. “Thank you again.”
Returning my smile, Ben finally answered my questions. “I’m the head of building security, but not the head of all the security.
It can be interesting, if you like that kind of thing. I do, so I like it a lot.”
“That’s cool then. It has to make going to work better if you like what you do.”
“It does.”
I rinsed out my milk glass and grabbed my water bottle from in the fridge. “Want to watch that movie?”
He shook his head, but did it with an apologetic smile. “Theo should be here soon, so I’m going to take care of some work while I wait for him. You go ahead though.”
“Okay,” I said before clicking my tongue to call for Gus. “I guess it’ll just be me and the nonverbal Gus. Bye Ben, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome, Dahlia,” he said, grabbing his bowl and heading for the living room.
I walked into the entertainment room and scanned the new movies Theo had gotten for me. Finding my favorite, I popped it in. I grabbed a blanket from the cabinet in the back and plopped down on the recliner.
I was asleep before the title sequence finished.
···
“Is he meowing?”
I stretched before putting my head back down and burrowing it into the pillow. “Mmhhmm. He’s a cat, what else would he do?”
“Who?”
“Gus. I thought he was talking earlier, but it was just Ben.”
I could feel my pillow shaking with laughter. “Dahlia?”
“Hmm?”
“Wake up, gattina.”
“I am.”
“Okay, sit up.”
“No.” I tried to fluff my pillow, but found only hard abs. “You’re not a pillow.”
“Nope.”
Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and looked around. When I saw what part of the movie, Super Troopers, was on, I grabbed the remote and pressed rewind. “This is my favorite part.” I mouthed the words along with the characters on the screen as the officer counted how many times the other one could meow in a conversation with the pulled over driver.
“So he is meowing,” Theo said, laughing.
I nodded through my own laughter. When the scene finished, I shut off the movie. “What’s going on?”
“I just got home and Ben, not Gus, told me where you were.” He leaned in to kiss me, but paused. “Why do you smell like cake?”
“Cookies,” I corrected. “Ben and I made some. Want one?”
“Maybe later.” When his phone started ringing, he dropped his head and groaned in frustration. “Why don’t you head up to bed. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay.”
I was already to the door when I heard his growled greeting. “What?”
Glancing at the time as I walked, I was happy to see it was only a little after ten. Because the drive was longer than my quick walk in the city, Theo and I had to be up early to drop me off at work. I’d offered to sleep at home, and he’d followed it up with his own insistence on sleeping there with me. I wasn’t going to subject him to the stabbing springs and butt indents.
I did my night time routine and grabbed one of Theo’s tees from the closet. Pulling it on, I flopped into bed and grabbed my phone. I started reading, but only got a few pages before I had to put it down or drop it on my face.
Giving up the fight, I thought about covering up, but fell asleep before I could.
···
I was turned on.
No, it was more than that.
I wanted to moan, scream, cry, and explode all at once.
Theo was moving in and out of me, his pace slow and his thrusts long.
Torn between wanting it faster or slower, I knew one thing for sure.
It was the best dream I’d ever had.
And so I said so.
“This is my favorite kind of dream.”
Dream Theo chuckled. I heard and felt it.
“Open your eyes, gattina,” he ordered softly in my ear.
“No. The real world sucks. I wanna live in this dream world.”
He chuckled again before licking my neck. “So I should stop?”
My eyes shot open. “Don’t you dare.” I tried to look to the side, but Theo’s arms blocked my view. His forearms flat to the bed and his body lowered to mine, Theo blocked my view of everything but him. “What time is it?”
“Midnight.” He pulled my shirt, which was bunched up over my breasts, completely off. “Sorry, I got stuck on the phone.”
I would’ve brushed off his unneeded apology had I had the ability to speak. But his tongue and lips on my throat stole my words. His thrusts changed from leisurely to intense and forceful, but his pace stayed slow.
The rough hair on his pelvis ground against my oversensitive clit with each movement. He shifted his knee up the bed, pushing mine with it. I tried to wrap my other leg around him, but he held it down with a hand on my inner thigh. I was spread open for him, the angle letting his cock go deeper. The pressure on my clit increased, Theo’s grip on my thigh tightened, and his mouth worked my throat and shoulder. His thrusts were slow, his touch both intense and tender.
It was the closest I’d felt to anyone. Ever. There was a connection beyond our bodies. The way he touched me, the way he moved inside me…
It was more.
When he bit down on my neck and my orgasm was just about to drag me under, he slowed further, nearly stopping.
“Are you going to say it again?” he whispered in my ear.
“Say what?” I gasped as he shifted his hips to the side.
“You love me.”
I did. I just didn’t remember ever saying it out loud.
“What?” I asked.
“When you said goodnight a couple nights ago, you said you loved me. I’ve been waiting for you to say it again, but I’m not feeling patient.”
I’d never loved anyone before. Not my mom, nor my grandma. I was fond of some of the foster parents I’d had, but it wasn’t love. It wasn’t even attachment.
I loved Theo, though. It’d taken me a while to figure that out, and once I had, I’d been too scared to say anything. Because I wasn’t just in love with him. I was wrapped up in him. Attached with a bond so strong, I worried I’d never be able to sever it if we didn’t work out.
And that scared me beyond anything else.
So, I’d ignored my feelings. After my initial freak-out about losing him and the family he was giving me, I’d never tried to put space between us. But I’d still refused to acknowledge how deeply I felt about him.
The awake me was doing well with it. It was the filter-less sleeping me that’d messed it up.
Theo pushed up so he could look at me. “I love you, Dahlia. Could’ve told you months ago, but I didn’t want to scare you. I’ve never been in love before, never knew anything like this existed.”
I inhaled deeply. “I love you, too.”
“Say it again.”
“I love you, Theo.” I ignored my panic at the profoundness of that moment. Pulling him down, I pressed my lips to his and rocked my hips.
Slowly, Theo made brutally beautiful love to me.
And it was better than any dream.
···
In the back of the SUV, my foot bounced as I looked out the window. We were approaching Amaric, and I was getting more nervous with each passing block.
“Excited?” Ben asked from the driver’s seat.
“Nervous,” I corrected. “Super nervous.”
“It’ll be fun,” he said. “And if it sucks, tell Theo. He’ll get you out of there and we can make some cake from scratch.”
Eating is the furthest thing from my mind… But homemade cake sounds good.
“Even if it doesn’t suck, can we still make homemade cake soon?”
He nodded, his auburn hair flopping into his face. “Deal.”
I had no clue how many people Theo had working for him, but I knew it was a lot. I’d been introduced to some, but the only ones I spent any real time with were Luc, Rosa, and Ben. It was nice to have friends, especially since we never got into anything too personal. No one pushed me to share since Theo was t
heir boss.
Weird as it was, it worked for me.
Ben pulled the SUV to the curb in front of Amaric, putting it in park before he threw open his door and got out.
A minute later, Theo was climbing in next to me. He hauled me to him, his mouth covering mine for a hard, but quick, kiss. “Cazzo, you look gorgeous.”
Rosa had done an amazing job on my hair and makeup again. My loose curls were pulled back, accentuating the thick halter around my neck. Sticking with pinks and creams again, she’d gone darker on the liner and mascara. My matte lipstick was a softer pink, too. I had more makeup on than I was used to, but it didn’t feel too heavy.
I was just hoping it didn’t rain.
The drive was quick, even with the Friday nightlife traffic. Before we got out, I caught Ben’s eyes in the rearview mirror and mouthed, “Thank you.”
He nodded slightly, giving me a small smile.
Out of the car, I was able to get a better look at Theo in all his tuxedoed glory. It was a traditional cut, yet tailored perfectly to fit his body. My gaze moved up his wide chest and broad shoulders, eventually reaching his eyes.
“We’re leaving early,” he said, watching me.
I nodded, wishing I could flag a taxi right then.
As we walked inside the hotel, Theo’s eyes were on my leg, which kept peeking out of the slit when the dress separated. “Really early.” He put his hand on the small of my back. Feeling just skin, he leaned to get a better look. “Really, really fucking early,” he muttered more to himself than me.
Still, I agreed.
···
I was overwhelmed.
I’d been introduced to more people than I think I’d met in my whole life. There was no way I could remember all the names. It seemed everyone knew Theo, and by extension, wanted to know me, too. No matter where we were in the room, or what we were doing, there were eyes on us.
Theo stuck close to me the whole night, usually touching me. An arm wrapped around me. His hand engulfing mine. His rough fingertips skimming up and down my spine.
And that was what overwhelmed me.
Need.
Based on how often I’d felt Theo’s hardness against some part of me, he was feeling the same way.
Everything else about the night was going fine. Small talk was my specialty, and everyone was happy to go on and on about themselves. Occasionally, someone would push for more details about my relationship with Theo, but I was good at dodging it and circling the conversation back to them.