by Skye Darrel
“Huh?”
“Lie to someone to make them feel better. Dr. Dixon mentioned how aggressive Yvonne’s cancer is. Not likely she’ll get better.”
“I didn’t lie. Yvonne has a chance, which is more than nothing. It’s not a lie to give her hope. Sometimes hope is all we have.”
“You talk as if you’re the one who’s sick.”
I bite my lip and look out the window at a busy city sidewalk.
After a while, Everett sighs. “I’m sorry, April. I didn’t mean—”
"If I had cancer, would you sit there and talk about statistics?"
“If you had cancer I’d find a fucking cure for cancer.” He grunts, knuckles white on the wheel. “I’m sorry,” he says again.
Whatever. He’s not even a doctor. To fill the silence, I call my mom next. As usual she picks up right away and asks if everything is okay.
"Fine, Mom. I'm spending the night in Baltimore at a friend's place. Don’t wait up on me.”
“Who is it?”
“An acquaintance,” I say.
“It’s not a boy is it?”
“Mom. It’s nothing like that.” I scoff and glance at Everett’s hard jaw and the sharp angles of his face. Totally not. I tell Mom I sprained my ankle at the hospital, and I don’t mention my fall or she’d worry herself sick. “I’m okay but I need to keep my weight off it, and I can’t drive right now. So . . .”
Right away she offers to pick me up, and it takes ten more minutes to convince her I’m all right. When she’s finally satisfied, I give her my love and hang up with a sigh.
“Your parents don’t know about me?” Everett asks.
“They know you exist.”
“But not us.”
“No,” I say.
“Why not?”
I screw my eyes at him. “Probably for the same reasons you don’t mention me to your people. Less drama.”
“I told my brother.”
“That doesn't count. I bet you tell him everything and he keeps it a secret.”
“True.”
“Right. You keep me a secret and I keep you a secret. No fuss, no muss.”
“Doesn’t have to be that way,” he says.
“Oh you’re right. We can tell everyone. I can tell my parents you went down on me. What could possibly go wrong?”
Everett makes a throaty sound. “That’s not what I meant. We don’t need to hide, that’s all. We can be a couple.”
I look out the window again, wondering what this man sitting beside me really wants. Everett takes us through downtown, and the glass and steel walls of the Royce Building looms larger and larger. He turns into his underground parking garage, parks, and for a moment there is absolute silence. I don’t know how I should feel right now.
Everett gets out first and opens my door for me. He grabs my hand. I swear he’s the most grabby person I’ve ever met. He turns me to face him, holding me by my hips before I can get a word out.
“April, I didn’t mean what I said about Yvonne. You were being kind and I get that. And I didn’t mean what I said two months ago.”
He sure doesn’t mean a lot of things. “Two months ago?”
“After our tour with Dr. Dixon.”
“Oh. You mean your little speech about how we should let kids with disabilities die because they’re a drain on society. You mean when you were being an asshole.”
“Yes.” He grits his jaw. “That’s not me.”
I can tell he’s not used to apologizing. “You kept the hospital open, so I guess you’re not a complete asshole.”
“I try not to be.”
He puts his arm around my waist and walks me to the elevator. Maybe he didn’t mean what he’d said, but those words had come from somewhere. A part of him is cruel and callous no matter what he pretends.
But something about Everett draws me in. I think he has a good heart deep down.
He’s not cruel. Someone taught him to think cruel. Someone made him the way he is today.
“Almost there,” Everett says as the elevator takes us to the top floor.
Chapter Seven
EVERETT
I’d rushed to the hospital after Naomi Dixon called me about April’s accident. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been worried something bad would happen. That April might get hurt. I thought it was paranoia, but then the call came and I damn near lost it.
She is safe now. That’s all that matters. And if I had it my way, I’d put a ring on her finger tomorrow.
But I’ve never had it my way.
The elevator pings as it reaches the top floor. I rub April’s shoulder, only to comfort her, but the warmth of her body gets my cock hard as her scent fills my nose. We haven’t been this close in a long time.
When the doors open, the hallway spreads out in front of us. And at the end, in front of the door to my penthouse suite, stands Viktor Harlow.
“Fuck.”
April sees him too and pulls away. “Isn’t that . . .?”
“My director of security,” I say. And in reality, my father’s loyal servant. Harlow has been calling me since I went to see April.
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “Let’s get you inside.”
I guide her down the hall.
“Where have you been?” Harlow says. “You left in the middle of a board meeting without any explanation. Are you insane?”
He’s asked that question often since I met April.
“Get out of the way,” I say.
Harlow gives April the once-over, and his eyes widen in recognition. “You. The girl from that protest—”
“She’s not your concern,” I say.
“Maybe I should leave,” April murmurs.
I hold her tighter. “Stay.”
Her cheeks redden.
I should hide my feelings in front of Harlow, but I don’t give a fuck anymore. He can report whatever he wants to my father.
“Out of the way,” I say to him. “This woman is my guest.”
“Your guest?”
“My guest. You can leave, Viktor.”
Harlow wavers. Then he walks past us toward the elevator. He looks back as the doors close, his face perfectly blank.
“What was that about?” April asks.
“Corporate dispute,” I say. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”
I take April to my living room and ease her into the big sofa. She slumps back, face weary like she’s finished a marathon. Then she flicks her eyes up and a faint smile forms on her lips.
"It's not polite to stare," she says.
“You’re too beautiful.”
“Uh-huh.”
She’s wearing shorts and a simple loose top, not so loose that I can’t make out the shape of her breasts. My eyes travel down her thighs and back up, and my cock throbs again. I can’t restrain myself.
April blushes. “You plan to stand there the whole afternoon?”
“I missed seeing you.”
“Men,” she mutters. But her pretty eyes roam over me at the same time. “Look, if you have a meeting just go. I don’t want you in trouble over me.”
“My schedule’s free.”
“What about that Harlow guy?”
I grunt. “Harlow is a fucking spy.”
“Huh?”
“Viktor Harlow works for Edmund Royce, my father. Edmund owns Royce Innovations. Harlow’s real job is to keep the old man updated on my whereabouts and doings.”
“So you’re not the big boss around here.” April smiles. “Figures.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I have a feeling your father wouldn’t approve of me.”
“Doesn’t matter what he approves of. You’re here. I’m here. I love you, April.”
“So you say,” she whispers.
“I mean it.”
She looks away for a moment. “Where’s your cheetah cat?”
“Probably sleeping in the loft. Don’t worry about Achilles.”
“You keep telling
me not to worry.”
“Because I don’t want you to worry,” I say, every muscle in my body coiling tighter.
April sits back on the sofa, her eyes straying to the obvious erection pushing against my pants, and she licks her lips. “You’re not even trying to hide it.”
“I don’t want to hide. And I think if I took your shorts off I’d find a wet pussy.”
Her cheeks redden another shade.
I put one knee on the sofa, leaning over her, and I pull her shorts off. April whimpers. She has white panties on, and when I run my thumb down the front, I can feel the heat and moisture, the swollen lips of her sex. A gray smudge seeps through the cloth. I rub her pussy through the thin fabric, teasing out more wetness. Until I can smell her juices. She lets out a breathy moan and her body shudders.
My cock throbs in a frenzy. “Goddammit.”
“W-What?”
I bend lower and tell her through gritted teeth, “You don’t know how you tempt me.”
She gasps. “Tempt you?”
“You haunt me. Drive me insane. You’ve denied me for months. I stroked my cock every night, remembering the taste of your sweet cunt. Now you’re going to obey me.”
She gulps. “What do you want?”
It would take an hour to answer that question, but we have time. “Take off these dirty panties, Princess. You’ve soiled them with your sweetness. I’m going to clean your naughty little pussy.”
She looks up from under her lashes, and she seems so innocent. But her eyes have mischief in them. “Take out your cock first.”
I tear my zipper down and pull out my aching erection. I’ve never been harder, bursting and swollen, itching to cum. I could fuck through a goddamn wall.
And when April closes her fingers around my length, I nearly lose it. My cock jerks in her grip and a string of cum seeps out to wet her palm. Fuck, I want to rip those panties off and plunge my cock into her wet pussy, but I don’t want to hurt her. The fall at the hospital had left a bruise on her hip. If I get inside her body, I won’t be able to stop myself from taking her hard.
I have to be gentle. Control myself. Worship her body like she deserves.
April winces as she shifts forward, trying to get her small hands around my shaft.
Biting my teeth, I nudge her back. “Not like this. When you’re better.”
“I’m fine,” she whispers, almost like she’s complaining.
“No you’re not, kitten.”
Her eyes dart up. “What did you call me?”
“Kitten.”
She bites her lower lip, and it’s cute and sexy as fuck at the same time. Her hand is still on me and I pull it off. Then I tip up her chin. "No strenuous activities, April. You heard what Dr. Dixon said.”
She huffs and strokes me once from tip to base, making me groan, before she takes her hands away.
“When you get better, you can suck my cock all you want.”
April pouts. “Who said anything about sucking, perv? I just wanted to touch it.”
I’ve had enough of her teasing, the tug and pull between us. What my girl needs is an orgasm that’ll put her to bed. And I need to get off before I lose control.
I lift April in my arms, and she squeals as I carry her to my bedroom. I set her down on the bed and pull her clothes off gently as I can. When every inch of her skin is bared to my touch, I shed my own clothes and climb in with her.
Her body is all soft curves and smooth lines, small next to mine. I kiss over her thighs and belly. I trace my tongue over the bruised skin of her hip, letting her moans guide me.
“Better?”
“Better than ice,” she breathes.
I kiss my way up to her breasts. Her nipples stiffen as I strum them, tweaking the little buds between finger and thumb, and my other hand is between her thighs, rubbing her slick pussy lips while lightly flicking her clit.
April turns from side to side, moaning, her skin so hot now it feels like fever.
“In me,” she gasps. “Anything. In me.”
I slide two fingers into her dripping hole, and she clenches at once. My fingers rub her moist walls, my thumb teasing her clit faster. She opens her mouth and her eyes shoot wide as she bucks against my hand.
“Ohhh.”
Her pleasure is music to my ears.
I curl my fingers under her front wall, drumming on the tender spot there as she cums and cums, gushing warm cream all over my hand, her head tossed back and hands twisting in the sheets.
My cock leaks like a faucet. Painfully hard. But I focus on my girl until she comes down at last. When I slide my fingers out, they are coated to the knuckles in her sticky juice. I lick them clean before I kiss her clit one more time.
Her legs quake.
“Good girl,” I growl. “But we’re not finished yet.”
April looks up in shock, her eyes still dazed.
I rest my cock head against her drenched folds. The sensation of her flesh, the lightest touch, makes me cum instantly. My balls draw up as ropes of release shoot out of my cock to splash her pussy.
She lies down breathing hard, and I lie beside her and pull her close.
“You’re so dirty,” she whispers.
“Rest, angel.”
Her breathing softens as I comb my hand through her hair. It’s been a long day, and the climax makes me drowsy, but I won’t let myself sleep until she does.
After a while, she says, “There’s something you need to know about me. Something bad.”
I hear the tension in her voice and kiss her hair. Nothing she says could change my feelings. She’s the only one for me. Perhaps some part of me always knew she was out there, and that’s why I never slept around like my brother. I’ve been waiting to find her my whole life. She’s my girl. My woman. One way or another, I’ll make the rest of the world understand that. Even my father.
“You can tell me anything,” I say.
She rests her hand on my chest, her breasts pressed against my arm. My cock stirs again. If she keeps this up, I’ll never fall asleep.
Works for me.
April sighs. “Nevermind. I’ll tell you later.”
“What is it? Tell me now.”
“Later.” She lays her hand on my abs, and we lie in silence for a while. Then she says, “What do you care about, Everett?”
“Besides you?”
She nudges my ribs. “I said what, not who. What’s your company really about?”
I roll on my side, staring at her, and my hand gets busy on her breasts. “I care about the future. Computers, AI, and robotics. The world is changing faster than ever, and Royce Innovations will lead the charge. That's what the company is about. The future.”
“I didn’t ask for a commercial.”
Her nipples are hard as pebbles, and the feel of her tits has my cock throbbing. Kissing her throat, I give her clit a gentle rub.
“And you?” she says. “Are you about the future too?”
“Yes.” I wipe the loose strands of hair out of her eyes. “Better than the past.”
“Not always. I prefer the present. Living every day, smelling the roses.”
“Oh I’m a fan of the present too,” I growl, my hand molding her soft flesh. “Like right now.”
She pouts. “I thought you wanted me to rest.”
“After this.”
I scoot down the bed, get to my knees, and pry her legs apart. Her smooth pussy is still swollen and glistens with cream. I stroke my cock a few times before I bend down. When my tongue hits the peak of her clit, April grabs my hair and gasps. I lick up and down her pink lips, filling the room with obscene slurps. I split her folds with my tongue, smearing her sweet juices all over my tastebuds, savoring her and starving for more.
She bucks off the bed, climaxing over my mouth. I kiss her stomach and rest my head there and listen to the noises in her belly. Her soft skin is warm and moist. I could lie like this forever, just the two of us. I touch the bruise in her hip and give it a
kiss.
I need her. I can’t stand the thought of sleeping alone again. I can’t stand the thought of April getting hurt again.
“Summer is almost over,” I say, climbing up her body.
“Yes.”
"We could go somewhere. Only the two of us.”
“I can’t leave Yvonne. The hospital—”
“Only for two weeks, April. Nothing will happen.”
She studies me. “Go where?”
“A resort in the mountains. No cities, no suburbs. No distractions. You’ll love it.” I rub my thumb over her eyebrow, ready to convince her.
April is still guarded toward me. She won’t share her life. I don’t blame her, but I want a chance to win her trust completely. Make her mine forever. “Come on, Princess. I’ll make you happy. If you’re not a fan of the outdoors—”
“Outdoors is fine,” she says suddenly. “I’ll go.”
“You will?”
“Does that surprise you?”
My mouth breaks into a grin. “I’d expected more resistance.”
“Guess I’m tired of resistance. And you’re so persistent.”
“It'll be the best two weeks of your life,” I promise.
Chapter Eight
APRIL
I agreed to Everett's trip for two reasons. First, my parents take a vacation at the end of every August, so I'll be by myself anyway, and I don’t like to be alone. Second, maybe Everett’s right—he really is in love with me. I want to find out.
Besides, everyone at Support Group says I need to get out more. What better way to make every day my best?
Even Camila said it was a good idea. My cousin thinks I have Everett wrapped around my finger, and maybe I do.
I’ve decided to tell him the truth about my illness during our trip. It makes me nervous. Would he feel the same way after he finds out? He said he lives for the future, but I don’t have one.
On a Monday morning, Everett’s black Audi stops outside my house. He gets out and waves, all dashing and outdoorsy in his jeans and boots and a leather jacket. The guy looks good in anything.
I walk down the steps carrying my lucky backpack. “Aren’t you hot in that jacket?”
“Weather in the mountains is cooler." His eyes drift over me. "You look tired, baby. Tired and beautiful."