by Anna Brooks
I roll my eyes at him playfully then grab a French fry from a plate to nibble on. “I’m not stubborn.”
“I didn’t say stubborn; I said independent.”
“Whatever.”
“Just rest assured I’ll always be able to take care of you, okay?”
Instead of arguing or trying to assert said independence, I only nod.
“Good.” He reaches over and grabs a plate with a burger on it.
* * *
“Wake up, Polly,” says the raspy voice of my man; the same raspy voice that whispered nasty, nasty things into my ear last night. Then again at one in the morning. Needless to say, I didn’t have a nightmare.
“I’m too tired,” I groan. “You wore me out.”
He chuckles, the whiskers of his facial hair tickling my neck as he kisses his way down. “We need to get going. I want to show you something.”
That sparks my interest. I sit up and look around the dark room in confusion. “What time is it?”
“Four in the morning.”
“What in the world…?” As I try to lie back down, Erik grabs me and the covers at the same time, tossing them to the ground and lifting me off the bed.
“You can sleep later, baby. We don’t have much time, so we’ve gotta get going.”
“Where are we going?”
He pushes me into the bathroom. “It’s a surprise. Just take a piss or whatever you’ve gotta do; I’ve already got us packed.”
“You do?” I lean on the countertop and yawn.
Erik reaches in and pulls me up. “Lazy pants. Come on, woman!” He slaps my ass, and I yelp, rubbing the sore spot.
Once he’s out of sight, I shut the door and quickly use the toilet while I know he’s out of earshot. I throw my hair up in a bun, brush my teeth with the disposable toothbrush left for me, and then meet him by the door, where he’s waiting with our bags.
“Where are we going?” I ask again as he opens the door for me and ushers me to the elevator.
He presses the button and the door almost immediately opens and a bellhop steps out and attempts to take the bags from Erik. “I’ve got ’em, man.”
The three of us step onto the elevator, and I feel a little awkward with the other guy in with us, so I don’t continue to push Erik for answers. When we get to the first floor, we step out, and Erik takes my hand as we walk outside. Chris stands there by a limo, and when he sees us, he opens the door.
“Good morning, Polly. Erik.” He smiles then takes the bags from Erik. I get in the vehicle with Erik close behind.
“Where are we going?”
His smirk is irritating and makes me want to smack it right off him. “Patience, beautiful.”
I choose to look out the window to see if I can figure it out, but as we’re flying through the city, I’m just as clueless as when I sat down. The buildings begin to get farther apart, and trees become more prominent.
Pretty soon, we’re in what I think is a residential area, but since it’s still kind of dark, I can’t really tell. When we stop, I reach for the handle and push the door open. My feet hit the pavement, and I immediately smell something unfamiliar. Clean… salty, almost.
Erik comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me. “Ever been to the ocean?”
“That’s where we are? The ocean?” Any tiredness I felt is long gone, overrun with excitement.
“Yeah. Let’s go.” He takes my hand, and we walk to the front porch of a beautiful white house where he punches a code into a keypad then opens the door.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but a super homey, almost country themed space wasn’t it. “Whose house is this?”
“I couldn’t get it ready in time for us to come yesterday, so that’s why we went to the hotel. This is my family’s beach house.” As soon as he says the words, I notice the photos on the wall.
I walk closer to them and have to blink back tears. Erik, young and free with his parents. So many photos of the three of them. One with him on his dad’s shoulders, one where his mom is on Erik’s back. All them on the beach, in the water, around a fire. So many memories.
“Come on. I don’t want to miss it.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder then steers me in the opposite direction of where we came in.
When we turn the corner, I’m struck still by the sight before me. “Oh, my God.” I turn to him. “It’s beautiful.”
A shy smile lights up his face. “Let’s go outside.”
I follow him through the kitchen and when we reach the deck, he stops.
“Can we go on the sand?”
“Of course.” He grabs a blanket off a chair. “Gotta take your shoes off, babe.” He kicks his tennies off, and I do the same with my flats.
When my toes hit the cool sand, I giggle. “It tickles.”
We get closer to the shoreline, and he lays the blanket down then sits, keeping his knees propped. I take my place between them.
As the sun rises, the entire ocean has an orangey tint to it. Nothing for miles ahead but water. I’ve never seen something so beautiful before. I’m completely mesmerized. I can’t take my eyes off the scenery before me.
It’s stunning. I never imagined that I would be in California. On a private beach. With the son of a movie star. Dreams weren’t ever something I had because I knew they wouldn’t come true. But this… this is something more than a dream. It’s a fairy tale.
Chapter 21
Erik
“What are you doing out here by yourself, son?”
I don’t bother turning around when my dad talks to me. It’s eleven thirty at night and well past my bedtime, so I’m sure he’s going to just tell me to go back to bed. But I can’t sleep. I’m so confused. “Just thinking.”
Dad sits in the patio chair next to me. From the side of my eyes, I can see him looking out at the ocean, too. It’s really calm tonight. The moon reflects on the water, making it look like glass.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks after a few minutes.
“Nothing.” I sigh.
“Doesn’t seem like nothing to have you out here past your bedtime. Especially when you’re alone and I didn’t know where you were.”
I roll my eyes even though he can’t see. “You always know where me and Mom are.” I don’t know how he does it, but I always feel some sense of security knowing that he keeps tabs on me.
“It’s my job,” he replies simply.
“How did you and Mom meet?”
I turn my head to look at him and almost regret that I did. He’s got that… look on his face. All weird smile and eyes that get this weird brightness to them whenever he’s around or talks about Mom. “I didn’t know who my new assignment was, but when I walked into the meeting room, I about fell to the ground.”
“Why? You’re the strongest guy I know.”
“Because your mother is my weakness. She’s my strength. She’s everything. And all it took was that single glance to know I was done for. She became more than a job. In the ring, I faced opponents who wanted to disconnect my brainstem from my spinal cord, and I never got nervous. I’ve been responsible for guarding people who have had hits ordered against them.
“In all those moments, I never felt fear like I did, knowing I was responsible for keeping your mother safe. Then you were born and those same fears intensified tenfold. Not a day goes by that I don’t make it my life’s mission to keep you two safe. In order to do that, I need to know where you are. If something happened to either of you…” He shakes his head but doesn’t finish the sentence.
“There’s a girl in my class who wants me to be her boyfriend.”
“Oh, yeah?” He raises a brow and smiles.
“Yeah, but I don’t like her.”
“Why not?”
This is why I’m out here thinking. And it’s why I’m confused. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? Surely, there’s a reason.”
I stand and lean on the railing. “She’s n
ice. Pretty. She’s kind of funny, too. But I just don’t want to be her boyfriend. And when I told her that, she called me a jerk and started crying then ran away. I feel bad. I didn’t want to make her sad, but I just… I don’t want to be her boyfriend. And you always told me that unless it’s a law, I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to.”
Dad gets up, too, and stands next to me. I look up at him. He’s so tall and so strong. Like a superhero. I hope to be just like him when I get older.
“You still don’t have to, E. If you only like this girl as a friend, then that’s all she needs to be. Just because she has feelings for you doesn’t mean you’re obligated to reciprocate.”
“I just feel bad.”
“Is there someone else you like instead of her?”
“No, not really.”
He clasps his hand on my shoulder. “I ain’t gonna bullshit you, son. One thing you’ll learn as you grow up is that sometimes women will throw themselves at you. As a man, you have to be the one to take charge of the situation. You make it clear you’re not interested and don’t lead anyone on, especially for your own gain. You get me?”
I nod even though I don’t really get it, but I don’t want to seem like a baby to him. Not when he’s talking to me like I’m an adult.
“I ain’t raising you to be disrespectful to any woman. So no matter what she promises, if you aren’t wanting to be with her for the right reasons, don’t make her think you’re interested.”
“What’re the right reasons?”
“You feel something for her. Or think you may feel something, so you want to get to know her better. Not because you think she can do something for you or because she makes you feel guilty that you didn’t pick her.”
I nod my head in understanding. “What if I am interested?”
He laughs. “Well, if you are, then you take care of her. That means you open her door, you keep a hand on her, and don’t lose sight of her when you’re in public; you treat her with respect.”
“Well, duh.”
“There will be one, though. The moment you see her, your world will stop. When you find her, don’t let her go, son. It might be a fight to get her, but I guarantee, once you have her, it’ll be the absolute best decision you make in your entire life.”
With a squeeze of my neck, he walks away. After I hear the door close, I stare back out at the ocean and wonder if I’ll ever find someone to love as much as he loves my mom.
* * *
As I sit on the beach with Polly in my arms, I know that this is what my dad was talking about. I’ve realized for a while that she’s my one. I never forgot that conversation I had with my dad but I gave up the possibility for a while there.
The moment I’ve been waiting for has finally presented itself.
“You wanna get married?”
“What?” A chuckle mixes in with her response.
“I’m serious, baby.”
I shift a little and dig into my pocket to pull out the ring. I slide my hand down Polly’s left arm until I reach her hand resting on my knee, and then I slide the ring onto her finger. She stiffens and the rise and fall of her chest momentarily pauses before the pace increases.
“That was my mother’s. I’ve had it tucked away for so long that I almost forgot where I hid it.” She holds up her hand, and we both admire the sparkling ring.
“Erik…”
“You don’t have to answer me right now. You can keep the ring on or take it off or give it back. I’m not pressuring you or wanting you to feel obligated, but I’ve waited a long time to feel what I do for you. Life is precious and love isn’t guaranteed, so I’m embracing both while I’m still lucky enough to have them. To have you.”
Her long pause makes me nervous, but I meant what I said. I don’t want to pressure her, but of course, I want her to say yes. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Make babies, have some semblance of the happy that we both missed out on.
“Why?” She turns around and sits between my propped legs. “Why me, Erik?”
“You’re you.”
A soft smile lights up her face. “I’m nothing. I don’t—”
“You’re not nothing, Polly.”
“I’m serious. I don’t have anything to offer. Barely enough money to pay my bills. No family. I have very little experience outside my little bubble. It’s just… You have so much. You come from a famous family, loving grandparents; you have friends, you’re talented, and I’m just… me.” She shrugs and looks down at her finger.
“You being you is all I need. It’s more than I deserve, and it’s what makes me want to be better. You might not think you’re worth much, but to me, you’re everything. And for as long as you’ll have me, I’m going to prove how special you are and hope that you’ll start to realize how right I am.”
The sun has risen by now, and the brightness in the sky illuminates the shimmer in her eyes. She looks down and wipes at the tears as they fall. As much as I want to kiss them away, I give her the space she needs.
Her head rises, and she smiles. “I want to marry you.”
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath, but at her words, I exhale and pull her to me, rolling us to our sides. “Yeah?”
“Yes. I really do. I love you, Erik. So much.”
“Love you too, Polly. In a way I never thought was possible. In a way I know is forever.” I pause and take her hand in mine, twisting the ring back and forth. “In the same way my father loved my mother.”
She puts her right hand at the back of my neck and pulls me closer. Our lips touch and years of doubt fade. Decades of unease slip away. I stand and hold my hand out to her, and when she puts it in mine, I pull her up. “We’ve got lots of privacy, but not enough for me to lay you out and take your clothes off. Nobody’ll ever see you like that but me.”
“Fine by me.” She laughs a little and bumps into me.
“Good.” I slide open the door and usher her inside first. Once I’m in behind her, I close and lock it, then bend down and pick her up.
The laughter that comes from her when I swing her into my arms is a welcome and calming sound. But not the one I need to hear right now. With a little more force than I intended, I slam her against the wall. She shrieks and I hold her still with my hips then rip her shirt off. When my intention is clear, a slight hint of pink brightens her skin.
“Wanted to try to do this slow, but I can’t.” Through her bra, I suck her tits into my mouth and push into her to get her off before I fuck her.
She pulls at the material of my shirt, and I separate enough for her to take it off then I go back to feasting on her. When the material is soaking and her nipples are hard little pebbles, I blow on them and she arches her back.
I set her on her feet and grab her bottoms and slide them down as I’m dropping to my knees. My finger hooks into the side of her panties, and I pull it aside just enough to suck her throbbing clit into my mouth.
“Fuck.” She grips my hair, and I use my other hand to tease her opening. The wetness drips down my finger, and when she’s pulling at my hair so hard it burns my scalp, I slide two fingers inside her tight pussy.
She immediately clamps down around me, and I thank the heavens above because I can’t wait any longer. Her legs shake and her head is thrown back in ecstasy as I rip her panties in half then take my dick out and lift her limp body again.
The moment her back meets the wall, I’m balls deep and fucking her like my life depends on it. Her nails dig into my shoulders and sweat drips into the indentations, making a burn that’s never felt so good. “Fuckin’ love you, Polly.”
“Love you, too,” she mumbles.
I lift her hips out, and she moves her hands from my back and slaps her palms against the wall.
“I won’t let you fall, baby, but I’m about to come, and I want you to come with me.” Her eyes are wide with curiosity, but when I slide inside and hit the spot, they roll back in her head, and she tightens around me. “Come for me
. Let me fuckin’ hear you.”
Hitting the sensitive and soft tissue again, she comes undone, screaming profanities that I feel in my dick and taking me over the edge right along with her. The pictures on the wall shake, but all I care about right now is feeling this with her. With my fiancée. My whole goddamned world is in my hands right now, and she’s the only one who’s ever made me feel this intensity. This good. This steady.
Chapter 22
Polly
As I wait for Erik to get out of the shower, I lift my hand and admire the ginormous rock on my finger. I feel horrible because I wasn’t more enthusiastic when he proposed, but I really was elated. My heart was screaming to say yes, but my brain was putting up a roadblock.
It’s not like I think I don’t deserve happiness, but I worry that Erik’s going to realize how much better he is after a little while. It’s something I’ve struggled with for a while now. But the way he shows me, the way he tells me how much he cares, just chips away at my insecurities more and more each day.
I sit up and look around the room, one which I haven’t really spent the time to take in. My eyes roam around and stop on nothing. It’s so bare. Empty. I didn’t even notice there were no pictures on the walls. No decorative chair in the corner or no decorations on the dresser.
Was this his room as a child? His parents’ room? Has it always been this… lonely?
“What are you thinking about, Polls?” Erik emerges, and his voice startles me since I’m so deep in thought about this room. I don’t want to insult him because maybe he likes it like this. But thinking about what his house in Pleasant Valley looks like, I don’t think that’s the case. Yes, I could tell his home was definitely occupied by a man, but it at least had a little character.
I look at him just as he pulls a t-shirt on. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” He grabs his wallet and cell phone from the top of the bare dresser. “I can’t tell if you’re pissed at something or still dazed from the orgasms I just gave you.”
I grab the pillow beneath me and toss it at him, but he easily deflects it and laughs.