by Liz K. Lorde
That first entry was pure bliss.
Michael groaned as he fed me more of his hardness, grabbing onto my ass and squeezing firmly. He sucked in a tight breath, pushing himself balls deep inside. I was the first to move, bobbing my hips back and forth against him; tingling overwhelmed my body, and I wasn’t able to stop myself from moaning. Being fucked on my lover’s desk. Claimed in relative privacy by the head of a major company.
It was a fantasy that I never knew I had. Not until I met Michael.
Plowing into me, Michael made his needs intimately known. Hell I could feel his balls smacking up against my ass as he pounded away. He was hitting all sorts of spots, rocking his hips at an angle so that he would rub his dick along the sides of my dripping sex.
I bit down hard on my lip, clutching tightly against the desk, getting ready to come again. I scarcely even realized that I was telling him I was one wrong breath away from climax.
“That’s it baby,” Michael’s voice was all need and gravel and lust now, hitting into me with a frenzied rhythm. “That’s it I want you to come for daddy. Come with me,” he urged. “Come with me.”
Just like that, my whole body snapped with wild pleasure. The soles of my feet were tickled by an energy, rippling through my whole body; the linings of my pussy contracting like mad around Michael’s twitching cock.
Was it so terrible that I wanted to feel him shoot inside of me?
We came together in a chorus of our own small moans and other noises. Every inch of my body was ready to go limp from the sensory overload at this point.
When he pulled himself from me, I could feel my own thick, white cum dripping down my legs. “Can’t. Move,” I panted, just easing myself down flat against the desk. “God damn...”
The next few minutes went by with us cleaning ourselves and each other. I borrowed some of Michael’s sanitizer, sat on his lap and snuggled with him, finishing the food that I brought before kissing him gently on the cheek. “I love you,” I murmured in his ear, his hand petting my head softly.
“I love you too.”
Chapter 30
Jane
The dreary morning was draped in a thick mist, the orange of the peeking sun cresting over the graveyard, spilling over the wet grass and various tombstones.
Michael and I had informed the local police about what had happened, and they discovered the body of Anna.
It wrenched at my heart to witness the priest giving a eulogy over her coffin. At Michael’s insistence, he’d paid what remained of her distant and broken family and covered the expenses for the funeral of Anna Fields.
It wasn’t justice, but it was something. I couldn’t believe in an afterlife like my parents did, but I wanted to believe that her suffering had at least ended.
The horrors that she witnessed... nobody should have to go through something like that.
Friends, family, alumni, and patients of Anna gathered here this morning for her. One by one, we all placed a rose on top of her closed Silver-tone metal casket. When it came time for me to pay my respects, I walked over to what remained of her with a heavy heart, each step feeling more surreal than the last.
I tried not to blame myself for what had happened to her. Knowing that she wouldn’t want me to feel guilty for something out of my own control.
I closed the last distance between myself and the coffin, placing my hand on the face of it, feeling how cold it was even with the sun pouring down heat.
“I’m so sorry,” I offered weakly to her. “I never had the chance to tell you how important you were to me. Now, I never will,” I tried to blink away the water that was forming in my eyes. “You were kind,” I whispered to her remains, “caring, loving, and above all you just wanted to help. I hope there’s peace for you.”
I placed the dozen California Poppy’s on her casket, put my fingers to my lips, kissed them, and placed my fingers one last time on her casket.
***
It was an hour before the guests and our private officiate were to arrive, for the binding ceremony. And seeing as how Michael wanted us to arrive at the Heart Tree before anyone else, I’d hitched a ride on his strong back, letting him carry me as he trekked through the serene Wester Woods.
“I think you’ve been eating too much sushi,” he complained, readjusting me on his person.
I ducked beneath a branch in my way and pulled on the lobe of his ear coyly. “That’s an awfully subtle way to call me fat,” I quipped.
“If you were actually fat I’d tell it to your stupid, pretty face,” he replied, and I could feel his chest rumble out a laugh.
“See now you’re calling me stupid. You’re not going to be a very great husband,” I sassed back, “it’s that way,” I told him, pointing towards the right. “Right?”
“Right,” he replied. “Well I guess I’ll have to take some classes, then. Educate myself--”
“On how not to be an asshole?”
“Sure let’s go with that.” He looked up to me as best he could, and I could feel the love from his eyes. I wanted to gorge myself on the deliciousness of that bliss. Never wanted to let it go.
We finally made it to the heart tree, and I climbed off of Michael, giving him a tight hug and thanking him for carrying me all the way here.
Michael pulled on my hair to angle my mouth for him, placing a long, deep kiss on my lips, his supple tongue slipping into my mouth and playing with my own. “You ready to get hitched?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I told him, placing another kiss on his lips.
He let go of me then, only holding onto my hand as he led me to the Heart Tree. Michael then produced a swiss army knife from the pocket of his charcoal flat-front dress pants. He brought it up to the face of the mighty, old tree, and found a place where names and hearts weren’t carved, cutting out a heart for the both of us. Even though so many people had done it before us, it felt like we were engaging in a special ritual all of our own.
One that I hoped to cherish for the rest of my life.
When he finished the heart, he smiled over at me and carved in his initial: M.S
I grabbed the knife from him right as he finished, not wanting him to steal that opportunity from me. Right beside his name I carved my initials: J.C and two much smaller hearts, smirking and looking to Michael.
***
After we sat around for a while and talked about the days ahead of us, our people made their way to us with the guidance of Joshua and Magdalene. It was Tim, Sayla, Beth, some woman that I did not fully recognize from Michael’s company, and an officiate.
One by one they took their places around us in a semi-circle, standing patiently and talking amongst themselves.
The officiate moved between us, and Tim Vermaine strolled over to us, smiling at me with a small black box in his hand. He looked to Michael then, and handed him the box. “It’s a good choice,” he told Michael, “just don’t weigh her down with your bullshit.”
Michael beamed, taking the tiny velvet box in his hand. “I won’t have to worry about that,” he replied, “she can handle anything that I give her.”
With that, Tim went back to his place as Michael’s best man, and the officiate instructed us to take one another’s hand.
Michael popped open the box, revealing a breathtaking 14K golden ring, inset with a two carat marquise diamond: There were tiny, shredded crimson petals held within the stone. He looked to me for permission to slip it on my finger. When I finally found the strength to give him consent, he pushed it down along my ring finger, and the warmth of love cloaked me.
The officiate went through the whole ordeal, and we both said our ‘I do’s,’ both of us trying not to smile and laugh so much when it was supposed to be a serious matter. All I could think about was how things would be years from now, with the two of us having a big wedding with all the details. Me in a wedding dress, him in a suit, and our honeymoon to look forward to.
The officiate paused, smiled to show us his one golden tooth amongst i
vory, and announced: “With the power vested in me, I now pronounce the both of y’all husband and wife. You may kiss the lovely bride.”
When our lips came together, so did our hearts. The world became still to me, and for one second of my life I was certain I was living in a perfect moment.
Chapter 31
Michael
The day after our private wedding ceremony, I was letting Joshua chauffeur me around today, just to give him something different to do. Jane was beside me, looking stunning as always, reading over some notes for a new case that she would be reporting on the next day.
With my Samsung Galaxy S8 in hand, I scrolled through the day’s news, a headline reading about how ‘Corrupt Power Mogul Jonathan Pendragon Smoak Abducted.’ Looks like he had been taken during the night, with camera footage suggesting that it was a in-and-out heist performed by one of the various Mobs.
No doubt Ligotti. He’ll try and extract information from my father, but for the things that he’d done. The girls that he hurt. The trust that we all put in him... I don’t know if I could forgive him for any of that.
He’d made his bed, and it was time for him to lie in it.
Still, I had to push the thought from my mind, so I grabbed Jane’s hand in mine and let the bliss of touching her fill my veins. “You’re doing great,” I told her, and she smiled without looking at me.
“I’m trying to read,” she teased.
“And you’re doing a great job,” I teased. “Of course I could make that a lot more fun for you, you know.”
Her brow raised and she shot me a sexy look. “I don’t think you should go and speak to your company with my uhm, well, juice on your face.”
“You know I would,” I husked devilishly, feeling my balls tighten and my cock stiffen at the thought of getting to taste between her legs again. “Plus I’d wipe myself down before I did that. I’m not a complete animal.”
“There are times where I’m not so sure about that,” she flashed her white teeth at me, brushing back some of her platinum hair.
Before long, I made my way to the main floor of Smoak headquarters with Jane at my side, the whole building having taken a moment from their collective days to gather below me. Some familiar faces weren’t there anymore, and a lot of new hires had been vetted by the trusted members of the board. But I still saw enough of them that I felt comfortable being up here, knowing that I wouldn’t lead us astray as my father had.
They all clapped at the sight of me and Jane, and a few whistled with fingers in their mouth.
Jane rubbed my back affectionately in little circles, and I placed my hands on either side of the cool silver railing.
“Today is a new day,” I announced loudly to them, hoping that my voice would carry far enough for nobody to have to strain in hearing me. “With Tim Vermaine stepping down, the board of directors agreeing with my long earned position as CEO, and my father’s obligations met. From this day until I am no longer fit,” I looked to Jane for her smile and approval, “I want to lead us down a straight path.” The crowd nodded and hooted and hollered, some of the newbies just standing there not knowing what to do. “As long as you work for me, you can come to me with your problems. That much I promise you. I won’t always be nice,” I confessed, laughing to myself. Jane had to put a hand to her lips. “But I am going to strive to rebuild this company, and if you do good, you’ll be treated good. So let’s not fuck things up, shall we?” I licked my drying lips. “That’s it,” I told them, “it’s not a very long speech, I know. But to ease things for anyone that might need some winning over, Omahara’s Bar on 55th street has my tab open tonight. Hit your goals, and go wild on it after work. Take a moment to yourselves and get back to work, and thank you all for everything.”
The crowd all clapped then, and I turned my back on them, scooping Jane up to take her to my new office.
I hoped that one day Tim would find a girl as perfect as her.
Chapter 32
Michael
Waltzing outside on the first day of Winter, I made my way to the mailbox. My joints had started to ache more, and the first silver hairs on my head and beard had grown in some months ago.
Opening it up, I pulled out several bills, some junk mail that no money in the world could keep from me. One of them was addressed to me all the way from the Caribbean.
Attached to the postcard was a picture of Magdalene at a bar by the beach with two older guys, getting particularly chummy with her. She had suffered a long, painful road with Peter – sticking with him every step of the way. Praying for him, reading to him, loving him in every last moment that they could share together; but in the end, as powerful as love was, life always had a way of taking the things we cared most dear in our life.
Made me smile to see Mags old face crinkle with such delight. I knew that even though it had only been a few years since her husband passed, he would want for nothing but her own happiness to continue. Her enjoyment of life to live on inside of her. Whenever she wanted to visit him, Magdalene knew that I’d offer to pay for any travel; or whenever she wasn’t able to make it, I’d place a dozen roses on his grave in their honor.
Making my way back inside, I opened the doors and a very excited, pure-bred Husky that we called Abagail bounded her way down the foyer stairs and over to me. She moved to her hind legs and pressed her paws up against my waist, her tail wagging happily at finding me.
“Hey girl,” I praised, running my hand up and down her face, pushing back her soft and perked up ears. “Where’s your mother, hmn?” I asked, knowing she hadn’t learned that command yet exactly. After setting Abigail back down on all fours, I strolled through the mansion and made my way to Morganna’s old room.
I flicked on the lights and crept down the stairs, having set up the buckets of paint and thrown plastic cover over all of the objects the night before.
Wasn’t sure where Jane was, but it didn’t matter. I had something that I had to do for her, and for myself.
The first hour went by in a frenzy as I painted one wall in a pristine coat of purple, playing a series of piano jazz songs off of my Spotify play-list, stopping occasionally for coffee, getting some drops of paint over my old, raggedy street clothes that I hardly wore. Now and again Abigail would lope down the stairs with her favorite toy in hand, and I’d throw it for her a couple of times before shooing her away.
The next several hours went by just as briskly, with me texting Jane while she was out inspecting a new stallion for the stables. Guess she was serious when she said that she was going to do that a few weeks back. I’d let her take over some personal and company responsibilities at her own behest; the majority of the workload I continued to pile on Rebbecca Childes. We didn’t speak for several years after her betrayal, but time, and a slew of less-than-stellar help had spurred me to reach out to her again. She’d told me how bad she felt over what she did, how she graduated through college and missed the work that she did for me. It took me some time to fully trust her again, but I knew that she was remorseful for what had happened. That it was my father that spurned her so.
It helped that, over time, Leonardo Ligotti and his cohorts had made a mutual trust and peace with me. In the long run, they weren’t exactly wrong about the corruption that had ate away at my company.
It was Tim’s companionship that I truly missed on the days that I was left to myself. But he was busy with A-Life. Appreciate life. Three locations all across North America, and turning quite the reasonable profit. Every step of the way he rebuffed seed money, including my own.
He was a true entrepreneur. I was just too blind to see it initially.
I made some coffee with the French press, along with scrambled eggs made with chives and creme fraiche; along with several strips of Applewood bacon and toasted sourdough.
Ever faithful in his service, Joshua Redwood joined me for some much needed grub, and we talked about the new love in his life that he was writing through pen and paper that was out in Antarctica. The
wrinkles on his face had become more and more clear over the years, but he never lost his wry appreciation for life; choosing to work hard through his arthritis and reducing his working hours. He never could keep himself from staying busy, and I was certain, that no matter how painful, he’d die a tired, but happy old gentlemen. He’d probably insist that he build his own coffin in the hospital with my assistance.
When we finished eating, he insisted that he help me do one side of the room. I only managed to get a little bit of paint in my hair as we worked, and before I knew it, three fourths of Morganna’s old room had been redone.
I sent him and the dog away for the last sections. I’d long since put the old letters that the two of us shared into a private storage in one of my unused apartments in Chaos.
Jane had been okay with me keeping them, but I didn’t feel right with them being so close. They were important to me, but they were of the past now.
Where was Jane? She was my past, my present, and my forever future. The morning sun that cut through the blackest evening.
When I got done painting, I took a seat on the old chair and desk that I had kept. From now on, this would be Jane’s private study. She could come down here and get away from the world, like I once had.
I didn’t have a need for it anymore, and I always thought that she should have a space all her own, even if the mansion was in her name as well should the unthinkable happen.
“I know you can’t hear me,” I looked down to the ground, keeping my tone low and private, even though I was completely alone. “But I’m really happy for the time we shared. And I wish so much that the world hadn’t lost your light so soon. That I hadn’t lost you when I did. Life never treated you fairly,” I felt the words wanting to constrict my throat. “For that, I couldn’t let go of hatred and indifference for the world. But I’ve found someone that makes me feel whole again. So, if you could ever hear me Morg. If you ever could,” I felt my eyes sting, like when Jane had been in the hospital. “Just hear that I’m okay. That you won’t fade into dust. I’ll take all the lessons and love that you gave me, and treat this woman as best I can.” I kissed the tips of my fingers and placed them on the table one last time.