Checkmate

by Diana Nixon

  “How was your dinner?” Derek asked, taking a seat next to me. “I called you last night, but your phone was off.”

  “Battery died,” I said, smiling nervously. “Listen, I need to talk to you about something. So please, don’t leave after meeting.”

  “Sure. I was actually going to ask you something, but I think it can wait for now.” He leaned over to kiss my cheek at the very moment that Dominick entered the room.

  His expression hardened, and I silently prayed for him not to start a big scene in the presence of so many people. He nodded to Mr. Leighton and took his seat that turned out to be opposite of mine. He avoided looking at me, and I started to panic. I couldn’t take my cell phone out and send him a message, knowing that everyone would immediately realize that it was sent by me once he grabbed his own phone. So I had to sit and hope that things between us wouldn’t get any more complicated. I had enough drama in my life, and I didn’t want any more quarrels with Dominick.

  “So how did you like your dinner with Scarlett?” Derek asked Dominick with a grin.

  Crap. Couldn’t he just keep his curiosity to himself?

  I looked at Dominick’s frozen posture and shook my head slightly, hoping he would understand that Derek and I didn’t have a chance to talk yet.

  “It was great. Even better than I expected.” Not a hint of a smile touched his face.

  “My Scarlett is an angel, isn’t she?”

  “Oh yes, she is.”

  Now, Dominick was staring at me with so much anger, I thought he would kill me with the look in his eyes.

  He and Derek had a quick word and then the meeting started.

  I had to do my best to not jump out of my seat and to not tell Derek everything right then and there. He kept rubbing my shoulders, whispering compliments into my ear and smiling every time I looked at him. Of course, it only made Dominick burn with a low blue flame.

  I could see his jaw working in frustration, and once or twice he missed questions addressed to him, and I had to answer for him so as not to attract too much attention to his absent-mindedness.

  “There’s one more wonderful piece of news that I’d like to share today,” Derek’s father said when the meeting was about to end. “As you all know, Scarlett has been working with us for six months already. She’s almost like a daughter to me, so when my son told me about their intentions to get married, I was more than happy to give him my blessing.”

  What? This is not happening… This is not happening. I felt like I was going to vomit.

  I stared at Derek, dying to kill him for whatever he had said to his father. But instead of explaining things to me, he turned to Mr. Leighton.

  “It was actually supposed to be a surprise, Dad.”

  Then he smiled gently at me and – you’ve got to be kidding me – took a small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it saying, “Will you marry me, Scarlett?”

  For a second, I thought I must have gone straight to hell. I even considered killing Derek right in front of everyone. Then I looked at Dominick and my words and intentions died, all at once. His face was unreadable. His eyes reminded me of two thunderclouds and I wondered if what he felt now was identical to my own feelings.

  Suddenly, he rose to his feet and excused himself, saying, “My flight was rescheduled for noon. I have an emergency in New York and won’t be able to stay for the rest of this meeting.”

  He didn’t even look at me as he headed for the door.

  “Well, I’ll accompany you to the exit,” Mr. Leighton said, obviously disappointed that the moment his son proposed was interrupted by Dominick.

  I watched the two of them leave the room, and I couldn’t make time stop; the world was spinning so fast and blood was pounding in my ears. I cursed mentally. Why did Derek have to propose today? Of all days, why today?

  “Scarlett?” He said, touching my hand. “Is everything all right? I know this was a little unexpected, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”

  I wasn’t listening to him. My thoughts were still wrapped around Dominick; all I wanted now was to run after him and say that he got it all wrong. But I knew that I owed Derek an explanation, so I hoped that Dominick would hear me out, when my time to see him again came…

  Chapter 19

  Dominick

  My mood sucked, I was dead-drunk and the only thing I wanted to do now was to get even drunker than I already was.

  With two bottles of whiskey in my hands, I got out of the taxi and called Oliver.

  “I’m downstairs, and if you don’t let me in, I’ll vomit right on your porch,” I slurred into the handset, barely able to keep my balance.

  “Oh, shit, don’t do that! I’ll be right there!” He said and I smiled, hiding the cell in my back pocket.

  I never thought I would get drunk because of a girl. Even after I caught Pamela screwing that douche, I didn’t feel as bad a as I did now. Though ‘bad’ was not a strong enough word to describe my feelings. I wasn’t angry. I was so fucking tired. Tired of everything: me, Scarlett, my job, my life. In other words, I was totally screwed and my brother was the perfect person to share all the above shit with.

  “Hey, Dom. What happened? What the-” Carefully, he looked at me from head to toe and smirked. “Well, hell. Who would have thought that I would ever see you like this?”

  “Shut the fuck up and take this,” I said, shoving him one bottle.

  “Okay. To what do I owe the honor of sharing a drink with my brother this evening?” He asked, following me into his apartment.

  “You are the only person who would never judge me for drinking so fucking much,” I said, taking my jacket off and dropping it on to the floor.

  “Funny thing, I always thought I was the last person you would get drunk with. So tell me what happened? Did Scarlett shoot you down?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, no, just don’t tell me your tool didn’t work.”

  “What? Of course, it did work!”

  “Then what’s your problem?” He set two shot-glasses next to each other, and then he opened one of the bottles and poured two shots.

  “She’s driving me crazy,” I said, gulping one of the shots down.

  “Since when has it become a problem? I thought you two liked going crazy together.”

  “That’s the thing, I’m going crazy when I’m not with her.”

  “Oh, I see.” He poured me another shot and added, “I have a theory about women.”

  I looked at him, surprised. Did I have a hearing problem? Or was I too drunk to understand my brother’s words?

  “Never thought I would hear your name and ‘theory’ in one sentence,” I said, swallowing the second shot.

  “Very funny, smart ass. I’m being serious.”

  “How refreshing.”

  “Hey, did you come here for support or to get on my nerves?” He asked, offended.

  “Both. So what was this about your theory?”

  “We love boobs, long legs and asses, but we - men, have something too.”

  “Balls?”

  “Brains!”

  “And your point is?”

  “My point is that we shouldn’t let them fuck with our heads, man! They know what their secret weapon is and they use it all the time. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t live without women.”

  “Your theory sucks, just like my life,” I said, gloomily.

  “You’ve never sounded so depressed.”

  “I’ve never been so fucking depressed.”

  “Okay, what happened in SF?”

  I sighed, throwing my head back against the couch. “We spent an amazing night together. She said she loved me, and then she came to the meeting with Derek, Leighton’s son. And he was kissing her, touching her, and the only thing that I could think about was shooting him down in flames.”

  “Uh, I see. I know what you are talking about.” Oliver smirked, watching me.

  “So do I — jealousy.”

  “Right you are. So does it
mean that-”

  “Yes, you can start laughing now, I love her.”

  But he didn’t laugh. He looked at me with that all-knowing look that I hated so much.

  “I’m not in a mood to decipher the hidden meaning of your silent messages, so just spit it out, Oliver. Whatever you have on your mind.”

  “The course of true love never did run smoothly.”

  Now, that was something I never expected to hear from my brother.

  I burst out laughing. “Just don’t tell me you’re sleeping with a philosopher.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Why has no one ever given me credit for my brains?”

  “Because we all think that your brains live in your boxers.”

  “Now, you sound like a slut.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  Oliver shook his head, laughing. “You are as drunk as a fish. Why don’t you go sleep it off?”

  “Great idea. Can I stay here? I doubt I can make it to my place now.”

  “The guest room is all yours.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  I rose to my feet and dragged my barely moving body to the bed. For the first time in weeks, I wanted nothing but a good sleep. No such luck…

  After an hour of tossing and turning, I had a dream.

  I was walking down the beach. The sand was so warm under my feet, I don’t think I’d ever get so much pleasure from walking barefoot. The night was warm and quiet. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, overcome by the smell of the ocean that I loved so much. Apparently, I was at one of French beaches where I liked spending my holidays.

  Slowly, I walked to the water and saw a lonely silhouette swimming not far away from where I was standing. Nothing but the moonlight was illuminating the dark surface of the water. When the silhouette swam closer, I recognized Scarlett in it. And she was so beautiful, with the silver drops glistening on her skin, she looked like a mermaid from a fairy tale. She was wearing a tiny black bikini that left so little for my imagination, and my breathing caught at the sight of her walking out of the water. Every line of her body was perfect. I blinked and swallowed hard, amazed by the power of the things I felt at that moment. It wasn’t just about the physical attraction that pulled us to each other, there was something else, a magnetism that neither of us was able to resist.

  She came to me and stopped, watching me silently. I didn’t move, I was afraid of ruining the magic of the moment. Everything felt so surreal.

  My eyes travelled down to her lips and my pulse accelerated at the thought of kissing them. Wordlessly, I took her hand in mine and pulled her to my chest, wrapping one arm around her waist. Her skin was wet against my clothing, but I didn’t care. Sliding the tips of my fingers along her jaw, I bent down and covered her lips with mine. They were a little sultry, but I still thought that they were the sweetest thing I’d ever tasted. Her body leaned into mine and I could hardly suppress a pleased moan, I always loved feeling her so close to me.

  My hand slid down her shoulder and I felt a shiver running through her. I loved the effect I had on her, she had always been so responsive.

  Our kiss was gentle, our lips barely touching, but it only made the desire in me grow stronger. She pulled back slightly and looked into my eyes, as if she were asking for permission. I nodded to whatever was there on her mind and she smiled, slipping her hands under my shirt and pulling it up.

  “Will you swim with me?” She asked. The words were so soft, I read them more than heard them.

  Nodding again, I reached for the thin strings, holding her bikini in place and pulled them slightly, letting the pieces of fabric fall down to our feet. She stepped out of them and leaned into me again, her hardened nipples grazed my chest.

  Always a tease, I thought to myself.

  Silently, she unzipped my jeans and pushed them down together with my boxers. Stepping out of them, I took her hands in mine and pulled her into the water.

  I didn’t feel the cold, I was so worked up that I could melt the ice with my touch. The anticipation of being with Scarlett was almost as shattering as the actual thing. Going deeper into the water, I let the excitement swallow me. Nothing else mattered but being with her now.

  As if reading my mind, she wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, making me lose the remnants of my mind.

  “No one can see us here, we can do whatever we want,” she said, covering my lips with hers. This time the kiss was so intense, I forgot how to breathe.

  My embrace tightened, but it still didn’t feel like enough. I needed to be even closer…

  Running my tongue along her bottom lip, I pushed one hand into her wet hair and pulled it slightly aback to get a better access to her neck. I licked a line from her collarbone and up to her ear, nibbling at her earlobe slightly.

  Her hands tightened in my hair and I kissed her lips again; in an instant, my body was on fire. The waves of need rushed through me and I couldn’t wait any longer. I hardened even more at the thought of making love with her right there in the water. The waves were crashing against our bodies, adding even more power to the intensity of the moment.

  “I want you, now,” she whispered against my lips. “Want to feel you pushing yourself inside me, hard.”

  “Anything for you, ma Belle de nuit.”

  She slipped one hand between us and guided me inside her, moaning at the feeling of my length filling her. I pushed her hips down and dived even deeper, shivering at the feeling of her tightening around me.

  “Tu es mon paradis, Scarlett — You are my heaven,” I said, feeling the cool air brushing against my warm skin.

  With my hand eagerly running up and down her sides, I leaned to kiss her nipples, peeking out of the water. Every inch of her tasted so fucking delicious.

  Her hips rocked against mine, and I don’t think I ever felt so much pleasure from making love. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I knew that it was just a dream, but I still tried to hold on to the moment, as much as I could.

  Our groans got lost in the sounds of water splashing around us. I let her control the pace of our moves, and she took her time to tease me, with agonizing slowness slipping up and down my cock and then increasing the speed. I was totally lost in her…

  Her eyes were closed and with her every move, she was sending a new wave of pleasure through me. I’d never felt anything like that before.

  I was watching her in awe, drinking in every second of our swimming. I didn’t want to think about anything else, I didn’t even want to stop the rush of bliss that I could already feel forming inside me; just like the night we first met, I was still overwhelmed by everything she was doing to me.

  I pulled her down firmly against me and she gasped, tightening her hold on my shoulders.

  “J'ai perdu tout le temps que j'ai passé sans toi — I lost the time that I spent without you.”

  “Je t`aime,” she whispered back, the remnants of my self-control shattering to pieces. For the first time ever, I wasn’t afraid of letting go…

  A moment later, she cried out, the sound of her voice so desperate, I felt an explosion ripping through me. Nothing could ever be better than the moment of falling apart in each other’s embrace. With my eyes closed, I could still feel her skin touching mine, the warmth of her breath tickling my cheek.

  I didn’t know how much time I spent drowsing away, but the dream was so good and so real, I almost died when my eyes flew open and I realized once again that it was nothing but a dream. I sighed, rubbing my face with hands, but I was still too tired to think straight, so I rolled onto my stomach, and let the exhaustion overwhelm me. I was back asleep in no time.

  Every inch of my body hurt. I woke up to the sound of someone screaming, the first thought in my head was — ‘Did I die and wake up in hell?’

  I tried to sit, but my head was spinning, so I changed my mind and pulled a blanket up to my head, hoping to make the sounds coming from the hall hush.

  “I swear, Oliver, if ther
e’s another woman sleeping in your bed, I will kill you!” Then the door to my room flew open and a cute little blonde stared at me in disbelief.

  “You are gay?” Her eyes widened and shifted between Oliver and me. For a second I thought that my idea about the hell was not so absurd after all.

  “For God’s sake, Amalia! This is my brother.”

  “Hey,” I said to the girl, before I turned to the other side and covered my head with a blanket again.

  “You are such a pig!” She screamed and I smiled mentally. The scene was so damn familiar. Apparently, my brother and I were not as different as I thought.

  A few moments later, I heard the front door slamming and Oliver was back, laughing like an idiot.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked, turning to look at him.

  “She didn’t believe me.”

  “What?”

  “Amalia didn’t believe that you are my brother.”

  “So now she’s sure that you are gay?”

  “Thanks for ruining my reputation, Dom.”

  “I didn’t ruin anything. Finally, you will have a chance to follow your own advice and give your balls a rest.”

  “Not that they need it, you know?”

  I nodded yawning and went to the bathroom, ignoring Oliver’s annoyed expression. No matter how much I didn’t want to face the new day, I couldn’t stay in bed and do nothing. So I shaved and asked Oliver to give me some clothes. It turned out to be a pair of jeans that I could swear would slip off of me if I even moved and a white shirt, the only advantage of which was the color.

  “Great, now I look like a crazy musician,” I muttered, looking at my reflection in the mirror.

  “Actually, you look like a man who doesn’t give a fuck about anything but his comfort and good mood.”

  “Do I look like a man in a good mood?”

  “Not really, but still better than in a suit and a tie.”

  “Thank God, it’s Saturday and I don’t have to go to work, dressed like a clown.”