by S. E. Lund
I thought about Michael and wondered how a good-natured and gentle man like him could be involved with such a woman. Then I realized that Michael was so invested in his career, his hospital, the medical college, that he was rarely home until late at night, slept at the hospital on many occasions, and seemed unconnected to Claire except for their children, who were now grown and out of the home.
Perhaps Claire turned to Michael’s residents as a way of keeping involved in his life. A former pediatrician who now worked as a part-time department head, she had become manipulative as a way to feel relevant. If that was the case, and I was beginning to think it was, she was sadly mistaken.
I sighed and turned back to my files, searching out the last remaining consults I had on my plate for the day – the very last day I would spend at Aga Khan before leaving for Manhattan next Tuesday. So it was with a touch of sadness that I sat in my office and sorted through the piles of files on my desk. I’d be leaving Michael and saying goodbye to colleagues whose camaraderie and fellowship I’d enjoyed for the past six months. I was excited about returning to Manhattan to start a new life with Kate , but a part of me felt disappointed that I’d lost a friend in Claire and that Sam had been a problem.
I didn’t like loose ends and unfinished business and would have much preferred if I were leaving on good terms with all my former colleagues. Sadly, that wouldn’t be the case. Finally, I finished boxing up my files and left the hospital, on my way to Kate and the farther away I got from the hospital, the better I felt. I sighed and pushed thoughts of Sam and Claire out of my head. The delicious Ms. Bennet awaited…
CHAPTER FOUR
Kate
Saturday night arrived all too soon.
I’d been busy packing the bedroom, and was now finishing up in my studio, sorting through the tubes of acrylic paint and brushes, deciding which ones to keep for shipping or discard. I wrapped up my canvases and finished taping boxes shut when Drake arrived home from the hospital after spending time signing papers and seeing the last of his patients.
He popped his head in the doorway.
“Hey,” he said, his gaze moving around the room, taking in the emptiness of it, and the boxes piled in the center of the room. “Time to get ready.”
I exhaled heavily, unable to hide the reluctance I felt about going to Michael and Claire’s house for the going away party.
Drake heard me and forced a smile. “I know, I know…” He came over to where I stood surrounded by packing boxes and put his hands on my shoulders. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I’ll understand.”
“It doesn’t matter to you?”
He shook his head. “I’d like to be with you, I’d like you beside me, but I understand if you’d rather not have to face Claire. And Sam.”
“Sam, too?” I said and made a face. Of course I knew Sam would be there along with all the other residents and staff who worked with Drake, as well as faculty from the medical college and some of Drake’s senior students.
“Unfortunately.” Drake bent down and looked in my eyes. “If you come, I promise to keep your hand in mine the entire time we’re there. You won’t have to deal with either of them alone, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. Before the safari, I could have spent time with Claire while you did your rounds with your students and the staff, saying goodbye, but now…”
“Michael promised Claire would be on her best behavior.”
I laughed ruefully at that. What was Claire’s best behavior? I had visions of her standing off to the side of the room, whispering with Sam. It didn’t make me feel like going to the party. It felt more like I would be going to an inquisition.
I had to tell myself that I would be leaving with Drake for Manhattan on Tuesday morning. Soon, Claire and Sam would be far away.
“I’ll be fine,” I said and forced a smile. “I’m a big girl. I’ll hold a drink in my hand and smile, listen to conversations, and try to avoid them both.”
“I’ll have your arm hooked through mine. You’ll be my arm candy.”
“Arm candy?” I said with a laugh. “If you put it that way…”
He pulled me into his arms and rocked me gently back and forth. “Arm candy. Brain candy. Heart candy. All three.”
“When you put it like that, how can I refuse?”
I had a quick shower and dressed, putting on the sundress that Drake liked so much, despite it being informal, but he wanted me to wear it so I complied. Drake came into the bathroom while I was standing in front of the mirror curling my hair and he sat on the edge of the tub, watching me get ready as he liked to do.
“Are you sure this dress is appropriate for tonight?” I asked, catching his eye in the mirror.
“Entirely appropriate. It’s my favorite dress. I want to gaze at you and enjoy how the fabric hugs your curves.”
I smiled to myself and curled a long lock of hair, then tucked it into my updo with a bobby pin. With my hair done, I finished applying my makeup.
“You’re ready to go?” I asked as I applied some lip gloss. I checked him out. He looked devastatingly handsome, of course. His black hair was shiny and slightly wild, but incredibly sexy over his dark arched brows and blue, blue eyes fringed with thick black lashes.
God, he was gorgeous…
“Yep,” he said and smiled, pulling at his white button down shirt, open at the neck. “Just have to put on my jacket and I’m good to go.”
I turned back to my reflection in the mirror. “Men are so lucky. Shower, deodorant, a quick brush of the hair, a trim of the whiskers and you’re good.”
“Perks of the gender,” he said with a wink. “We get to stand and pee, too.” Then his face became somber. “I meant it when I said you’d stay by my side the entire evening. I want your hand in mine, my arm around you or your arm in mine. Anyone who wants to talk to me will have to acknowledge you and be nice.”
“You’re so thoughtful.” I turned around and bent down to kiss him, my hands cupping his face. “I feel bad that I never got to know any of your students or colleagues, but you’re all so busy…”
He nodded and pulled me into his arms. He kissed my throat, then adjusted my diamond collar. “We’re an insular bunch. Most of the time we’re too exhausted to socialize and the only time we see each other is in the OR or at conferences.”
I sighed and turned around, then finished my makeup before tucking an errant lock of hair back into my bun.
“You look ravishing,” Drake said and stood up behind me. He put his arms around me from behind and held his watch in front of my face. “We have exactly twenty minutes before we have to go. Just enough time…”
He moved down my dress’s strap and bit my shoulder playfully, one hand slipping around to press against my mound and the other cupping a breast.
“Drake!” I said with a gasp, for even just his touch made my heart speed up and my breath quicken. “I just finished my hair and makeup…”
“Shh,” he said. “I want to ravish you before we go. You know you want it, Katherine.”
He was right. I did want it. I wanted him to fuck me before we went so I could feel smug all night, knowing that he had his way with me. It would help me when I had to face Sam and Claire.
They could plot and plan all they wanted, but Drake was mine—body, mind and soul, as he had said before.
And so Drake bent me forward on the vanity. My eyes met his in the mirror, and the expression of blatant lust in them made me need him even more. He lifted the skirt of my dress up and over my hips and then pulled my panties down so that they fell to the floor. I lifted my feet and kicked them out of the way and waited for him to ravish me.
“Should I let you come or leave you unsatisfied and aching for me, Ms. Bennet?”
He slipped a hand around my waist and stroked my swollen clit gently.
“When you call me Ms. Bennet, I fall out of scene,” I whispered, biting my lip when he slipped a f
inger inside of me to test my arousal. He caught my eye in the mirror and then shook his head, a smile on his lips.
“Oh, you,” he said, and pressed my head down so that I laid it on my folded arms. “You have a way of making me crazy with lust so that I forget my proper Dom demeanor. Now, quiet.”
He pulled back and ran his hands over my buttocks, sliding a finger between them and into my folds.
“Nice and ready. You are a hot one, my little subbie. Ready to be fucked on my command.”
I tried to stifle my grin and waited. Then I heard his belt buckle jangle and the zhrrr of his zipper. My flesh throbbed in response for I knew I’d be fucked hard and fast. Whether he’d let me come or not was entirely up to him, of course, but I had the sense that he’d make sure I had one orgasm so that my brain would be high on endorphins for the night.
When he slid into me fully, I gasped and pushed back against him, my eyes closing in pleasure.
“You like my thick hard cock inside of you, do you, Katherine?” he rasped as he stroked my clit but held still, his very hard and very thick cock filling me so nicely.
“Yes, Master,” I said, trying to be a proper submissive at least in my response.
“You want me to let you come?”
“It’s up to you, Master,” I said, although I wanted to say yes, please.
“Good girl,” he said and began to thrust, one hand on my shoulder, the other on my hip, pulling me against him with each thrust.
Then he fucked me hard and fast and in the end, he didn’t let me come. His orgasm started when I was still aroused but not nearly stimulated enough to go over. I bit my lip, trying not to be disappointed, but he had a reason.
When he was finished, he lay on top of me for a moment, his mouth beside my ear.
I wanted to say something, but kept quiet, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say.
“I want you aroused and in need all evening, Katherine,” he said. “I want you to imagine how it will feel when I push you back onto the bed in one of Claire’s spare bedrooms, while the party is going on, and eat you. I think it’ll be a fitting way to say goodbye, and if people find us in the spare bedroom with your legs wrapped around my neck while I make you come with my tongue, all the better. Don’t you think?”
“Oh, God,” I said, my already swollen flesh throbbing again at the thought. “I love the way your mind works, Master.”
“I know you do,” he said and playfully bit my shoulder. “Now stand still while I watch my come slide down your leg…”
He pulled out of my body and stepped back, enjoying the sight I afforded, my ass bare, my thighs spread, and his semen as evidence that he owned me completely.
“How will I make it through the night?” I whispered.
“You’ll make it,” he said and smiled. Then he took a washcloth and wet it, cleaning me off before taking care of himself. When he was done, he leaned back over me, his face beside mine, and kissed my ear. “This will keep your mind off other things. When you have to see Sam and Claire, think of me on my knees before you, eating you.”
My heart skipped a beat at that, for although the prospect of Drake making me come with his mouth excited me, the prospect of anyone finding us made me nervous.
“It wouldn’t get you in trouble?”
“What?” Drake said and lifted me up, turning me around to face him. He stroked my hair and adjusted the shoulder of my dress. “Being caught in flagrante delicto is not something to worry about. I expect it would be a source of envy and admiration for both the men and women I used to work with.”
“You are so bad,” I said and smiled when he bent down to kiss me.
“You love it,” he replied with a grin.
He was right. I did love it.
I loved him.
We arrived at Claire and Michael’s home about thirty minutes later. I had quickly fixed my hair, tucking loose strands back into my bun, and finished my makeup. Then we took the BMW to their home in another one of Nairobi’s gated communities where many of the foreign doctors, businessmen and professionals lived.
Their home was amazing. A sprawling rancher with a closed in swimming pool and patio, a wide expanse of lawn and several mature trees, it was very nicely appointed and decorated. Everything was perfect. I could tell Claire took a lot of pride in her home, the garden, the furnishings and decorations. There were delicious canapés and a large bar with every kind of drink you could hope for.
About twenty people mingled in the living room and dining room, spilling out onto the porch. I glanced around and saw Sam, dressed to the teeth with a sexy black dress, which highlighted her stunning long platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. She stood at the side of the living room with a drink in her hand and if looks could kill, I’d have been dead in an instant. Camille stood beside her and I could only imagine what they said about me. I felt underdressed compared to her, and smoothed out the skirt, which had become rumpled in the car on the way over.
“Relax,” Drake whispered in my ear. “You look ravishing. And I’m going to ravish you,” he said and nibbled my neck, seemingly unconcerned that we were being watched by practically everyone in the room. He took my hand in his then leaned in once more to whisper again. “When I give you the signal, I want you to go in search of the bathroom at the rear of the house. Go into the far bedroom and wait for me.”
I glanced up into his eyes, searching for whether he was serious. “Are you sure about this?” I said, my voice breaking from nerves.
“Completely,” he said and raised his eyebrows.
“What’s the signal?” I whispered.
“You’ll know it when you see it.” Then he placed my hand on his arm. “Now, let’s get a drink and start to circulate.”
So we did, each of us getting a glass of wine and then Drake took me around to visit with all his students and colleagues. I stood beside him and listened to each of them say how sad they were to see him go, recounting stories of the OR or classroom. Drake was very popular among his students and they all seemed genuinely sad that he wouldn’t be staying to teach in the fall semester.
Then, about an hour in, I heard Michael’s voice at the front door and turned to look.
Sefton.
What the hell? Had Claire purposely invited him to the party to upset Drake and me?
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Drake said under his breath. I could practically feel the anger radiating off him as he stood beside me.
“Claire must have invited him,” I replied, my voice low. “Trust her to try to ruin your goodbye party.”
Drake turned and met my eyes. “As long as he doesn’t try to take a poke at me in revenge, forget him. He’s history. In three days, we’ll be gone and he’s gone as well.”
I forced a smile and took in a deep breath. I saw Sefton carrying a big flat package that looked like a large canvas wrapped in brown paper. Sefton carried it inside and handed it to Claire, but not before he glanced around the room and caught my eye. He smiled when he saw me, and dipped his head slightly.
Drake and I stayed where we were and I watched as Sefton and Claire discussed the painting. Claire took the canvas over to the dining room table and laid it flat then removed the brown paper wrapping.
“Oh, look,” she said out loud. She and Sefton held up the painting together. The canvas was about five feet wide by four feet tall. It was of the savannah, similar to where we were on the art safari.
It was also a painting of me.
I stood in the right side of the painting, my face in profile, my hair wild as if blown by the wind, one hand up to keep the hair tucked behind my ear, my shoulders bare, my pale skin sunburnt. With the other hand, I was shading my eyes from the sun and staring out into the distance.
“It’s lovely,” Claire said. She turned to Drake and me, her face expectant. “Isn’t it lovely? Drake, Kate, come over and see what I commissioned from Sefton. It’s for you, Drake, as a going away present.”
Drake squeezed my hand a
nd led us over to the dining room table where Sefton and Claire stood. Several students and guests joined us and we stood and examined the painting.
It was very good, all shades of yellow, the bright sunlight glinting off my chestnut hair, tall stands of dried yellow grass surrounding me, almost reaching my elbows. Although my face was shaded, it was clearly me. He’d caught my likeness very well.
Had he taken a photo of me without my knowledge?
“It’s very good,” Drake said and stepped closer. “Thank you Claire.” He turned to Sefton. “Thank you to the artist as well. I was sad I didn’t get to go on the safari with Kate so this will make up for it.”
To my surprise, he extended his hand. In response, Sefton stepped back and held his hands up as if in surrender. Then he smiled and held out his hand and they shook.
“Wasn’t sure what you were going to do there, for a moment,” he said in a joking tone. “Given our history…”
“The past is the past,” Drake replied.
“Good,” Sefton said. “I hope you both can enjoy the work. I enjoyed painting it.”
Sefton turned to me and smiled. “I hope you keep up with your art when you go back to Manhattan. It would be a real shame if you let it drop.”
I shook my head, my throat dry. “I won’t let it drop,” I said and cleared my throat. “If anything, I’m even more determined to keep painting. Maybe take a studio class or two.”
Sefton nodded, his blue eyes meeting mine.
Then, Drake pulled me away. “Thanks once again,” he said and stepped back. “Let’s get a fresh drink for you,” he said and I was glad that he made the excuse to leave. I didn’t know what else to say, and didn’t want to have to make polite conversation with Claire and Sefton.
“That was smooth of you,” I whispered when we were far enough away to be out of earshot. “Thank you for being so diplomatic.”