by Sara Celi
“Nonsense.” I waved my hand. “Surprise visits are more fun, anyway.”
Elizabeth’s attention turned to Trevor, and she cocked her head as she regarded him. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.”
“Oh, this is—This is Trevor McNamara.”
I faltered, unsure how to introduce him. It was one thing to pretend this business arrangement had a deeper meaning around people who digested society columns over their morning cereal, and quite another to expand this out to people who didn’t care who I married or how much social standing my last name had.
“He’s—”
“Ainsley’s my fiancée,” Trevor replied, then wrapped his arm around my waist in a smooth movement. Elizabeth let out an excited yelp. “She might not have mentioned me before. We reconnected recently.” He looked down at me, then smiled. “And things changed from there.”
“They did.” I grinned at Elizabeth. “I couldn’t be happier about it.”
And for the first time, there was more than just a kernel of truth to this statement. I was happy. For real.
“This is wonderful news.” Elizabeth clapped her hands together a few times. “I love this. You all are”—she moved closer—“you all are going to make gorgeous babies.”
Trevor and I chuckled in unison. He shot me a wink over Elizabeth’s head of teased red hair.
Babies? Nope. I hadn’t even considered it.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I gently said to Elizabeth. “As I said, this has all been very sudden.”
“I know these things. I have a maternal instinct.” Elizabeth regarded us for a breath. “Since this is your first time at the center, Trevor, I’d love to show you around. We have a lot of things going on today, including in our arts-and-crafts room, where our older elementary students are decorating lunch boxes with decoupage and recycle cards.”
“I’d love that,” Trevor said.
And as we set off on our tour, we fell in line together. In fact, he grabbed my hand somewhere in the middle of the main hallway.
Neither of us let go.
“That was amazing,” I said about two hours later as we got back in my car and prepared to leave Belle Glade for Palm Beach once again. “I haven’t made pinch pots like that since art class in the fifth grade.”
“The kids loved you.” She closed her car door. “Especially those twins.”
“Yeah, we had a nice connection.” I started the engine and turned to her. “So, you did all this? This was your vision?”
“Yes. I decided after my dad died that I needed to do something more meaningful with my life than just have a faltering handbag and accessories line. I’m not… I’m not good at business, but I think that I’m good at this—at giving money away. And we’ve been able to help about 300 kids since it opened.”
“And you haven’t told anyone about this?”
“No.” The left side of her mouth turned upward. “It just feels better to keep it quiet. Only a few people are aware of this. I feel like if a lot of people knew about it, I worry they would assume things about me that aren’t true.”
I studied her for a moment. It couldn’t be possible for her to look any more beautiful, and yet she did, and I wanted her to know that. I had a thousand compliments I yearned to give her, but instead, I said, “Impressive.”
Her hand lay across the armrest, and I took her fingers and entwined them with mine again. I’d held her hand for most of the day, and the longer I did, the more natural it felt. Once more, she didn’t pull away.
“I thought I knew you,” I murmured. “And I thought that day in New York that I had you all figured out.” I paused. “But I didn’t.”
She moved closer to me. “Does that bother you? That you don’t have me all figured out?”
“No. I like it.” With my free hand, I brushed some wayward strands of blonde hair away from her face. “Keep surprising me, Ainsley.”
“I plan on it.”
She’d barely spoken her reply when I pulled her into a kiss. It was tentative, wavering, and unsure, the kind of kiss I gave a woman when I didn’t know where things were going, and so different than the ones I’d given her that night at the Whitney Museum. This time, I knew she wanted it, and she didn’t stop me, but it still felt so strange to be here months later, breaking this invisible boundary. Ainsley might be my fiancée, but I didn’t know her. Not like this.
“Please,” she said against my mouth. “Do it again.”
My lips met hers once more; they were soft, plump, and smooth underneath my drier, harsher ones, and the fervency of our kisses increased. The moment deepened and elongated.
“There,” I said after the natural break in our connection. “Now you know how I really feel.” I rested my forehead against hers. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”
“Since when?”
“At least that day at Taboo. You looked so gorgeous, even though you had a massive hangover. There was something about you, too, something I couldn’t really place that told me that you weren’t at all what I thought you were.”
“You mean that I wasn’t a money-grubbing, empty-headed socialite?”
I laughed. “Your words, not mine.”
She moved away, then regarded me. “You have to understand, when I’m in that world… around those people… I must wear a kind of armor. I must act the way they want. I have to do what’s expected.”
“But this,” I replied, glancing back at the recreation center, “is where you’re the happiest, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“I’m glad you showed it to me,” I said. “I’m glad I got to see the real Ainsley Ross. You’re making all of this so much more interesting.”
We headed back to Palm Beach and settled in for the drive together down the smooth, open road that slingshot us back to the city. I held her hand the entire way, but we didn’t speak again until we arrived in the familiar front parking lot of her condo complex.
With her attention on the console clock, she said, “I guess you have to get going. It’s almost five.”
“They’re waiting for me.” I tightened my grip on her fingers, so she’d move her gaze over to mine. “But I can also tell them to hold off, if—”
“Do you want to come up?” Her voice sounded throaty and rich. “Maybe get some water, or a snack?”
“Yes, a snack would be perfect.”
Once upstairs, she unlocked the door to her unit right before I caught her mouth with mine, crushing her against me. I walked her backwards to the wall in the far foyer, and the door slammed behind us, shutting out the world and allowing what had been building between us for weeks to escape into the warmth of her condominium.
I wrapped myself all around her, and she molded herself to me as the passion of the moment took over both of us. I kissed her lips, her jawline, and her tender neck as we moved in time with each other. After a few minutes, she undid the small buttons of her black dress and I pushed it off her shoulders, revealing her lacy black bra and matching underwear.
I stepped away from her and took in the fine curves of her body. “You’re gorgeous. Do you realize that?”
She answered by yanking me toward her, then covering my lips with hers. As we kissed again, her nimble fingers found the hem of my polo shirt, and she lifted it over my head. By the time her hands touched my chest, I was hard and ready for her; I needed her so badly in that moment that I would have done anything to get her.
“Over there, and down the hall,” she murmured against my mouth, giving an answer to a question I hadn’t yet asked. “Last door on the right.”
I lifted her up and followed her instructions, which ended in a large master bedroom with light-gray walls and a king-sized bed covered in a white duvet and a fuzzy green throw. I placed her on the bed and she opened herself to me.
“This is it,” I said. “Are you sure?”
Ainsley nodded. “I’ve wanted this for a while.”
I caught her mouth with mine
and I kissed her deeper than I’d ever kissed anyone, then I moved my lips down her neck, toward the swell of her breasts. I teased her nipples with my tongue and she moaned from the pleasure. I let her know how much I liked hearing it by traveling down the smooth curves of her body, ending at the apex of her thighs. She was primed and ready for me, but I drew out the moment as I teased and tantalized her with my tongue, taking in every taste of her.
“Yes,” she said beneath a heavy breath. “Don’t stop.”
I was hard, and my dick throbbed with need, but I had an overwhelming urge to bring her to climax first. I built on each second that passed, leading her to an orgasm she needed just as much as I craved giving it to her. My hands explored every part of her as I tasted her, adding to her enjoyment. Her warm, smooth breasts responded to my touch, her stomach shivered with need. And just when I felt like I couldn’t take it any longer, she cried out as her whole body shuddered.
Only then did I allow myself to crawl up over her and enter her slick tightness.
Together, Ainsley and I moved as one on the bed. I drew her close to me, crushing her body against mine. I thrust in and out of her, over and over. We also joined our bodies with our lips, and I found myself shrinking the space between us, moving closer, burying myself deeper inside her warmth.
It was perfect. One perfect moment. And I never wanted it to end.
But when it did, I held onto her until the very last moment, until it became physically impossible to stay connected with her any longer. And then I held onto her in the darkness, wishing the night would last forever. A thousand thoughts clouded my mind, and I knew everything had changed between us.
I was thirty-nine-years-old, and I’d just found something that I’d never discovered before.
Lying beside her, I decided to stay another night in South Florida. “I don’t have any pressing meetings until noon tomorrow,” I told her as we lay wrapped in the cotton sheets, staring at each other. “I’ll tell my pilot that we aren’t going back to New York tonight. I’ll spend another night here—if you’ll have me.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I kissed her, then drew my body closer, entwining our legs and wrapping my calves around hers until I had Ainsley pinned to the bed. “I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.”
“Good.” She raked her fingers through my hair. “I was hoping that you’d say something like that.”
I kissed her again, and we molded together on top of the fluffy cotton. I dragged my lips over her breasts, then down her stomach, and faded into her like I’d always been there. She was mine, all mine.
And for the first time in years, I felt completely alive.
I woke the following morning with a jolt. My final dream faded from my mind, but I held onto the last pieces of it—a sensation that I was falling, with nothing to stop me. My breath pushed in and out of my lungs as I sat up in bed.
“Are you okay?” Trevor asked in the bed next to me, his voice still coated with sleep.
“No, I’m—I’m okay.” But I struggled to say those words, and I knew I wasn’t fooling anyone. I lay down next to him again. “I’m just—”
“Shh.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “You’re fine. You’re safe.”
“Am I?” I pulled the sheets and duvet around us. “This has been”—I willed my lungs to slow down—“a stressful few weeks. A lot to take in.”
“I know,” he whispered. “You just have to trust me, Ainsley. You have to trust yourself.”
I stared into his eyes. It was still early, just a little while after sunrise, but the morning light already streamed into the bedroom, warming up his face and softening his eyes. “I do.”
“You do?” He grinned.
I smiled back at him. “Yes, but I am wondering a few things.”
“Like what?”
I snuggled deeper into the bed. “Well, what about kids? If we get married, do you want any? Is that part of the deal? And what if… what if we do have one?”
His fingers stopped exploring my hairline. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Do you want children? Do you see yourself as a dad?”
A long pause passed before he answered me. “I never did,” he said. “But I think that’s starting to change.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “Is it?”
He nodded. “And what about you, do you want kids?”
“I do. At least one.” I studied him for a breath, chewing the edge of my lower lip. “So, I’m curious. Is this still just a contract to you? An acquisition?”
He moved closer to me. “I’m surprised you haven’t realized this yet. You are more than just a business deal, Ainsley.”
His lips found mine, and we molded together again, twisting ourselves under the covers as we shut out the rest of the world.
Three Weeks Later
I had a lot to be grateful for, and I knew that. Life hadn’t dealt me that huge of a blow. I was marrying one of Wall Street’s most eligible bachelors, and my family’s legacy was saved. Plus, lucky for me, I liked Trevor. A lot. In fact, in the deepest corners of my heart, I was falling for him.
So, I knew that I had it good. Despite the recent setbacks, things weren’t as bad as they could be, or as disastrous I had expected on the night that Ashton delivered the unexpected news about our family’s finances.
And that was where I wanted it to stay.
“So, tomorrow I have us booked at European Bridal on Fifth at noon, and House of Brides at two. Do you want to go to the bridal salon at Bergdorf’s, too? They can fit us in at four,” Brooke said as the plane from Palm Beach prepared to land at La Guardia Airport. “It’s up to you.”
“Let’s see how it goes.” I stowed my tray table in the armrest. “Thank you for doing this.”
“What are maids of honor for?” She placed her hand on my arm. “And you’re going to be a gorgeous bride.”
“I hope so.”
Brooke unlocked her phone. “I still can’t believe you managed to book the Flagler Museum for the engagement party on such short notice.” She turned the phone screen toward me. “Speaking of which, I found this the other day on Pinterest. What do you think of this for table decorations?” The photo on the screen showed a floral arrangement with shells as a base, all in a glass container.
“I love it,” I said. “I’ll have to tell the event planner.”
“Let me text you the link.”
“Perfect.”
“This is going to be an awesome party.” Brook leaned closer to me and whispered her next words. “And the best part is, you’re falling for him. At least, I think you are.”
I held up a hand. “I wouldn’t say that. Just more that I’m finding out that he’s not as bad as I remembered.” I tried, and failed, to hold back a grin. “He’s… he’s tolerable.”
Understatement of the year. Maybe the decade. I thought back to our weekend together a few weeks earlier. It had been the most fun I’d had in a while and ended with some of the best sex I’d ever had.
Which I wanted more of. As soon as possible.
“I’ve never heard anyone describe a kiss that way.” Brooke wrinkled her nose. “Don’t deny it. You like him.”
I hadn’t told Brooke that Trevor and I had slept together. Usually, she knew things like that—or just assumed—but in this case, I wanted to keep that major development in my relationship with Trevor just between the two of us.
So, I’d only told her about the kiss after our rec center visit.
“I do like him,” I admitted. “You’ve got me there.”
She let out a small squeal. “I love this. This is basically the best twist ever. You didn’t want to marry him, and now here we are. It’s all working out.”
“I guess, in a way, it is.” I laughed. “And damn if I know where we are going.”
The flight attendant came over the loudspeaker with instructions, and we landed a few minutes later. From there, we took the car Trevor had
sent over, and we rode to my building to drop off our bags. When we arrived at my apartment, we found a note on the front door. At first, I thought it would be from Trevor. But then I recognized the slanting script.
Come up as soon as you get here—Ashton.
“Why didn’t he just text you?” Brooke asked. “Wouldn’t that be easier.”
“Yes, and I have no idea why he didn’t.” I shrugged. “But he’s always had a flair for the dramatic. One of his worst qualities.”
We left our luggage in the foyer at my place, then took the elevator to Ross Publishing headquarters. When we arrived in the lobby, the receptionist stood from her desk. All the color had left her face, and she had wide eyes.
“Ashton said he wanted to see you as soon as you got in.” She glanced at the large phone switchboard behind the desk. “He’s on a call right now, but he said to show you in to his office as soon as you arrived.” She strode out from behind the desk. “May I get you a bottle of water? Some wine?” She looked in the direction of Ashton’s office. “A shot of bourbon?”
I laughed. “Come on, it can’t be that bad.”
The receptionist nodded, indicating that, yes, it was that bad. “Your brother is in a mood,” she whispered. “Very gloomy. I’d… Forgive me for saying this, but I thought things were better and—”
“Just show me in,” I said.
Brooke stayed in the lobby, and I followed the receptionist into the broad corner office that Ashton had taken after our father died. Just like the rest of the company, this room had an eclectic mix of mid-century and modern furniture, along with vintage advertising from better, more productive years of Ross Publishing. He hurried off the phone when he saw me enter, and I took a seat in the club chair in front of his desk. Maura excused herself and shut the door behind her.
“How are you?” Ashton folded his arms on the desk. “How was the flight?”
“Fine. I’m good. Just hoping to have a productive weekend shopping for a wedding dress with Brooke. She booked us three appointments for tomorrow.”
“Mom said the other day that she was sorry she can’t make it for this trip.”