“Aly, I love you,” he said as he gently sucked. “You have made me the happiest man on earth.”
He released my nipple and continued kissing down my stomach. He slid lower, taking my yoga pants and panties off as he went, tossing them to the floor. He planted a soft kiss on my abdomen, then looked up at me and gave a slight smile as he started kissing lower. I closed my eyes in ecstasy when he kissed my warmth. He kissed me until I started to feel the sweet pressure build, but before I went over the edge he stood up and smiled at me as he took a condom out of his pants pocket quickly before shaking off his pants and boxers.
My eyes widened a little as I watched him roll the condom over his hard length. Seeing my reaction, he winked then was over me again, taking my mouth in a scorching kiss. As his tongue dove in and out of my mouth, he pushed gently at my entrance, but stopped, lifting his head and looking in my eyes.
“I love you, and I want this more than anything, are you sure?”
I couldn’t believe he was asking me this. I raised my hand to his cheek, and smiled. “More than anything. I love you too.”
That was all he needed. I felt him thrust deeply inside of me and I cried out at the pleasure it brought me. He buried his head in my neck as he gently pumped in and out. I placed my legs on top of his, and raised my hips to meet each thrust. He felt better than anything I’d ever imagined and I knew that he was who I would be with for the rest of my life, no matter what.
His thrusts started getting faster and faster and before I knew it, I felt the delicious tension building. He raised his head to look at my face. “You feel so much better than I ever imagined, angel. You have no idea what you do to me.”
His words sent me over the edge and I screamed at the explosion bursting inside of me. As I continued shaking from my orgasm, I felt him stiffen then cry out my name when he had his. He stayed like that for a minute then collapsed on top of me.
I held him in my arms, rubbing circles on his back. I had never felt such joy and contentment and almost cried at the feeling it gave me. Ethan is who I’ve been searching for, who I belong with. Grateful he never gave up on me, I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his ear.
“I love you, Ethan. I love you so much. Thank you for being so patient, thank you for waiting for me.”
He lifted his head to look at me, tracing his fingers down my cheek. “I would have waited forever for you, angel. There was never anyone else.”
Tears fell down my cheeks. He kissed one away then shifted to lay on his side. He pulled me into his arms and I knew he was never letting me go.
I woke up the next morning, the covers still tucked snug around me. I stretched and continued lying there, enjoying the sunshine beating down on me. I looked over and saw Ethan walking out of the bathroom, showered and fully dressed. I frowned at the sight.
He chuckled and came over to me, sitting beside me on the bed. “Don’t frown, angel. I’m sorry, but I have an early meeting I can’t miss. This was scheduled before you gave me the greatest day of my life yesterday. I hate leaving, but I’ll see you soon at work.” He bent over and kissed me. “And I mean it. Yesterday was the best day of my life. Thank you.”
I smiled up at him. “Mine too. And last night wasn’t so bad, either,” I teased.
He laughed and pulled me into his arms. “You have no idea,” he whispered. “I can’t wait for round two.” He tapped my nose and giving me a wink, he stood and kissed me good-bye.
I twisted and put my legs on the floor, heat rushing to my core. Remembering just how amazing last night was, I grinned and went to shower. I was sure I’d never be able to stop smiling the rest of the day.
I finished showering and got ready for work. I gulped down some orange juice and had a small bowl of cereal. The meeting with Mr. Halliday was in a few hours and my nerves came back with a vengeance and I prayed it would go well.
My phone vibrated and I saw it was a text from Missy.
We still on for tonight?
I sighed. I really had no desire to go out, but seeing as it was her last night in town, I had to. I typed out a response.
Of course. What time can you meet?
My thoughts strayed to Paul. I didn’t know how he’d be after I turned him away because of Ethan last night. I know he told me he’d stay professional at work and while I knew he would, I also knew I’d hurt him. I was also a mess knowing I’d be hurting him even more soon.
My phone vibrated again.
How about I be to your office at 6?
I hurried and typed a reply.
Sounds good. C u then.
I finally got to the office and set all the files I needed for the meeting down on my desk. Paul’s door was shut, so I assumed he wasn’t here yet, but a few minutes later I heard his voice inside his office. My senses went on alert at realizing he was here and I did my best to stay under control.
Ethan strolled in a few minutes later, a grin on his face when he saw me.
“Hey there, sexy,” he said, leaning down to kiss me.
I kissed him back quickly, not wanting Paul to come out and see. Ethan rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. “How are you doing?” he asked.
I sat on my chair and he went to sit across from me. “Um, I’m doing fantastic. You?”
A slow smile appeared on his face. “Oh, babe, I’m doing great. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been better.” He lowered his eyes then looked in mine. It was silly but I couldn’t help the blush that came over me. I knew exactly what he was thinking.
Suddenly Paul’s door opened and he stepped out. His eyes widened when he saw us, obviously not aware we were there. He ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, good morning,” he said quietly.
“Morning, Paul,” Ethan said as he stood up. “I’ve got to get back to work but wanted to check and see if we’re still on tonight with Missy?” he asked, looking at me, trying to act professional.
I nodded. “Yes, she texted this morning. She’ll be here at six.”
He smiled. “Okay sounds good. See you both later.” He looked back once at me, then walked out the door.
Paul stood before me. “Are you ready for the meeting?” His voice was devoid of any emotion. It put me on guard, automatically making me nervous that he knew about Ethan and me.
“I am,” I answered, doing my best to stay cool.
“Good. I’m running downstairs to settle something that just came up, but I’ll be back before they get here.”
I looked at him, and nodded. “Okay.”
He started to walk out then stopped and turned around. “Am I still invited to go tonight?”
My face softened at his question. While that was something else that was making me on edge, I’d never tell him he was not welcome. “Of course,” I whispered.
He gave a slight smile, nodded, and then walked out the door.
When nine thirty arrived, my nerves hit an all time high. I swiped my hand through my hair and looked down at my outfit. The black pantsuit was always professional and the purple blouse added some much needed color. I felt good that I’d chosen it and hoped it would help my confidence. I decided to wear my hair down, but slicked it back a little with some gel. I gave myself the smoky eye look and laid the mascara on thick to show off my eyes. I felt good and hoped it showed.
At quarter to ten, Paul walked back in, looking more relaxed. He stopped and looked at me, his eyes softening. He came up to my desk, and perched himself on it.
“I hope I’m not straying from being professional, but I must tell you that you look amazing, Aly.”
I twirled some hair around my finger, again. “Thanks,” was all I said. I swore I was going to throw up at any second. I had to keep calm.
He laughed. “Someone’s freaking out,” he said as he got off my desk and walked into his office. I stood up and followed him.
“So? This is really important to me, Paul. You know that.”
He turned to face me, still smiling. “I know it is. I was just teasing you baby
. I think it’s cute. And for what it’s worth, you’ll do fine.”
I shook my head. “I’m not so sure. I’m really worried.” Little did he know about all I was worrying about.
He sighed. “Aly, this project will go through, with or without Halliday’s decision. Don’t forget that. We are still helping plenty of people. It will be okay.”
I couldn’t get the image of Heather Halliday out of my head though. “I know,” I said. “I just really hope he changes his mind.”
He went to his desk and sat down. “I do too. Okay, go get everything we need for the meeting. They’ll be here any minute.”
I turned back around and went to my desk. I grabbed the files and started going back into Paul’s office when I heard my name being called.
“Aly!”
I looked and saw Norman walking in, a big smile on his face. Behind him was a man in his late thirties, rough around the edges, and a scowl on his face. My hopes dropped at seeing him like that, grumpy and slouched over. He wore jeans and a plaid shirt, with a baseball cap on top of his head. Great, I thought.
“Norman,” I said, forcing myself to smile and take his hand he’d extended to me. “How have you been?”
“Great! You guys have made such a huge difference in our neighborhood already. The feeling there is much lighter, happier.”
I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Mr. Halliday, having a hard time believing that was the case, but nodded in excitement at his words.
“That’s great,” I said. “We are excited to start on it.”
Norman looked behind him and motioned Mr. Halliday over. “Aly, this is Sean Halliday. Sean, Aly Chase.”
Sean gave out a grunt in greeting. I smiled and did my best to be friendly. “It’s very nice to finally meet you, Mr. Halliday,” I told him.
He gave a curt nod, staying silent. I realized I had my work cut out for me. Norman gave him a look and nudged him a bit, but Sean didn’t do anything more.
“Well, why don’t we walk into Paul’s office. Follow me,” I directed them.
They did and I set the files down on Paul’s desk. He stood when he saw the men enter and walked around his desk to greet them. I stood back and let him handle the beginning of the meeting.
Paul extended his hand to Norman. “It’s great to see you again, Norman,” he said with a huge smile on his face as he pumped his hand.
“You too, Mr. Pierce. I was just telling Aly here how we are so grateful for you and all you are doing. The neighborhood seems different, happier.”
Paul’s smile broadened. “That’s great. We are very excited as well.” He turned his gaze to Sean. “And you must be Mr. Halliday. I’m Paul Pierce. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Sean gave him a similar greeting as he gave me. He said a hello and shook his hand, staying behind Norman. Paul looked over to me and I just smiled.
“Please, gentleman, have a seat. Aly, I brought this chair over by me for you,” he told me, pointing at a chair behind his desk. I nodded and went to sit down.
Paul clapped his hands together and sat down after the two men were seated. “Well, I say let’s get right to the point. Aly and I appreciate you being here today, Mr. Halliday. We know how you have felt on this and are grateful to be able to express our thoughts to you.”
Sean nodded, looking between Paul and me. “Yeah, I felt I was pretty clear in the email I sent to Ms. Chase a while back.”
I froze, starting to panic. Paul sensed it and gave me a look. Looking back to Sean, he answered, “You were, but Ms. Chase is very passionate about what we do and has only wanted the chance to talk to you so thank you for being here.”
Sean nodded, continuing to stay silent. Norman looked over at him. “Sean, I know you have some questions for them, why don’t you start asking?”
Sean shot him a look of annoyance. Paul sat forward, giving them his best smile. “That would be great, Mr. Halliday. Aly and I are here to answer any questions you might have.”
Sean bristled in his chair, then looked directly at me. “Why did you talk to my daughter that day? You had no right to tell her the things you did.”
His intensity caught me off guard and I froze. Paul and Norman both gave me sympathetic looks and I pulled myself together. “Yes, about that, I’m very sorry. I realize now that that wasn’t very smart of me to do. I should have just given her our card and left it at that, but this is my chance to express to you why I did and why I feel so passionate. When I saw your daughter answer the door to Norman here, my heart melted. I started imagining all of the things that we at Pierce Homes could give her and I got caught in the moment wanting to know what her favorite things were. Again I am sorry I went over your head. That was wrong.”
Sean seemed to consider my answer. “I appreciate your apology, but you’ve planted a seed in her now that I cannot get out, no matter how many times I’ve told her we won’t be involved in the project.”
Paul steepled his fingers below his chin. “If I may interrupt for a moment, I’d like to ask why you are so against this project?”
Sean looked away from me and looked at Paul. “Because I can take care of my family on my own.”
Norman started to say something, but Paul held up a hand, stopping him. “I understand that and I respect it. Is there any reason you haven’t done that yet?”
My jaw dropped at Paul’s question and I was sure that sealed the meeting. I looked to Sean and was surprised to see a faint smile appear on his face. I held my breath, waiting for him to answer.
“I don’t see that that is any of your business, Mr. Pierce,” was his answer.
Paul nodded, mulling this over. “You’re right, but I can’t help but wonder why you are so against us when you haven’t done anything to improve your situation here. We can help give you that stepping stone to a better life for you and your family. I am just trying to understand.”
Sean’s jaw set and I could tell he was annoyed. “Well, Mr. Pierce, I’ll tell you. I lost my wife to cancer recently and I’m left to raise our two young kids alone. The stress has been extremely high and I’m doing what I can to survive. While having you build me and the kids a brand new house sounds great, I can’t get past how it won’t be me providing it when I’ve always intended to. I want this to be something I provide for my family.”
Paul shoved a hand through his hair. I could tell he was trying to keep his patience. Norman must have sensed this too as he turned to Sean.
“Sean, all Mr. Pierce is saying is that you have an opportunity for them to help you, let them. Give your kids this opportunity while you have it. It doesn’t mean you are a bad father, or a bad provider. I see you are doing the best you can with what you’ve been dealt with. Let Paul and Aly just help you get on your feet.”
I saw Sean think about it. I started to say something when Paul beat me to it. “I’m sorry for being so direct, Mr. Halliday. And I’m very sorry for the loss of your wife. I want you to know I completely understand your thinking and I do not want you to think we here at Pierce Homes are trying to one-up you in any way. We are going to go ahead with this project as you know, and it would make us so happy to have you involved.”
I took the pause in the conversation and pushed the files toward Sean. “Please take a look at these and see the different home options. We have four new models we are debuting with the Hidden Creek project that we’re very excited about. Just look through them and see what you think.”
Sean grunted and leaned over to grab them. He opened the file and perused each sheet describing each model. I sat there, my stomach churning, knowing this was it. We’d have our answer from him before he left today.
I looked to Paul who gave me a comforting smile. He silently mouthed, “It’s okay,” and winked. I smiled back and waited for Sean to finish looking things over. When he did, he placed the file back on Paul’s desk.
“Those all look real good,” he started. “I appreciate what you both are trying to do and I admit I’m tempted.
I just don’t want my kids growing up thinking they’ll get bailed out when times are tough. I want them to see their dad did good and provided for them.”
I sat forward. “Please don’t look at it that way. Look at it for what it is, a stepping stone to a better life. This is what we do here, it’s our job. You aren’t any less of a man if you accept our help. In fact, in my eyes you’d be more of a man.”
All three men jerked their heads toward me at my last statement. I didn’t back down, I meant every word. I sat up straight, looking at Sean.
Norman was the first to break the tension. “Well I hadn’t thought of it like that, Aly, but I agree with you,” he said laughing.
Paul continued to look at me quizzically, but didn’t say anything. I looked back to Sean, awaiting his reply. He looked to me, his dark brown eyes smiling for the first time since he’d been here.
“Well, Ms. Chase, you certainly know how to sell a product, don’t you?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. “I do my best.”
He shuffled his feet a bit on the carpet, looking at Norman, then back to me. “It still kills me to say this, but I know you’re right. I know I’m letting my pride get in the way. I hate that I can’t do this on my own, but deep down I think I’d regret letting this opportunity slip by. Not to mention the wrath of Heather. She hasn’t stopped talking about it since you came by.”
I smiled, realizing what he was saying.
He shifted in his seat. “So yeah, I guess I’ll sign on for this project, but I would like to be as involved as I possibly can. I want to help as much as I can. I need to be a part of it for my pride I guess, as well as showing my kids we still have to work hard for what we want.”
Paul clapped his hands and stood. “Of course. We’d love it. This is your home, Sean. You need to make sure you are completely happy with it. Welcome to our team.”
Norman beamed and I stood and walked over to Sean, giving him a hug. “Thank you,” I said. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.”
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