Obscured Love

by Delilah Mohan

  But it was physically killing me. The raw need to look in her bag and fuel my fantasies for the next ten years had me pacing the floor, circling around the apartment like I was a psychopath. Judging by the look Ruins kept giving me, my observation wasn’t too far off.

  She was driving me insane, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind about it. I told myself I would squish this little crush I had on her and damn it, I had done well, for a few days at least. Then I saw her popping a pill, the pill, and I damn near lost my shit thinking of her having sex with anyone. Well, anyone but me. I knew it was completely irrational because we may have flirted and bantered, but sex was absolutely never going to be in the equation. Still, I had to make sure she knew that I could have her, if I wanted her. I could own every part of her and she would be helpless to fight it.

  She proved me right, nearly melting at the first touch of my skin on hers. It was so conflicting though. Sometimes I saw her and I thought of the little girl from my past, and other times all I saw was a woman. A woman who looked so fucking sexy in her shirt and black cotton panties the other morning that I had to lock my office door the moment I got into work and jack off just to relieve some tension that was coiled within my body.

  This needed to stop, this infatuation I had with her. It was unfair to her and it was unfair to me. I kept telling myself that my place would be done in two weeks or so and then I would be done too. I wouldn't be thrust into her presence each day, forced to look at her azure eyes and know there was some level of want there that I couldn't satisfy. Or wouldn’t satisfy is probably more accurate.

  But the moment I heard the bathroom door unlock, I no longer cared about being fair, or who got hurt, or the unquenched thirst I had because she was there and she defined the word beautiful. She was a poem with no words, a flickering candle in a blackout, so incredibly bewitching I almost fell to my knees the moment she shyly looked up at me.

  “Do you like it?” she asked me nervously as she turned, showing me how the silky blue fabric dipped low, exposing the whole expanse of her back, the creamy skin exposed, sans bra, all the way down to the curve of her ass. She looked at me over her shoulder, her wild blonde curls pinned back into an intricate twist, leaving a few stray curls falling down the sides of her face. Her eyes met mine expectantly and I had to fight to nod my head because my voice couldn’t get past my throat.

  She turned back to face me and I noticed a slit in the silk that went from the tight hem hugging her knee all the way up her thigh and dangerously close to her hip. Combining the slit with the halter top and her glittering silver strappy heeled sandals and I questioned if I should even let her leave the apartment.

  “Are you ready?” She asked as she stopped in front of me to straighten the bow tie she purchased to match her dress. She then passed me and fiddled with a silver clutch. Picking up an object beside it, she handed me my mask and held up hers, a perfect set of his and hers matching beaded masks, only hers had the addition of some elegant white and silver feathers and tiny ropes of iridescent pearls.

  She carried on gathering her things, caging Ruins, and getting ready to leave the apartment like nothing was the matter, but that was a lie because I swear I felt the world tilting. The ground was slanting and the more I watched her, the more I thought I would surely lose my balance and fall at any moment. How was she not noticing this? Could she not feel the incline? There was no reasonable explanation for the dizziness I was feeling, or the tightening in my chest. All I could do was chalk it up to an approaching cold and make a mental note to increase my vitamins.

  “You okay?” she asked me, feeling my forehead. “You look pale.”

  I cleared my throat, “Yeah. I’m fine. Maybe getting a cold, that’s all.”

  Her expression looked genuinely concerned and I got that tightening feeling again. “We can stay home if you like.”

  There was absolutely no way I was going to ruin this for her, this was her dream event and I didn’t care if I couldn't walk and was barely conscious, I would pay someone to wheel me in just to be there for her. “It’s fine, really. Are you ready?”

  She smiled; I felt my chest constrict again. Was I too young for a heart attack? Maybe it was heartburn? “Yes, I put Ruins in his cage for you. I promised tomorrow he would get a new toy for being a good boy lately.”

  She walked toward the front door where she stopped, opened it, and held it open for me. “Are you coming?”

  I shook my head a bit, clearing the fog and followed her. I had just walked out the door when I remembered I only had my bike. Fucking hell, why didn’t I think to switch back to my truck? “Um, hey, do you think we could use your car? I forgot to switch out my bike for the truck.”

  She gave me a cute little shrug, causing her silver dangling earrings to swing. “We can ride the bike.”

  I wasn’t sure she realized what she was saying. She was wearing a silk dress with high heels and she wanted to ride my motorcycle. “In that?” I asked her, roaming my hand up and down in front of her.

  “Why not? I have a slit in my dress so I can hike it up.” My eyes automatically found the slit and my mind instantly visualized her on the bike behind me, her bare thighs clinging around my waist. I tried not to get distracted and blinked away the image.

  “You’ll mess up your hair.” I told her, trying to deter her.

  She snorted, completely unladylike and out of place within the silk and glittery silvers that her body displayed. “Please. I have enough hair spray in my hair to keep it in place during a hurricane. It’s not going anywhere.”

  She didn't wait for my reply, she left me standing in the doorway and she walked across the driveway toward my bike, displaying a level of grace I had only ever seen in movies. I locked the door, making sure to leave a light on for Ruins, before following her to my bike.

  Placing her purse and our masks into the saddlebag, I removed my extra helmet. I knew it would probably be slightly big on her, but Alexa had refused to ride the bike with me so I never needed a petite spare. I placed it on her head while she gave me this big, goofy-looking grin. I rubbed at my chest under my coat.

  I lifted her up and placed her on the seat of the bike before I got on, then waited as she situated herself. “Have you ever ridden on one of these before?”

  She shook her head no, the oversized helmet combined with her dress and heels making me laugh. “Okay, well make sure to hold on tight, lean when I lean, and don’t let go . . . whatever you do.”

  I felt her arms go around my waist as she scooted closer so her chest met my back. Her hands interlocked in front of me and she laid her head against my shoulder. I started my motorcycle, willing myself not to be distracted, but when the bike started moving and her thighs clinched up around me, the only thing I could think about was how I never wanted this to end.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her, as I removed her helmet and placed it on the seat behind her. I used my free hand to smooth down some of the curls that had gotten tangled on the ride. Shit, she still looked flawless, even with her hair a little wild; a little more her. I silently wondered what it was about dressing up that could make any everyday girl look so spectacular.

  She stopped my hand with her fingers wrapped around my wrist. Her eyes grew big as she took a deep breath and I prepared for the worst. “That. Was. Amazing!”

  “Yeah? You liked it?” I asked her; my hand fell to her hip and pulled her a little closer, into the warmth of my chest. It wasn’t intentional. By the time I realized what I had done, I played it off cool, like I had intentionally switched into the role of boyfriend, well the fake boyfriend technically.

  “It was incredible. I felt like I was flying!” What she didn’t say, but I understood, was the leveling of freedom you felt when the wind beat against you and the only thing holding you down was the gravitational pull and sheer will.

  I reached behind her and took out her clutch and our masks from the saddle bag. Placing my mask and her bag on the motorcycle seat, I took her mask
and adjusted the elegant ribbon tie before turning her around and settling it in position, securing it in place with the snaps on the ribbon. My hand lowered, wrapping around her lower stomach, and I used a few seconds of our time to bury my nose into her hair and inhale the scent of roses, because she always smelled like roses.

  I didn’t get to enjoy the smell of roses long, because before I knew it, I heard gravel crunch and my boss, Daniel Peters, greeting me. “Cole, I was wondering when you would arrive. How’s it going, son?”

  He approached with his hand out, ready to shake, which annoyed me because any other day of the week he couldn’t care less whether I was alive or dead behind my office door, as long as my work load didn’t fall behind. I put on my fake smile and shook his hand. “Not too bad, sir. You?”

  He put his hands in his pocket in a comfortable stance. “Great, just great. Who’s this fine-looking gal? I didn’t know you were bringing a date. My sugar bean told me she had planned on going with you.”

  Sugar bean? Was he for real? “This here is my girlfriend, Lotus Bishop. Your, ah, sugar bean, did ask me, sir. But I was already seeing Lotus at the time and it didn’t seem fair to go out with another woman while dating her.”

  “Right, right. That would reflect badly on our firm.” Our firm? No, on me. “She sure is a tiny, pretty little thing.” I watched as his eyes roamed Lotus’ body, landing on her chest. My blood began to boil. I saw Lotus’ face turn a shade of red behind her mask, which only fueled my anger.

  Clamping my fingers around hers, I held her hand tightly. “She’s extraordinary. Now, if you excuse me, I think there’s an event we don’t want to miss.”

  Peters laughed, a completely fake forced laugh, and then nodded before walking away. He got the hint, he must have. I mean, I caught him looking at my girlfriend’s boobs for fuck’s sake. Well, my fake girlfriend, but he didn't know that. I watched until he was completely out of sight, probably off wandering the historic gardens or something, then I looked back at Lotus. I squeezed her hand then dropped it in order to put my own mask on.

  We made our way to the front entrance of the colonial style mansion and I handed over my invitation to grant us access. The moment we walked into the hallway, Lotus gasped and who could really blame her. The décor was something right out of the movies, meant to look like an abandoned haunted mansion. None of those giant fuzzy spiders or blow up vinyl Disney characters holding pumpkins. No, this was done in high class, laser images and holographic ghosts. Which considering the price per ticket for this nice little charitable gala, I wouldn’t expect anything less. I was just glad it was on the firm’s dime and not mine.

  We passed the staircase and entered into the ballroom, earning me another gasp from Lotus. “It’s beautiful. How do you think they got all those webs on the chandeliers? They look so real.”

  I followed her gaze upward toward the crystal chandeliers, each equipped with hundreds of crystal prisms that shimmered with light. “It’s so far up that I suspect they probably are real. Who would want to climb and clean those?”

  “Stop.” She told me in an amused voice before she pinched my arm and then traveled her fingers down to my hand and laced hers with my own. She wrapped her other hand around my bicep and curled her body into me, pointing out everything with a child type glee that left me breathless for more. More of this, this happiness I couldn’t recognize, one I had never quite grasped. I wished that just for tonight, this joy that Lotus possessed could be mine, so I let go of the fact that she was Bentley’s sister or that I would never be enough to satisfy her. Just for tonight, I promised myself. Then, I let everything that was Lotus . . . her joy, excitement, innocence, beauty, sass . . . I let it all consume me.

  It turns out I didn’t need to do much to gain the respect of potential clients. I just sat back and watched as they flocked to Lotus like she was the queen bee of her hive, and five minutes later she would have them eating out of the palm of her hand. Literally, I watched as she fed some old geezer, Mr. French I believe his name was, hors d'oeuvres straight from her palm. I couldn’t even be jealous because I was too mesmerized by the whole situation. Her. I was mesmerized by her, everything about her if I’m being honest.

  “This is so fun, Beckett. These guys really like you. I suspect with all these new clients you’re gathering; you will be putting in some late nights at work. Ruins and I won’t know what to do with our time alone.” She gave me a pouty face and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I would be out of her apartment in two weeks.

  “I don’t think it’s me they like. I am seriously just your wingman as you wrap these men around your perfectly painted pinky.” I whispered back, my mouth mere inches from her ear and I itched to nibble on her lobe.

  “It’s you they want, Beckett, I’m just entertainment for them.” She whispered back, turning her face into my neck as she spoke. I felt the shiver wrack my spine and I had to rein in my reaction.

  And maybe it was me, but I would have been nowhere without her by my side reeling in the big sharks like she was a fishing pro. She was made for this, being the arm candy of someone of worth. I couldn't help but think that maybe when she did get her happily ever after, it would be with someone worthy of what she can offer. Someone that wasn't me.

  “Ready for that dance I promised you?” I asked her as she pulled away.

  “Sure, let me just use the ladies room really quick, okay?” I nodded my head and she left me standing there, watching the sway of her hips and her bare back. Jesus, and I wasn’t the only one noticing either. I swear every single eye was on her as she made her exit. I followed behind and waited for her by a column located next to the ballroom door. Scanning the crowd, I saw Stephanie make eye contact with me and I said a prayer that Lotus would be back before Stephanie politely broke away from her companionship. I spent the whole night thus far successfully avoiding her and her advances, and I knew my luck was coming to an end.

  It took about five minutes for Stephanie to break away, which couldn’t have been better timing because at the exact moment she started her stalk in my direction, Lotus’ smiling face appeared before me, tucking one of those loose curls behind her ear. “Sorry it took so long; the line was so long for the ladies’ room that I finally gave up and used the men’s. You should have seen the look on their faces when I walked in. Hey, what’s wrong?”

  She placed her hand on my face and gently forced me to look at her instead of watching Stephanie approaching behind her. “Stephanie is coming, we couldn’t avoid her forever, I guess.”

  “And she’s the one who wants you?” Her thumb caressed my cheek and I lost my thought. I was absorbed in the feel of her touching me, so I just nodded. “Then we will have to show her you’re unavailable, won’t we?”

  “What do you mean? She knows I’m unavailable. I told her I had a girlfriend.” Obviously. That’s why Lotus was here.

  I watched a mischievous smirk come over Lotus’ face, seconds before she crowded my body against the column behind me, pasting her against me. She used her free hand to grip my shirt lapel and pull me down towards her. “How do you think?”

  Then her lips were on mine and I forgot everything. The time, the place, the fucking constitution of the United States, none of it mattered. All that mattered was that her lips were caressing mine and I’d be damned if I let her pull away from what she started.

  I gripped her hip, pulling her hard against my body, letting her legs straddle my thigh as my tongue darted into her mouth for the first taste of a sweetness I never knew I was craving. Her bag dropped from her palm and neither of us could care to rescue it. Before I knew it, one hand was wrapped around the nape of my neck, the other pulling on my shirt, fighting to get closer. It was hot. It was intense. It spurred me on.

  Her tongue stroking mine, darting in and out of my mouth, creating a burn that travelled down my spine and settled in my cock, which was so fucking hard it could puncture steel. Her lower body rubbed against mine as my hand snaked down her back
and settled under the fabric on her dress. Another fucking minute of her grinding against me and I swear I would have come right there.

  Vaguely, in the distance of my mind, I heard a throat clear and I tried to hold on to her longer, but she was pulling away and I was losing her, losing this. She buried her head in my neck, hiding her face, panting for breath. Who could blame her since my breath was coming out in jagged gasps too, but I would have died from oxygen deprivation before stopping our kiss.

  There was another throat clearing and I glanced up, suddenly aware of where I was and of the unaccountable number of eyes on us.

  “I believe you dropped this.” Stephanie said, pushing Lotus’ clutch toward us.

  I kept an arm around her and reached out to grab her clutch because there was no way I was letting her move yet, and I doubted she could stand by herself anyway. “Thanks.”

  Stephanie gave me a disgusted look. “That was quite the show you gave everyone, Beck.”

  “I’m sort of hoping for an encore myself.”

  I felt Lotus’ body shake with silent laughter before she straightened up and schooled her face into a serious expression. “Hi. I’m Lotus, you must be Stephanie. I met your father earlier, such a sweet guy.” Lotus held out her hand to shake Stephanie’s and Stephanie hesitated a moment before taking it and giving it a quick, insincere shake.

  “So, judging by the way you practically had sex in the middle of the room, I am guessing this must be the new girlfriend.” Her lip curled up as she looked Lotus up and down, “She’s homelier looking than Alexa was.”

  Lie. They were both beautiful, but in that moment, I was definitely voting for the blonde whose little, tiny fingers were wrapped around my hip bone, under my jacket. Stephanie was just being jealous and catty and trying to hurt Lotus.

  “I heard she was striking.” Lotus replied before I had a chance to speak up, and I loved her for not letting Stephanie’s jab affect her.

  “Did you ever meet her?” Stephanie was baiting Lotus and I prayed Lotus didn’t take it. “They really loved each other. When Beck first started working for our other firm, they were glued to each other. I’m just letting you know because you have to know you will never replace her.”