Completely Captivated

by A. D. Justice

  “You know, that was originally my goal, but I’ve changed my mind. I really enjoy what I’m doing now. I love baking new treats, trying new recipes, and having the final say in how creative I want to be. I’m considering expanding this business rather than morphing it into something else entirely.”

  “I hope that expansion includes hiring more help so you and Allie can take off at the same time in the future.”

  “That is priority number one on my list.”

  “Glad to hear that. Okay, I’m off to work now.”

  “You work on Saturdays?” I cut my eyes sideways at him.

  “I do now. I’ll pick you up at your apartment at three. Is that enough time?” He stood and pulled me into his arms, effectively changing the subject.

  “Plenty. I can hardly wait.” I rose on my tiptoes to kiss him goodbye.

  His fingers weaved through my hair, gripped it at my scalp, and tilted my head to the side. Then he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding along mine. He was making a promise of more to come and curling my toes with anticipation.

  I didn’t want to spoil his big plans for us tonight, but I hoped he wasn’t taking me to a movie. We’d end up calling Allie to bail us out of jail.

  By 1:59, I’d finished everything I could possibly do to help Allie with closing time chores. I rushed home to shower and change clothes. Aaron sent a text saying to wear something “nice and sexy, with fuck-me-hard-all-night-long heels.” I was glad we were on the same page with that, at least.

  When he arrived, my overnight bag was packed, my expected heels were strapped securely on my feet, and I was more than ready to spend the rest of the day and night with him.

  I opened the door for him, and he looked down at my small bag. He fought the cocky grin that threatened to break free.

  “Are you planning to spend the night with me?”

  “Yes, I am.” My voice was steady and unwavering, daring him to deny me.

  “Mrs. Rivers, I’m appalled at you. You must think I put out on the first date.”

  “You do, and you will again tonight.”

  He threw his head back, roaring with laughter, and swept me up in his arms. “For you—anything you want. I’m your genie, and you have an unlimited number of wishes.”

  “Careful. You’ll spoil me, showering me with so much love like this. I’ll start to expect the same special treatment every day.”

  “Is that your first official wish?”

  With all sincerity, I answered him. “It’s the only wish that matters to me.”

  “Your wish is granted. From this moment until I die, I will spoil you with more love every day.”

  He took my overnight bag from my hand and checked the weight in his. “You didn’t pack much. Is that because you expect to be naked most of the time?”

  I actually did, but that wasn’t why I didn’t pack more. “I just put enough for one night in there. I’ll have to be at work early Monday morning, and I didn’t want to be that presumptuous.”

  “How about you add a few more outfits to this bag, and let’s play it by ear? I can take you the café early whenever you need. It’s not like I won’t be there eventually anyway.”

  “If you’re sure?”

  “I’m positive. You can bring your whole closet, and it wouldn’t bother me one bit.”

  “A few outfits for now will do.” I was secretly thrilled he said that, but I was trying not to hit the throttle too hard.

  After I rummaged through my clothes and threw a few in to cover anything we may do the next day, we climbed into his car and came to a stop in front of the Museum of Modern Art.

  “I didn’t know you were an art fan. I don’t think they normally have valets out here. It looks like they’re having a gallery showing tonight.”

  “They are, but you get to see it first.”

  “How exciting! How did you arrange that?”

  “I’ve told you before—it’s good to have friends in high places.”

  The valet took Aaron’s keys, and we walked into the museum hand in hand. Once we reached the third floor, Aaron gestured for me to enter the exhibit area first.

  The first photograph we saw was amazing. The detail the photographer caught in the landscape made me feel like I was there with him. Aaron asked my thoughts of each one and listened to my replies, but he didn’t add his own commentary.

  Every picture was better than the last, and my excitement of discovering the next one in the series was hard to contain. When we turned the corner to find the centerpiece of the exhibit, I couldn’t breathe.

  I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the floor in front of the enormous photograph.

  Of our field in the woods.

  Of our trail.

  With our picnic basket and blanket in the exact spot where we spent the day.

  But this photograph was taken at night, under a full moon.

  “This is where I was when I didn’t get home until dawn. The centerpiece of the exhibit had to be perfect, and I worked night and day to make it exactly what I needed. I was afraid it wouldn’t make it in time for opening night with the rest of the exhibit. But now I’m convinced you’re my lucky charm. It was after our talk that morning when I learned the printer could meet my specifications on such short notice.”

  I looked closer at the name of the photograph.

  Completely Captivated.

  “You took all these?” I whispered, afraid to break the spell of perfection around me.

  “Yes, this is my new job. My passion is photography. I love being behind the lens and capturing the beauty in normally mundane subjects.”

  “No wonder I love this entire exhibit so much. You’re a part of every subject in here. I can tell they hold significance to you in the way you present them.”

  “That’s because every single picture in here was taken with you in mind. Something that reminded me of you. Something I thought you would like. Something I wanted to show you, or somewhere I wanted to take you.”

  “What did you name the entire exhibit?”

  “Love of a Lifetime.”

  Meet the Family

  Aaron

  I watched her with purpose and intention—to read her body language for what she wasn’t verbalizing. She was shocked, there was no doubt about that, but she was having a hard time finding the words to convey what she was thinking without giving too much away.

  “Say whatever’s on your mind. I want to hear it. Don’t keep your thoughts from me.”

  “I’m thinking…I’m blown away. I didn’t even know you enjoyed photography, much less that you’re such a natural at it.”

  “I took a few classes in college, but I learned a lot from the photographers I’ve worked with over the years. All those model photo shoots I had to endure paid off.”

  She looked back at the picture of our special place and stared at it for several more seconds. I could almost see the entire scene replaying through her eyes as she relived it.

  “I remember.” My voice was low, meant only for her ears.

  Her eyes rose to meet mine. “I remember that day too.”

  “I don’t mean that day in our field. I remember, Christa. I remember everything.”

  I brushed her long blond hair behind her ear, grazing her cheek with the pad of my thumb. “We were in the suite, and you wanted to surprise me. You locked the bathroom door so I couldn’t peek in and ruin my special gift, and we laughed through the door about you barring yourself in the bathroom to get away from me on our wedding night.

  “While I waited for you, I turned the music on, letting it play softly in the background. Then I lit a few candles and waited on the bed until you unlocked the door.”

  Her eyes grew bigger with every word before sparkling with tears. Her lips parted, and she inhaled sharply but didn’t release her held breath right away.

  “When you opened that door, all I could think about was devouring every inch of you. Slowly. All night long. Over and over again. You were in all white�
�your lacy lingerie, white fuck-me-now heels, and your wedding veil. But your lips were a shade of deep red wine, and I had an immediate visual of them wrapped around my cock.”

  That admission had one side of her mouth quirking up, though she tried to hide her smile. I shrugged one shoulder. It was true. What could I say?

  “I don’t even remember getting off the bed, but that’s not because of my head injury. I think I instantaneously transported across the room to your side. But you were in my arms then, and that’s all that mattered. You were mine.

  “I led you to the bed and told you I wanted our first time to be face-to-face. But after that, I was up for whatever adventurous position you wanted to try.”

  She looked up at the ceiling, fluttered her eyelashes, and ran her finger under her eyes to catch the tears before they had a chance to fall.

  “Your next words nearly made me drop to my knees. You were mortified to confess you were a virgin, thought I’d want you less. You were afraid you wouldn’t satisfy me in bed. What you didn’t know then, and what you don’t realize now, is there’s nothing you could say or do that would ever make me want you less. In fact, I was fairly certain I’d spontaneously combust from how badly I burned for you.

  “The first time we made love was the best experience of my life. Until the second time, then the third, and… You get the point. It’s you, Christa. Only you fulfill every need I have, every desire of my heart. If I can’t have you, I won’t have anyone.”

  “Do you mean that, Aaron?” Her question was sincere, but I had a feeling her words held a deeper meaning.

  “On my life, Christa. There hasn’t been anyone else in my life or in my bed since the day I met you. I’ll never leave you. I’ll never stop loving you.”

  She was no longer holding her breath. Her chest heaved heavily as uncontrollable emotions rolled through her. I sensed her inner turmoil, and I recognized the second she stopped fighting it.

  She stepped forward, grabbed the lapels of my jacket, and molded her body to mine. I wasn’t stupid—I wasn’t about to question her rash decision. Every hurdle we crossed only brought her closer to stopping the divorce altogether.

  Even in her heels, she wasn’t tall enough to claim my mouth. But I was more than willing to oblige her. Once our lips met, everything around us faded to black, and only she and I existed in the world.

  Her taste. Her scent. How she felt. The sounds she made. When she let go and gave me complete control of her pleasure. She was still mine. She’d always be mine. She just needed time to realize it.

  “Aaron,” she whispered between kisses. “Where?”

  I slid my hand around hers and pulled her with me, checking doors for an empty office we could put to good use. The third door we came to was unlocked and appeared to be unused from the neatness of the desk. After I ushered her inside, I glanced up and down the hall before slipping in and locking the door behind me.

  She moved over to the desk and looked over her shoulder with a devilish grin. She shimmied her dress up her legs and revealed her bare ass.

  “You’re not wearing any panties. Fuck me.”

  “Funny, those words were just on the tip of my tongue.” She bent at the waist, resting her forearms on the desk, and widened her stance. “Are you going to stand there staring at my fine ass, or are you going to come take care of your wife?”

  My dick was harder than a diamond right then. “I’m fucking taking care of my wife. Right now.” One step later and I’d reached her. My pants and boxer briefs were shed in the blink of an eye. Positioned at her wet entrance, my hips surged forward to the hilt. My growl and her moan sounded simultaneously. My fingers dug into her hips, an unintentional punishment that felt too good to release. I pulled back, and each forward push moved the desk a little more. Our combined grunts and groans filled the room, spurring us on until the pressure built to uncontrollable levels. She cried out, my name falling from her fuckable lips, as her muscles tightened around me, milking every last drop.

  “Fuck, Christa. That was so fucking hot.”

  “Aaron, I think you’re becoming a bad influence on me.”

  “If this is my bad influence, I approve and will up the ante.”

  Thankfully, we’d found an office with its own bathroom, and the probability it belonged to a museum executive hit me. We quickly cleaned up and straightened our clothes together, but I couldn’t leave without one last kiss. We managed to sneak out of the office and back to the gallery floor.

  The official kickoff wasn’t for another couple of hours, but I wanted this time alone with my wife first. Having her eyes be the first to see the photographs was important to me, because I wanted her to be first in everything in my life. After she knew they were all mine, she wanted to walk back through the exhibit and view them with a new understanding.

  She spent time staring at each photo, absorbing the meaning behind them, as she worked her way through the room. By the time she made it back around, guests for the opening night gala began to arrive. She was relaxed and happy, at ease by my side as I introduced her to everyone as my wife.

  Then Lance stepped onto the floor, and I felt her stiffen beside me. I stopped speaking mid-sentence and looked down at her.

  “Christa, is something the matter?”

  She shot daggers at him with her eyes. If looks could kill, I thought to myself.

  “Lance, hold my purse for a minute,” a familiar voice demanded. I watched in astonishment as he complied. Willingly.

  “Is that—”

  “No. It’s not possible.” Christa shook her head but kept her eyes glued to the scene unfolding directly in front of us.

  Allie held on to Lance’s arm for balance while she adjusted the strap on her shoe. Then she took her clutch from him and wrapped her hand around the bend of his arm when they started walking toward us.

  Lance’s eyes were glued to Allie, while Christa’s could’ve become flamethrowers at any second. My brother was so beguiled by the beauty on his arm, he had no idea of the wrath he was walking straight into.

  Until it was too late.

  He turned his head just in time to meet my gaze, happiness written all over his face. Then his expression fell when he saw Christa’s icy glare.

  “Lance. Allie. I’m…stunned…to see you two together.” My shock was impossible to hide, so I chose not to try.

  “Lance and I have been in negotiations. He’s finally beginning to see the error of his ways and the benefits of mine.” Allie’s smile resembled a fiendish cat that had just pounced on its prey. “Lance, don’t you have something to say to my best friend?”

  “Yes, I do. Christa, I’ve talked to Aaron and Allie, but I haven’t apologized to you. My primary concern was for Aaron and his safety, but that’s no excuse for how I treated you. I hope you can accept my sincere apology.”

  “I appreciate how protective you’ve been over Aaron.” Her words may have been gracious, but her straight spine and stiff jaw said otherwise.

  * * *

  Christa

  “Will you two excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with my best friend alone.” Allie released Lance and took my arm instead, leading me away from our dates and out of earshot.

  “Want to tell me what the hell you’re doing with him? Of all the men you could’ve picked in the world, you had to choose the biggest dickhead you could find?” I nearly raised my finger to point at the demon spawn beside Aaron, but I caught myself just in time.

  Allie’s smirk almost made me laugh. Almost. “Do I need a reason other than that?”

  “You are infuriating. You make me mad and laugh at the same time. Now, stop it. You know what I meant. He’s the worst man in the world.”

  “He’s not, once you get to know him. He’s been thoroughly chastised and punished for what he did to you. He’s genuinely sorry, and he’ll never do anything like that again. Especially not while I’m around. Give him a chance—for me?”

  She knew I couldn’t resist her when she ask
ed nicely.

  “I’ll try. No promises, though.”

  She kissed me on the cheek and smiled so much I was sure her cheeks must hurt. “That means yes in Christa-speak.”

  “I’m obviously way too predictable,” I grumbled as we walked back toward the guys. “Maybe I should shake things up, cause a scene or something.”

  “Not tonight. May be best to save that for a more private moment with Aaron.” Allie swung her arm around my shoulders and squeezed.

  “I’m only refraining because this is the opening night of Aaron’s exhibit, and I don’t want to ruin it for him.”

  A group of people had gathered around Aaron, asking questions about his work. From a few feet away, I watched as he animatedly explained each picture. His enthusiasm spread to the people around him, and murmurs of buying his work soon followed. Every time he explained the photograph’s focal point, he sought me out. Our eyes met, forming an invisible connection that kept us tethered to the ground while our hearts soared in the clouds. He was telling and showing me how I’d always been his focal point.

  With the growing crowd around him, I moved around the room to give him space to mingle. The beacon drawing me back in was the centerpiece, our field of wildflowers hidden in the forest. Our blanket and our picnic basket in the exact spot as when we enjoyed that day away from the hustle and bustle of life.

  “This picture is simply gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  I turned to reply to the woman who’d joined me. “Yes, it is. I love them all, but this one is my favorite.”

  “I may be slightly biased since I’m the artist’s mother, but I love them all too. They’re pure genius.”

  “You’re Aaron’s mother?” Other than repeating back what she’d just said to me, I was speechless. How did I even begin to introduce myself?

  “Yes, I am. My name is Leigh Anne. How do you know him?”

  “Mom, this is Christa, his wife,” Lance said as he and Allie stepped up behind me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get over here in time to make proper introductions.”

  “You are our Christa?” A beaming smile covered her face, and she thrust her drink into Lance’s hand before wrapping her arms around me. “Sweetheart, it’s so good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, and I hoped you’d be here.”