by Hazel Kelly
It would be hard for me to be cool with her going out to those kinds of places if she were mine. The stress of trying to make sure she was always safe and warm would be a lot to take on. I needed to resign myself to the fact that I had blown it, allow myself to sulk, and hope I didn’t need therapy to fix my heartbroken dick.
Fucking who knew that was a thing?!
I drained the rest of my glass and stood up, taking a moment to stretch my arms over my head. Then I walked over and put the glass in the sink. On my way past the fridge, I opened the door and stared inside at the strangely comforting glow, but I regretted it immediately since the only things in there were the remnants of my romantic dinner that never was.
I was about to flick off the downstairs lights when something stopped me. Instead, I slid open the drawer in the table and pulled out the velvet box. It looked small in my hands and when I opened it, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Ella’s diamond earrings. I had hoped she would accept them when I told her how I felt, but I didn’t know what I was going to do with them now. I didn’t want to take them back. I couldn’t. In my mind, they were still hers. The warmth I felt in my chest when I pictured how they lit up her face meant they would probably stay in that box forever. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else wearing them.
Regardless of how messed up things were between us, it saddened me that she didn’t keep them. I liked the idea that they would’ve made her think of me fondly for brief moments, but it seemed that was more than I could hope for now. I closed the box and pushed it to the back of the drawer, wishing it were as easy to push my feelings to the back of my mind.
But life’s not fair. Even for billionaires.
I turned off the lights so only the soft glow of the city shone through the large windows and placed my right foot on the bottom stair and stopped.
I was sure I’d heard something. Every muscle in my body froze as my ears perked up like a wolves’.
And there it was again, a soft knock.
I flicked the lights on and headed for the door. When I peered through the peephole, I saw a mess of brown hair and swallowed. Then I unlocked the door, took a deep breath, and opened it.
Ella looked me up and down. I’m sure I was a sight with my blue eye and matching sweats.
“Hi,” she said. Her bloodshot eyes were as pink as her lips.
I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold to me, but she seemed hesitant and unsure of herself.
“Hi.”
“I just came by to-”
“Come in,” I said, relieved that the flowers were a tad less overwhelming at night.
“Is it an okay time?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
She was wearing the long red coat that drove me crazy. “Can I take your coat or anything?” I asked, giving her plenty of space.
“No,” she said. “I’m not staying.”
“How about a drink?” I asked.
She gave me a look like she felt ill at the mere suggestion.
“You’re still feeling the effects of last night?”
She nodded. “And not just from the booze either.”
Chapter 17: Ella
I wanted to touch his eye, to kiss it and make it better.
“What do you mean not just from the booze?” he asked.
I clasped my hands in front of me and looked at the floor. I felt weak from my hangover, but I only needed to be strong for a few minutes. “I came by to apologize.”
“You don’t hav-”
“Yes I do,” I said, clearing my throat.
His oversized sweats grazed his body in all the right places, and I couldn’t help but think he looked infinitely more comfortable at the moment than I felt.
“First of all, I’m sorry about your Dad.”
He clenched his jaw.
“I had no right to make you feel bad about that.”
“I shouldn’t have lied to you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “But I didn’t handle myself well either.”
He nodded.
“I can’t imagine how difficult his situation must be for you, and the last thing you need is someone like me telling you off when I don’t even have all the information.”
“It’s okay,” he said, leaning against his entry way table. “You had every right to be upset.”
I took a deep breath. I couldn’t tell if this was easier or harder because he was being so nice about it.
“I’m also sorry that I was so ungrateful for your help last night.”
He folded his arms across his chest, causing his sweatshirt to pull between his pecs.
“I didn’t realize how unpleasant I was on so many levels, and the way I spoke to you was unacceptable.”
He shrugged. “You were drunk.”
“That’s no excuse for verbally abusing you.”
He pursed his lips.
“I’m absolutely mortified about the way I treated you, especially considering you were only trying to help.” I stuck my hands in my jacket pockets.
“I forgive you,” he said. Like it was nothing. “Don’t worry about it.”
“And last but not least, I’m sorry I blew you off last night.”
“You should’ve called.”
“I know. It was totally insensitive of me.”
He looked away from me for a moment, and I could see his bruised face even more clearly.
“You obviously went to a lot of trouble to make it a special night,” I said, nodding towards the sea of flowers.
He shrugged. “The flowers were nothing. It’s not like I grew them myself.”
I tried to smile, but I couldn’t.
“It was the three course meal I made going to waste that stung the most.”
“I’m so sorry, Will.”
He looked down at his feet. “At least I picked up some new skills in the kitchen.”
“Can you ever forgive me for last night?”
He fixed his eyes on me and his words were soft and clear. “I already have.”
I felt some tension in my back dissipate. “I promise I won’t be immature in the future. I’ll keep it professional going forward and make up for this mess I’ve made.”
He made a half smile but his eyes looked sad.
“And in time we’ll both be able to forget that any of this ever happened.”
He sighed. “Is that what you want? To forget any of this ever happened?”
“Yes.” I clenched my fists in my pockets. “It is.”
He ran his fingers through his hair and shrugged. “Okay.”
I lifted my hands and stepped forward to hug him.
He wrapped me in his strong arms and pressed his cheek against the top of my head, squeezing me so tight I wanted to take it all back. Instead, I exhaled slowly, letting him hold me for a moment too long. It seemed like the natural thing to do considering how much I wished I didn’t have to let go.
Finally, I stepped back and took a deep breath. “Thank you,” I said, putting my hand on the door knob. “For saying we could forget about it.” I pursed my lips and pulled the door open.
He reached above my head and opened it the rest of the way.
I turned to smile weakly at him one last time. “See you at work tomorrow?”
He nodded but kept his lips closed.
The walk down the hallway to the elevator was one of the longest I can ever remember taking. As I faced the doors, I looked back towards his place. He was leaning in the doorway, watching me.
I swallowed and looked forwards, wishing the elevator would arrive so I could escape the overwhelming tension I still felt between us. When the doors opened, I refrained from looking his way and stepped inside, pressing the ground floor button immediately.
As the doors closed, I felt an unbearable sadness begin to pour over me, but suddenly- just before the doors met in the middle- an arm jammed through the remaining space, causing them to bounce open.
Will stepped through the doors as soon as the opening wa
s wide enough. “I can’t forget,” he said.
“What?”
He took a step towards me. “I can’t forget about any of this.”
I looked back and forth between his eyes as the doors closed behind him. “But I thought-”
“It’s not what’s happened between us that we need to forget.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s everything else.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
He turned around and pulled the emergency stop button, causing the elevator to jolt once and then freeze. “I haven’t been able to forget about you for a moment since we met.”
I pursed my lips.
He took a step forward, dwarfing me with his large frame. “And I can’t enjoy a day without you in it.”
I let my head fall back against the wall and braced myself against the elevator railings.
“I’m in love with you, Ella.”
I felt my dry eyes begin to water.
“And I want to spoil you rotten and make you happier than you ever dreamed you could be.”
“I love you, too, Will.”
He grabbed my face and rested his forehead against mine, fixing his eyes on me. “Ella Riley?”
I tear rolled down my cheek. “Yes?”
“Will you to be my Valentine every day from now on?”
I was so happy I thought I might burst into tears. “Yes,” I said, putting my hands on his stubbly cheeks. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He tilted my chin up with his fingers and kissed me with his soft lips, causing a ripple of heat to rush through my body. It felt so good- like going home- and I knew there was nowhere I belonged more than in his arms with his lips planted on mine.
As his tongue pushed my lips apart, I felt his hands slide in my jacket, pushing it off my shoulders so I could wiggle my arms out.
“God I missed you,” he whispered. “I thought I’d lost you.” Then he looked down for a moment and laughed.
“What?”
“Nice pajamas,” he said, admiring the head to toe cherry print.
“Are you sure you like them?” I asked, noticing a change in the shape of his sweatpants. “Because if you don’t, I could take them off.”
He came at me fast then, kissing me passionately again and forcing me into the corner of the elevator.
I felt him hook his thumbs in my pajama pants. A second later, he pulled them down as he dropped to his knees and looked up at me. “You walked around New York City with no underwear on?”
I shrugged. “Who wears underwear under their pajamas?”
He groaned like an animal as he grabbed one of my legs and slung it over his shoulder.
“Wait-” I pulled my pajama top down to cover my crotch. “Are there cameras in here?”
He didn’t answer me. Instead, he just stuck his face between my thighs and licked my wet slit.
Soon, I was too delirious to care whether I was exposed or not.
I could hear a guttural growl coming from Will’s throat as nibbled my clit and scooped me out with his eager tongue.
“Oh, Will,” I moaned.
And the sound of his name only made him flick his tongue faster.
Chapter 18: Will
I couldn’t believe how good she tasted. It was almost like she tasted better now that I knew she was mine. Forget vintage whiskey. From now on I was going to drink my fill from Ella’s sweet snatch every day.
As she shuddered above me, I could feel myself getting harder and harder as my craving for her grew.
The sound of her moaning and saying my name spurred me on, and with every noise from her parted lips, I fucked her harder with my tongue. I swear to god, her tight pussy was almost sucking it right out of my mouth. I couldn’t wait to see how she felt when I stuck my dick inside her and let her massage me till I came.
“Wiill.” She put her hand on the back of my head. “I’m gonna come,” she whimpered.
As soon as I heard her gasp, I stuck my tongue as deep inside her as I could, savoring her sweet juices as they poured into my mouth and warmed my throat.
When her bent leg fell to the floor, I stood up, catching her as she fell forward to kiss herself off my lips.
I broke from her just long enough to reach for the emergency button and was about to push it back in when-
“Wait,” Ella said, pulling her pants up. “It’s your turn to give me a taste.”
I knew better than to argue by the look on her face, and I was already so aroused from lapping her up that I was happy to oblige. When she dropped to her knees and pulled my sweats down, my dick sprang up like a plank, begging to be relieved of the pressure it was under.
She laughed when she realized I wasn’t wearing any underwear either.
My cock looked huge as she took it in her small hands. I kept my eyes on her as she licked me all the way from my balls to the tip of my dick. Then she flicked her tongue around my head like it was an ice cream cone before slowly taking me in her mouth.
I braced myself against the elevator railing. Something about how fucking stuffed she looked trying to mouth fuck me was more than I could bear, and I could feel the blood pulsing through me as her lips pumped my shaft.
I grabbed her hair and did my best not to thrust, but I couldn’t help but let my hips give into her rhythm.
“I’m gonna come,” I warned.
She moaned and the vibrations were just too much.
I shot my cum to the back of her throat. At first she seemed startled by the force of it as her big eyes looked up at me, but a moment later, she started swallowing in big greedy gulps that made me wish I could come forever.
When she backed her mouth off my dick she was panting through a wide smile.
I grinned at her and punched in the code to get up to my place before pushing the emergency button back in. The elevator jerked into motion.
“I assume you’ll come up for a drink?” I asked, reaching my hand out to help her off the floor.
“I suppose it would be rude not to,” she said, reaching for her coat.
When the elevator doors opened, it thrilled me to put my hand on her lower back and lead her off the lift.
We walked back through my open door, and she threw her coat over a chair .
“Now that really is a sight,” I said, laughing about the way she looked in her cherry print pajamas surrounded by so many red roses.
“I still can’t believe all the flowers… and that I spoiled the whole rose petal thing,” she said, pointing upstairs.
“That is a shame, especially since I don’t know where we could get more if we wanted to try again.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t even know where to start looking.”
“Actually,” I said. “Why don’t you see what you can do up there?”
“What are you going to do?”
I grabbed my phone off the counter. “I’m going to put a lock on the elevator tapes so Jorge doesn’t see more than he’s paid to see tomorrow morning.”
Ella smacked my arm. “I knew it!” Her hands went to her head. “Oh my god.”
“Relax,” I said, keying in some numbers. “It’s under control.”
She blew air out between her lips like she wanted to freak out but knew it would be useless.
“Hey.” I turned towards her and wrapped my hands around her perfect waist. “Someday we might be happy we have all that on tape.”
“Someday?”
“Yeah.” I pushed her hair behind her ear. “One of the days you agreed to be my Valentine, remember?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to give me those tapes as soon as you get them.”
I laughed. “How can I be sure I can trust you with them? You couldn’t possibly have access to the kind of security I do.”
“True,” she said. “Maybe you should keep them- as long as you promise not to watch them without me.”
I squeezed her against me. “Why would I do that whe
n I could have the real thing?”
She smiled. “I’m an idiot for not coming here last night. I almost ruined everything.”
I kissed her forehead. “So did I.”
“Maybe we could just pretend I did show up and forget about the big scene I made.”
“No. It’s better this way.”
She looked up at me, her hands pressed against my chest. “How?”
“Because now we both know what it feels like to think we’ve lost each other, and we’ll never make the same mistake again.”
She pressed her cheek to my chest, and I rested my lips on the top of her head.
“Are you hungry?” I asked. “I have some nice things left over from the fancy dinner I made last night.”
“Like what?”
I reached over and opened the fridge. “An extra crispy brie tart, some venison, a disgustingly chocolately cake-”
“I can’t believe you went to all that trouble.”
“I’d do it all again, too. Every night if it’s what you wanted.”
“It all looks delicious,” she said, pushing the door closed. “But I was kind of hoping we could work up a little more of an appetite first.”
I smiled. “I can help with that, too.”
She took my hand and led me over to the stairs.
“Wait.” I opened the drawer under the mirror and reached to the back for the little velvet box. “Will you put these on for me?”
She knew what they were before she opened them. “You kept them?”
I nodded. “They’re yours,” I said. “I bought them for you out of love.”
She pursed her lips.
I shrugged. “I just didn’t realize it at the time.”
She pulled one out and handed the box back to me. When the second one was in place, she pushed her hair back. “How’s that?”
“I think it really brings the look together.”
“Thanks, Will.” She kissed me on the cheek. “I love them.”
“I hope you’ll think of me when you wear them.”
“I’ll think of you anyway,” she said. “I couldn’t stop if I tried.”
I felt my chest expand to hear her say that. Of all my achievements, nothing compared to winning the love of the woman standing in front of me with the cherry pajamas and the diamond earrings.