by Ashlee Price
I nod. “It really is a wonderful offer.”
“It is,” Conner agrees.
I look at him.
“Well, Ingrid, it looks like you have a decision to make.” Cassie stands up. “You’ll let us know on Monday?”
I get out of my chair as well. “Thank you, Cassie. And Gina. And Dan.”
They leave the room, leaving me with Conner.
“So…” Conner taps his fingers on the table. “You do have a decision to make. And a big one.”
“I know.”
He circles the table, standing over me and holding my hand. “Whatever your decision is, I promise I’ll support you. I won’t question it. I will respect it and be happy for you one hundred and one percent.”
I smile. “Thank you. I’ll think about it carefully.”
“You do that. However, there’s also something else I was hoping you could do.”
“What?”
“I’ve actually made plans for Valentine’s this year, so…”
“You did?” My eyes grow wide.
He kneels in front of me, and for a moment my heart stops. Is he going to give me a ring?
Instead, he takes a card in a red envelope from his pocket—a Valentine’s Day card.
“Will you be my Valentine? Or are you too busy thinking about the future?”
“Of course not.” I pull him to his feet. “Yes, Conner, I will be your Valentine.”
I give him a quick kiss. “So, where are you taking me?”
~
“I want you to close your eyes,” Conner says. “And at the count of three, open them.”
“Another surprise?” I ask, putting my hands over my eyes.
So far, the day has been full of surprises. He gave me flowers. We watched a movie. We watched the sunset from the top of a building. We had dinner at a fancy restaurant. And now, this.
“One…” I hear the door creaking and Conner gives me a gentle push. “Two. Three!”
I open my eyes, which then pop wide open just like my mouth as I look around the hotel room. Candles form a heart on the floor. Red rose petals are sprinkled on the bed, a heart-shaped box of chocolates lies on the pillow. On the table sits a bottle of wine with two glasses as well as a large bowl of strawberries and a smaller one filled with cream. On the window, more rose petals have been stuck to the glass, forming the words ‘I LOVE YOU’.
I place my hand over my heart, which seems like it’s either about to burst free with excitement or drown in so much joy.
“I love you too,” I tell Conner, wrapping my hands around his neck and kissing him.
His hands on my waist, he pulls me closer, his tongue slipping into my mouth. I let it play with mine a bit before pulling away.
“Is something wrong?” He gives me a confused look.
I hold up a finger. “Just wait here.”
I head to the bathroom, my purse still under my arm. Putting it down by the sink, I fish the small paper bag out from among its various contents.
I had a feeling something like this would happen, or at least I had hopes, which is why I bought a little something from Agent Provocateur.
Placing the bag on the other side of the sink, I begin to undress. First, I kick off my stilettos, savoring a sliver of relief at the fact that my feet are free. Next, I take off my pink sweater and my white dress, tossing both on top of my shoes. Finally, I remove my matching pink bra and panties and drop them on the rug.
Completely naked, I grab the paper bag and open it, pulling the red piece of lingerie out of the soft wrapping paper.
I slip on the red body suit made of sheer tulle and stand in front of the mirror to evaluate the effect. The fabric hugs my body, showing off every curve. My nipples poke out of the heart-shaped cutouts on the cups, while the embroidered hearts along the sides and around the waist make my figure even more slender than it normally is. The back has a large heart cut-out in the middle and a single strap that runs along the center, all the way down the gap between my butt cheeks.
I draw a deep breath, knowing that it’s a daring piece, almost next to nothing against my skin. It was expensive, too.
Still, tonight is special. It’s worth it. I sure hope Conner likes it.
“Ingrid?” Conner knocks on the bathroom door, concern in his voice. “Are you okay in there?”
“Yup. I’m coming out,” I answer, grabbing the robe off the peg behind the bathroom door.
Wrapping the white robe around me, I do two more things—let my hair flow free past my shoulders with a few shakes, and spray on a splash of Victoria’s Secret Eau So Sexy. The floral and fruity scent fills the air.
Now, I’m ready.
I step out of the bathroom. Conner is waiting just outside.
“I was beginning to worry about you,” he says.
Then his eyebrows arch as he notices what I’m wearing. “If you were going to take a shower, you should have said so. We…”
“I didn’t.” I hold a finger to his lips. “And instead of worrying, maybe you should have undressed, but since you didn’t…”
I grab the front of his shirt and pop out the buttons one by one. As soon as the last button is undone, I push it off him and he shrugs it off the rest of the way. I reach for his pants, but before I can unbutton them, Conner grabs my wrists.
“I think that’s enough.”
“Okay.”
“Now, will you show me what’s beneath that robe?”
I push him so that he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, then tug on the sash of my robe. I shrug it off slowly, and Conner’s eyes grow wider with every inch of bare skin and sheer fabric revealed.
“Holy shit.” The words escape his lips as he stands up. “You look… hot.”
“Why, thank you for that very descriptive word.” I put my hands on his shoulders.
“And you’re wearing red. Again.”
I grin. “Truth be told, it’s always been my favorite color.”
“It suits you.”
Gripping my waist, Conner kisses me, picking up where we left off. Then, to my surprise, he picks me up in his arms, dropping me on top of the bed.
His tongue explores my mouth while his hands run through the tulle. Then he pulls away.
“I have something for you, too.”
He pulls a pair of red handcuffs from his pocket.
I blink. “Wow. It’s red, too.”
“Mm-hmm.” He opens them and places the key on the nightstand. “Let’s see if they fit, shall we?”
I offer him my wrists and he cuffs them. I lift the cuffs to my face to take a closer look, finding all the metal parts covered in red fur.
“I like them.”
“Good.”
Conner pushes me down on the bed, my arms above me.
“Now, do you remember last time when I said I’d get back at you?”
“Um, yes?”
“This is payback,” he promises with a mischievous grin.
A shudder of anticipation ascends my spine.
Conner grabs the bowl of cream and sets it down on the bed.
I raise my eyebrows. “You’re going to get my new clothes dirty?”
“Don’t worry.” His fingers brush against my cheek. “I’ll clean you up thoroughly.”
My heart flutters. “That was what I was afraid of.”
Getting some cream on his fingers and wiping them on his tongue, he kisses me again, sharing the sweet treat with me. Then he turns me around so that I’m lying on my belly.
Sweeping my hair aside, he paints a trail of cream down my spine, licking it off.
“You’re going to get fat,” I tease even as I shiver with excitement.
He doesn’t answer, busy with his task. The end of the cream trail lies dangerously close to my other hole, and in spite of the fabric covering my skin, I gasp when he licks that spot.
I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed when he doesn’t go lower.
Getting more cream on his fingers, he adorns
my butt cheeks, licking one and then biting the other.
“Ow!” I yelp.
“Now we’re even,” Conner says, reverently licking the patch of flesh which he nipped.
“You’re not going to leave a mark there, are you?”
He turns me around. “No. I’ll leave it here, like last time.”
He kisses my neck and I throw my head back, baring more skin to him. He sucks on the flesh and I bite my lips at the sting. His wet tongue soothes it and I gasp.
“There you go,” he says, smiling proudly at his work. “Now you’re even more red.”
“And you’re not red enough,” I tell him, lifting my leg so that my knee brushes against the tent in his pants.
He draws a deep breath. “Not yet.”
Getting more cream, he covers my nipples, his fingers rubbing against the nubs and making them engorged. Heat swells in my breasts.
As he lowers his head, I hold my breath, bracing myself. I can never prepare myself enough for his tongue, though, and I let out a loud gasp as I feel its tip circling the stiff peak.
He rubs that peak as he moves on to the other and I give a moan, my back arching. The tingling heat from my breasts ripples down my belly and pools between my legs.
Shit.
I just bought this body suit and now it’s getting stained.
Conner sucks on both of my breasts, drawing more moans from me. Then he moves lower.
“You’re not going to put cream there, are you?” I ask, wondering if that’s alright.
“Oh, I think there’s enough cream there already,” he answers.
He unhooks the bottom of the suit so that nothing stands in his way and parting my thighs, he settles between them. His tongue brushes against my clit and I let out a cry, trembling. His tongue slips inside me and I throw my head back, mouth open in a silent scream as I feel more ‘cream’ ooze out of me.
As his tongue turns me inside out, his fingers strum my engorged nub and I tremble even more. My back arching, I try to reach the wall, my nails grazing the plaster.
“Conner!” His name leaves me in a gasp as I struggle to breathe.
The pleasure from his tongue and his fingers is so great that the rest of my body has gone numb, my mind blank. It’s sopping wet between my legs.
When I climax, the intensity of it knocks the breath from my lungs. My head rises off the pillow before crashing back down with the wave of pleasure that goes through me.
Still, Conner’s tongue doesn’t stop. Though he’s withdrawn his fingers, his tongue continues to lick the sensitive skin and plunge in between, lapping up the ‘cream’.
I squirm and move my hips, trying to get out from under him, but he holds me fast, hands pushing my thighs even farther apart.
As a result, a second orgasm comes on the heels of the first. I scream, feeling tiny explosions throughout my body.
Only after that does Conner stop, licking his lips as he sits beside me.
I turn towards him but don’t speak, still trying to force air back into my lungs and recover my senses. He unties my wrists, kissing them before getting off the bed.
When my vision is no longer a blur, I lift my head to stare at him. He’s standing at the edge of the bed, completely naked.
I pause to admire his long, thick cock. It’s pointing straight at me, the tip swollen and glistening.
Going back to the bowl of cream, Conner brushes some on the tip of his cock.
“Your reward,” he tells me.
Excitement buzzing in my veins once more, I kneel on the carpet in front of him, squeezing his butt and gripping tightly it as I lick the tip of his cock. His hands grip my shoulders in turn, his knees trembling.
I lick thoroughly long after the cream is all gone, tasting something even sweeter. Then I let the tip of my tongue dance along the length of him.
Conner gasps, grabbing my hair.
Looking up at him, holding his eyes, which are burning with lust, I open my mouth wide, letting his cock glide across my tongue, all the way down my throat. He pulls at my hair, grunting as I breathe through my nostrils, forcing my throat to relax so I don’t gag. When I swallow around him, he lets out a curse as his body shakes.
“Fuck, Ingrid!”
I release him, pausing to take a gulp of air and hollow out my cheeks before sucking on him.
I move my head back and forth, his hand in my hair guiding my pace. His short curls tickle my nostrils. His balls slap against my saliva-coated chin.
Suddenly, Conner pulls me off him and sits on the edge of the bed.
“Come here, Ingrid.” He crooks a finger at me.
I climb on Conner’s lap and he slips a finger inside me to prepare me before pushing my hips down. I grab his shoulders, throwing my head back as he enters me.
When he’s completely sheathed in my heat, he cups my cheek and kisses me fiercely. Then he grips my hips and lifts them, only to let them crash down again.
With his hands guiding me and my knees buried in the mattress, I move up and down, dancing on his lap. He captures one of my breasts in his mouth and I scream.
His thick cock rubs against my velvety channel, which is getting both wetter and hotter by the second. A tingling sensation travels throughout my body as shiver after shiver rack my spine.
When he releases inside me, hands holding my hips in an almost bruising grip, I explode anew, my nails raking across his back.
Afterwards, he lets me go and I collapse against him like a limp doll, completely breathless and exhausted.
“That was payback, alright,” I tell him in a hoarse whisper as I rest my chin on his shoulder.
He plants a kiss on mine. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” I greet him in turn. “And I have to say this has been the best Valentine’s Day of my life.”
“Mine, too,” Conner confesses. “And by the way, your story was the best Valentine’s Day piece I’ve ever read.”
I smile.
The story I submitted to Cassie was published online today, and so far it’s only received raves, but Conner’s affirmation makes me even more proud of it.
I rest my cheek against Conner’s neck. “What was your favorite part of the story?”
“I loved it all,” he says. “Every word.”
“Come on,” I urge. “Tell me the ones you liked best.”
“Fine. Let me see.” He leans back. “I like the one where you said the best love stories are not the grand ones that people in Hollywood make movies about but the ordinary ones that creep up on ordinary people without them knowing it and linger long.”
“I like that part, too.”
“And that part where you mentioned that someone stole your heart, of course.” He pushes me off his shoulder, hands on my waist and eyes on mine. “Because I think I know who did.”
I grin. “Do you, know?”
He plants a kiss on my forehead. “Though I think it’s a bit unfair. I don’t think I stole your heart. I think you gave it to me.”
I shrug. “Maybe. But saying you stole it makes it sound more romantic.”
“Hmm.”
He lifts me off him and I sit on the edge of the bed.
“I have one more gift to give you,” he says.
He gets something else from his pockets, and when he returns, he genuflects in front of me, a satin box in his hand.
I cover my mouth as I gasp.
It can’t be.
“Ingrid Halfield,” Conner starts, opening the box to reveal the diamond ring inside. “You’ve already given me the greatest gift. And maybe I did steal your heart, but now I’m asking you to give me the rest of you for the rest of my life. Will you be my wife?”
I nod, too stunned to speak. My heart is pounding so hard I’m afraid it might fly off and take my whole body with it.
Conner takes the ring out of the box and slips it on my finger, then kisses the back of my hand. “I love you, Ingrid.”
“I love you too, Con
ner.”
I throw my arms around his neck, kissing the top of his head as a joyful tear trickles down my cheek.
This truly is the best Valentine’s Day ever.
And to think it’s just our second one.
Epilogue to Mr. Always & Forever
Ingrid
Seven more years later…
Valentine’s Day
“To ordinary love stories that never end,” I say as I raise my glass of sparkling cranberry juice in the middle of the garden, my gaze on the debonair man beside me. He’s holding the hand of our adorable four-year-old daughter, Celine, my stunning teenager, Alexa, beside him.
“To love,” Conner and everyone else answer, raising their glasses of champagne in turn.
I take a sip of my drink, stopping when Celine wraps her arms around me.
“Careful,” Conner tells her. “You know your baby brother is in there.”
“Sorry,” she mumbles.
I pat the top of her head. “It’s okay. Now go play.”
She runs off.
“Cool Valentine’s Day party, Mom,” Alexa says. “Although I still think we should have a live band.”
“Maybe next year,” I tell her.
Alexa sniffs my drink. “Can I have some of that?”
“Sure.” I hand her my glass.
“Alexa!” Celine calls.
“Coming!” Alexa gulps down my drink and runs after her little sister.
Conner places his arm around me. “They get along so well.”
I watch them playing with the heart-shaped balloons, a smile forming on my lips. “Why shouldn’t they?”
“Now this is an amazing party!” Tiffany joins us. “You should do this every year.”
I shrug. “Maybe. We’ve been wanting to throw a Valentine’s Day party, actually, but the house just got finished and Conner is so busy…”
“Of course he is.” Tiffany nudges his arm. “He’s a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist now.”
Conner’s eyebrows rise. “Why is it that you made that sound like I’m a prize stallion or something?”
I chuckle.
“Whatever,” Tiffany dismisses his remark. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Where’s Margot?” I ask her.
“Oh, she’s in the Maldives with her husband,” Tiffany answers. “Lucky girl. I wish my husband would take me there. Oh, wait. I don’t have a husband.”