by R. M. Healy
When she heard the door, she was so relieved that Anton opening the door and helping her father inside. For a moment, Anton glanced at her then at Peter before looking away.
Last night there was so much chemistry between them, in her whole marriage, she’d never felt such sexual desire for her own husband.
So today, when she saw Anton, she was taken aback by his distance. Peter immediately got up from his seat to help her dad back into his wheelchair and moved it so he would be sitting at the head of the table next to Esther.
Her father looked over at her, his face unbelievably more aged than just a few days ago.
“I am glad to see you are ok Esther. I wish me and your mother could have looked after you, but you know, with the way things are….”
She could sense his guilt and hated that he would feel bad for not being able to care for her.
“It’s ok, dad. The Romanos have been wonderful. You shouldn’t worry about me.”
“I will worry about you until the day I die.”
He looked away from her as Peter awkwardly coughed and looked at the opposite end of the table.
“I do hope you are all hungry!” Rosa began bringing the food over with Anthony’s help while Anton poured her father a cold glass of water.
She was relieved to see that whatever they’d spoken about hadn’t caused any animosity and when her father nodded at Anton as thanks, she was even more confused at what they’d talked about.
“Why do you keep staring at him if you don’t fancy him?” Jessica said loud enough that she was sure everyone else could hear her.
“Oh, this smells fantastic,” Esther’s mother said as she sat next to Jessica.
Esther didn’t understand how the Romanos weren’t obese with the vast amount of food they ate. If she lived with them, she would be eating her body weight daily. As everyone took their seats, Esther avoided looking at Peter, who persistently kept looking at her.
Handsome as he was, she hired him to care for her father and nothing else.
“Hey, Peter, mind moving along one?” Anton said, standing between her father and Peter, waiting for him to move along.
“Oh, yes, sure,” Peter said, hesitantly moving along.
Esther saw her father’s fleeting smile as Anton sat across from her, and she couldn’t help but frown. What the hell was going on?
Everyone helped themselves to the beef chili and sides that Rosa had cooked and poured their drinks.
“Esther, has Anton told you about the property we found in Italy?” Anthony said across from beside Peter, meaning everyone awaited her answer. She hadn’t told her family about Italy because she hadn’t planned to go.
“Err, no, actually he hasn’t.”
“Ah, I think you will love it. We plan to live in an apartment on the top floor, and the views from it are like nothing you will have ever seen,” Anthony said, looking fondly at his wife, Rosa.
“I envy you for getting to see it before me, Esther, but I know you will both do a fantastic job working together,” Rosa said, turning away from her husband to smile at her.
“Italy?” Her father questioned, putting his cutlery down on the edges of his plate and looking at her.
Everyone at the table was clearly waiting for Esther to say something as they tucked into the food.
“It’s something I need to talk to Anthony about,” Esther said to her father.
“What is there to talk about? You get to see a beautiful part of the world. I have always wanted to visit Italy. Now my daughter can go for me,” her father said, his face showing no signs of dishonesty.
“You will all be welcome to come to the grand opening of the new restaurant, of course,” Rosa said to Esther’s mother.
“When will you be flying out?” Her father questioned, finally starting to eat.
“Not right away. Esther has a lot to do here for the next few weeks while I get the project off the ground out there. Then when she’s ready, she will fly out,” Anton said, looking from her father back to his dinner, not acknowledging Esther.
“Perfect,” her father simply said.
For the rest of the meal, they spoke about a few different topics, from the history of the farmhouse to the days of when Esther’s father used to be a chef. But it became clear once the dishes had been cleared, her father needed to go home and sleep.
When they were saying their goodbyes, she saw Anton shake hands with her father and nodding, as if they hadn’t just recently met. As Anthony’s car drove away with her family inside, Rosa headed back to the kitchen, leaving Esther and Anton standing alone in front of the door again.
“What did you and my father speak about?” She said, unable to help herself.
“You really want to know?” He asked, face grave as he looked down at her.
She nodded, and he looked deep in thought for a moment.
“I will tell you. When the time is right. For now, I really must get going, I have places to be.”
Unexpectedly, Anton suddenly leaned forward, and his warm lips placed a quick but gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Goodbye, Essie,” he said, turning around and walking out of the door.
It was so quick Esther wondered if she had just imagined that he’d just kissed her. Albeit on the forehead, but a kiss nonetheless. She spent the whole evening questioning her sanity and began to get anxious for his return.
It turned out she needn’t have bothered because when she finally did sleep, he still hadn’t returned. She lay in bed for a short while before taking the medication, speculating where he could have gone.
Unless he’d decided to sleep in another room because her presence made him uncomfortable. But as soon as she took the painkillers, she didn’t have time to think about it any longer before sleep overcame her.
Chapter Fifteen
When Esther opened her eyes the next day, she wasn’t surprised when she didn’t see Anton. It wouldn’t be wise to stay there another night with the tension that was building between her and Anton.
As she walked into the bedroom, she saw the evidence that Anton had come back at some point and slept. The night before, when she’d gone to bed, the duvet had been folded on the back of the couch. Now it was still spread across the sofa from where he’d rested.
By the time she’d showered and got back into the clothes she’d been wearing the day of the fall, it was already mid-day. Esther’s car had been taken home from the restaurant, thanks to Anthony. She wanted to go back to her place but didn’t want to leave without thanking Anton in person for looking after her.
Rosa was in a small laundry room off the kitchen when Esther came downstairs. That afternoon Esther helped Rosa around the house with her chores and talking about Rosa’s past in Italy and how much she was looking forward to going back to her hometown.
It was dark by the time Anton and his dad returned as Esther was sitting in the kitchen reading a newspaper.
“Are you going somewhere?” Anton asked her without even saying hello.
Esther turned around from where she sat and looked at Anton. He looked ready for a photoshoot, his face unshaven as he stood there in his sharp coat, leather gloves, and expensive shoes.
“I’m going back to my apartment, but I wanted to thank you before I left,” she said, getting out of her seat. She decided not to mention the way he’d left things yesterday.
“Strange,” he commented, frowning, “You don’t call it your home.”
“It was just a sentence, don’t read too much into it,” she said defensively.
“Ok.” He shrugged as if he were indifferent to her answer, “Have you got your things together? I will take you now if you want?”
“You don’t have to drop me home,” Esther said, slipping on her stilettos.
She saw Anton shake his head as she did so, but he didn’t comment.
“Let’s go,” he said, walking towards the front door without waiting for her to follow.
His behavior seemed different fr
om two days ago. He was distant. Maybe that was for the best. Esther followed him out the front to his black sports car, which he stood leaning against, waiting for her. As soon as he looked up, he paced over and gripped her arm gently.
“I can’t watch you fall again.”
Her heels were unsteady on the gravel, and she was glad that he’d taken her arm to help her. He opened the door for her, and she bent down to get into the car and sit on the expensive beige leather seats. It was so low down that she felt as if she was only inches from the floor.
When Anton got in and closed the door, the car felt tiny. They were so close together.
“What’s happening at work then?” She said as his engine roared to life, making far more noise than Esther thought necessary for a car.
“Well, everyone misses you,” Anton commented as they pulled off and drove slowly down the frosted drive. “But everything is running smoothly. What do you plan to do with the rest of your time off?”
Esther frowned and looked over at him, seeing he still wore his stupid bandage.
“Time off? I am in good health now, so I’ll probably be back this weekend.”
Before she’d finished speaking, he was shaking his head.
“You need a break. Take it. Spend some time with your family Esther, you have over a week off. If there were ever a time to take off, now would be it.”
None of the Romano’s had asked about her father’s health, and for that, she was grateful. But the way Anton was speaking made her think he knew. And maybe he was right. She should be spending more time with her family. Work would always be there. Her father wouldn’t.
“Yeah, maybe,” she said, looking ahead.
The rest of the journey was silent between them. Esther wondered what Anton was thinking. His personality had so many different layers that she didn’t know who the real Anton was. Her first opinion of him being a sleazy playboy had vastly changed in the last few months, and she wasn’t sure who he really was.
“I’ll help you up,” Anton said, shutting off the engine and walking around to open her door.
She would have struggled to get out of the seat in her heels if Anton hadn’t have held his hand out for her to take.
Anton took her handbag and bag with the dressing gown he had got for her and linked his arm through hers, so she wouldn’t fall on the icy pavement.
“Thanks, I can manage now,” she said as they stopped in front of the elevator.
“So, you’re not offering me a coffee for my troubles?” Anton said, raising his brows and tilting his head.
“Do you want to come up for coffee…” She replied, feeling guilty she hadn’t asked in the first place.
As if he hadn’t expected her to say yes, he looked at the door they’d just walked through and back at her.
“Ok,” he stepped in the elevator beside her, and she swiped her key card and pressed her floor number.
It was rare Esther felt lost for words and shy around anyone, but for some reason, that was precisely how she felt standing beside Anton at that moment. Perhaps because she’d heard that line so many times in movies knowing the meaning held a lot more than just a coffee. They were both silent as she unlocked her door and turned the lights on low.
“Damn, I forgot to put the heating on.”
Walking over to her controls, she pressed it up high and hoped it would kick in quickly.
“How do you have your coffee?” Esther questioned as she pressed boil on the kettle.
“Nice place,” Anton said in front of Esther, leaning against her kitchen counter, “Very modern.”
Esther questioned if his words were genuine as she watched him look around the small kitchen.
“Do you mean that?” She asked.
“Yes, it feels spotless, organized, and new. I prefer a more rustic old feel, but I guess that’s because I grew up in an old-style farmhouse,” Anton said as he took his jacket off, revealing the tightly fitting white shirt.
Knowing what was under it, Esther tried not to get distracted.
“Aren’t you cold without your jacket on?” She asked.
“Why?” He said, tilting his again. Esther found it rather endearing when he did that.
“Because it’s cold in here,” she turned away from him and put two cups down.
“I beg to differ. If anything, I feel rather hot,” Anton said from directly behind her. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck. When his hand touched her hip, she quickly turned around.
“What are you doing?” She said, pressing her body against the cabinet behind her.
Anton said nothing, closing the small distance between them.
“I’m only going to ask you once, and if you say no, I’ll leave. If you say yes, we do this, and we can continue as work colleagues.”
He leaned forward, his lips just inches from hers, their eyes locked together and his gloved hand cupped her chin.
“Do you want me to fuck you, Essie?”
“Did you really just say that?” She asked, her voice quiet.
He nodded as his hands moved to the belt that kept her coat together. Her own hands automatically grabbed his.
“Do you think this is a good idea? We work together?”
“I think we are both adults and are capable of having sex without acting like teenagers the next day,” Anton answered simply. His large hands moved under her own as he pulled the knot undone and slowly opened her coat.
His head moved down, but his eyes looked up into hers, obviously waited for her to say no.
She didn’t.
But that wasn’t enough for Anton. After he’d taken her coat off, he grabbed her by the waist and pressed her body against his.
When he began to speak close to her ear, she was so turned on that she felt her knickers turn damp.
“I want you to say yes. Otherwise, I will walk out of this door and never ask you again.”
Esther was torn. She had never been an impulsive person before, but was this impulsive? She’d been thinking about this for several weeks, and now she could make her seedy fantasies a reality.
“Yes.”
Anton didn’t hesitate when Esther pulled off her coat, he picked her up with ease and sat her on the kitchen surface, knocking the cups over behind her. She’d worry about the mess later.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” Anton said, his own voice uneven as his hand unzipped her dress from behind.
His lips pressed down on hers, and their tongues met at last.
It was all happening so quickly, and Esther felt as if she was close to an orgasm just by them kissing and their hands roaming over each other’s bodies.
She helped him pull her dress and bra straps down, and he stepped back, pulling their lips away from each other to look down at her body.
“Do you have a condom?” He suddenly asked.
“No, I haven’t needed one for a while now,” she said, feeling exposed as she sat with her dress pulled beneath her small pert breasts.
“Shit!” Anton exclaimed.
“What, you haven’t got one either?” Esther said, desperately wanting him to be inside her.
“No. I didn’t intend for this to happen,” Anton said before leaning forward and kissing her again.
He pulled her body to the edge of the counter against his own, and she moaned into his mouth as she felt his hardness press against her. She had no intention to have sex with him without a condom but didn’t want to stop.
Unfastening his trousers while their lips were still pressed together, she groaned, annoyed she couldn’t pull them down.
He did it for her, and she gripped his swollen hard length feeling how thick it was. Her and moved up and down his shaft. Judging by the harsh movement of his tongue, she knew he liked it.
His own hands caressed her body, then he used them to pull her hair loose. He stepped away, and her hand dropped.
“I can’t believe we haven’t got protection,” he sounded angry and rubbed
a hand through his already disheveled hair.
Esther couldn’t believe it either, especially when she looked at him, his trousers down just enough she could see how big he was. When he bent down, he pushed her dressed up, and gripping her thighs, she gasped.
“What are you-“
Her words hadn’t even come out before he ripped her nylon tights, “this is taking too long.”
His hands made their way up to her crotch when he tore the center of her knickers. The hot air from his heavy breathing fanned her clit, and her head dropped back as she bit her lip.
As soon as his wet tongue touched her, she couldn’t stop the loud moan of pleasure. She’d orgasmed plenty of times in the past, but this time it was different. Knowing Anton was off-limits made it all the more exciting.
“God, your pussy tastes better than I could have imagined,” Anton whispered, his head still between her legs. His tongue touched her again, and she whimpered. His dark eye’s watched her as his tongue began moving, pleasuring her.
The build-up to her orgasm was so intense, and she didn’t care how much noise she was making or the fact they were in her kitchen.
She was on edge, and her heart was racing when his hands cupped her breasts.
“Oh fuck, Anton,” she almost screamed, falling back on the kitchen counter as she felt her whole body go weak from the intense explosion she’d just felt. It took her at least a minute to regain any conscious thought, and by then Anton had stood again and was watching her, a satisfied expression crossing his face.
“Your turn,” she said, slipping off the kitchen counter and bending down.
“No, I can finish when I get home.”
His actions didn’t ring true with his words as he didn’t move, instead, running his fingers through her hair as he looked down at her.
As soon as her hand found his length, she moved it up and down his shaft. Anton bit his bottom lip, watching as she got on her knees and licked his tip.
“Fuck,” he growled as she took as much of his giant length as possible into her mouth. Speeding up her movements, she took him between her lips as her hands matched her pace.