Twisting Fate

by Charisse Reid

  People begin to approach us. I have no idea who most of these people are and what their role is to the company. Should I have asked all of these questions before? Do I keep quiet or attempt to speak and risk embarrassing him?

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...

  I feel a light squeeze on my hand as Preston talks about things that I don't understand with the man in front of him. Am I that obviously freaking out or has he just learned my bad habits? Whatever the case is, it's oddly calming.

  The past couple of hours has consisted of meet and greets to every possible important businessman here and I'm getting tired. I'm not used to so much standing in a given time period and I feel like my feet are starting to swell some from the added weight for an extended period.

  As if he knows what I'm thinking he leans next to my ear. "We're about to go, okay?" I nod and he leads me towards the front of the room in the direction of a mic stand. He lets go of my hand and removes the wireless mic from the stand it sits in.

  I stand nervously as he taps the top, making sure it's turned on. He doesn't look nervous at all. I guess some people are just born to be in the spotlight. "Can I have everyone’s attention please? There were two reasons we set up this event tonight. The first is to announce that Dunagin Properties and Development has decided, for the time since we opened our doors, to expand from one of the fast growing national companies and begin developing property globally."

  Everyone around the room begins clapping. His eyes scan the room as if he's addressing each person individually. “The first project will break ground in December; a resort on the beaches of Greece, and completion is scheduled for next summer."

  Everyone begins talking around the room and his eyes lock with mine. The microphone never leaves his lips. "If I could hold everyone’s attention for a few more moments I'll leave you to mingle for the rest of the evening." The room silences once again.

  "I brought a very special guest with me tonight that some of you have already been introduced to. Kinzleigh, I just want you to know that the past several months with you have been the happiest months of my life. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful you agreed to take a step past friendship into courtship with me. You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I knew from the time we were young, that I felt differently about you than any other girl and it's continued to build over the years. I've never been happier than when I was able to call you my girlfriend, but nothing will compare to the day I can call you my wife. I want to thank you for agreeing to marry me and making me the happiest man alive. I've fallen in love with my best friend. I love you, Kinzleigh Baker."

  Tears fall from my eyes as I listen to the words come from his mouth. His grin spreads and his eyes light up. "I just wanted everyone to know that she said yes." Everyone begins clapping and I can see camera flashes in my peripheral vision, but my focus never leaves him. That was nothing like I expected it to be. He hands off the mic to someone beside him and begins walking towards me. He stops in front of me and wraps his arms around me. "It's official, Mrs. Dunagin to be. No turning back now."

  His smile is contagious. "No turning back," I repeat and he closes in to kiss me. If you had asked me seven or eight months ago what I predicted in my future, this wasn't it. Preston wasn't the man standing before me, giving a speech in front of thousands of people to prove that he's proud to marry me; announcing that he loves me. This isn't what I foresaw at all.

  The truth is, Breyson was the man that I thought would be before me, pledging his love. I thought the ring on my finger would have belonged to him. I thought I would grow old with Breyson by my side as we sat on our porch in the country and watched our grandchildren run and play in the yard. The person I imagined at the end of the aisle when I repeated my vows was him, but life doesn't always happen the way we want or expect it to.

  We each walk a path in life, but no path is ever straight. They are built with twists and turns; some are worn and some have obstacles in the way that you have to break through; grown up from lack of footsteps. Regardless of what your path looks like, it's your path alone. Everything that happens molds your path to fit you. Sometimes an event makes us veer in a direction we weren't expecting, but life is full of curve balls. What I'm learning is that even if we come to a dead end, there is always a loophole; a way to keep going.

  I arrived at my dead end when Breyson died in that plane accident, but my loophole was Preston. Even if your path detours in a different direction than the original route, the destination may still be the same. "Are you ready for your weekend getaway, beautiful?"

  "As ready as I'll ever be." I've chosen to accept the detour and continue living instead of standing at the dead end and being stuck forever, lost in my own real life version of hell.

  ***

  The elevator chimes and he takes my hand, leading me into the car. The doors close and I'm caught off guard as he pins me against the wall, slamming his lips to mine. I can feel the heat behind his kiss. His neediness shows each time he collides his tongue against mine. He searches my mouth from east to west, leaving a piece of himself in each possible place. "I can't wait to be inside you," he says as his warm breath kisses my lips, breaking for only a moment.

  He sucks my bottom lip into his as if he's starving for more. He arrows his tongue and runs it along my jawline, sending a jolt of need throughout my body. The adrenaline is coursing through my veins. I can feel the increased blood flow pumping with each beat of my heart. His lips touch the lobe of my ear. "I'm going to watch you while you come." My reaction to the filthy things coming from his lips is to tilt my head to reveal more of my neck. I haven't felt a need like this in a long time.

  He places the tip of his fingers on my shoulder and traces the top of my arm, leaving chills where they've been. I press my legs together as the muscles begin clenching down below, needing to be filled. This time doesn't compare to the previous times we've hooked up. They've become more sparse recently, because he wanted to wait until this night and things got more heated with each time. I'm finally ready to give him myself.

  The elevator car comes to a stop and the door slides open. He separates himself from me with a cocky grin in place. My cheeks feel hot, telling me they have morphed into a shade of red. We have arrived at the top floor, the king of suites. I haven't even been inside and I can already tell it's going to be unbelievable.

  He backs up in the doorway to hold the doors open. His eyes slowly scan my body, making me feel as if I'm standing before him naked. It's a bit intimidating. He holds out his hand palm up, asking for mine. I place mine on top and let him lead me out of the elevator and to the door. He places the key card in the slot to unlock the door.

  He opens the door and allows me to enter first. As I take in the surroundings I'm beginning to get nervous. Red rose petals are scattered along the dark, hardwood floor, beginning at the door and continue down the entryway hall. Soft music is playing throughout the room and the lights are dim. I can smell a light aroma in the room that reminds of lavender. He obviously had this set up ahead of time.

  Everything is starting to set in. I have only been with one man in this way and that was almost seven months ago. I'm terrified I am going to be thinking about Breyson while I'm with Preston. I think I just need a minute to get myself together. The door clicks shut. I turn and Preston is easing up to me. "Are you okay? You can still change your mind? I want your mind to be clear when we do. I want to be the only one you're thinking about."

  "I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous it's actually here. It's been a while. You know I've only been with one man, Preston, and even though I thought it started out casually I've never been with someone in that way, that I didn't feel something for deeply. I think I was just lying to myself. This is a big step for me. I may have thought I wanted it before, but the reality is I wasn't ready...until now. After tonight, I know I want to do this...with you." I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him closer to me.

  His hands remain in the pockets of his pa
nts, but his eyes speak volume. He has something on his mind, but he's not going to tell me yet. He's going to think it through until the words are just as he wants them to be aligned in his head. He will stand there and go over them time and time again, until he's sure they will come out without regret of saying the wrong thing. "Will you give me a minute," I ask.

  "Of course. Take your time. I'm still waiting on our luggage to come up and then it's just the two of us...alone." I let go and follow the petals across the floor. I'm going to guess they lead to the bedroom and in turn I will find the bathroom.

  I feel like Dorothy following the yellow brick road. I watch myself take each step until the petals disappear underneath a door. I look up and I'm standing right in front of it. Placing my hand on the doorknob I open the door. When I walk inside the view before me takes my breath away.

  A large king sized bed sits in the middle of the room, covered in fluffy white linens. Hues of sea green speckle the room, reminding me of the water. The rose petals continue through the room and end spread all over the bed. The lights in here are also dim, but the flickering of candles captures my attention. The French doors of the balcony are opened to my left and the sheer white curtains are blowing with the breeze. It's dark outside, but I can hear the waves of the ocean washing against the shore. It's as perfect as it could possibly be.

  Instead of walking to the bathroom as I planned, I take the opposite direction to the balcony. There is something about the water and the beach that has always been appeasing to my nerves and anxiety. I look down and a couple catches my attention, standing in each other's arms at the edge of the water. They look like they are lost in nirvana with each other.

  An ache forms in my chest; one that I've done well with suppressing for a while. I remember the week that was Brey and I. I'll always miss him terribly. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him in one sense or another. Just because I'm choosing to live, doesn't mean that I love him any less today than I did the day I said goodbye to him at the airport.

  I look up at the dark sky. It's the perfect shade of onyx. All of the stars are shining brightly, and if you look close enough, they appear to twinkle in the rhythm of a song. The breeze blows against my face, taking the fallen strands of my hair into flight. The pain of losing him will never go away, but I need to numb it as much as possible. A tear I wasn't expecting breaks free, traveling in the direction of the floor. "Breyson, You were my first and I thought you would be my last. Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm sorry," I whisper, allowing my voice to be carried away with the wind.

  A pair of lips touch the nape of my neck and kiss their way across the top of my bare shoulder. "You miss him, don't you?" My heart stops. How do I answer that? I remain silent. I can hear the zipper to my dress descend. My breathing becomes unsteady. "It's okay, Kinzleigh. I don't get jealous anymore."

  I turn to face him. "What do you mean?"

  He places his hand against my cheek. "At first I felt competitive and territorial when his name was brought up or when my mind felt the urge to remind me that you've loved someone else, but then I realized it was good for me. It taught me that when you really allow yourself to open up with someone, you fall hard and in turn you stay true to that person and always do right by him. The heart is the purest part of a person. The mind can deceive us, lie to us, and mislead us, but the heart cannot. There is enough room for both of us and by knowing you love him, I know that when you tell me you love me, you mean it."

  He moves his hand into my hair and pulls the pins free until it falls in waves down my back. "I know that sexually I'm not as pure as you, but intimately I am. When I give myself to you, it's in a way I've never given myself to anyone. It means more to me that you've only shared that with someone in a deep mental state, because in turn, I know that you feel strongly for me. I know we aren't each other's first, but I want us to be each other's last."

  He grabs the fabric over my one shoulder and peels it down my arm until low enough it will willingly fall to the floor in a pile at me feet. I nod, at a loss for words. I try to even out my breathing as I place my hands on the front of his shoulders. Sliding them upward, his jacket falls over them and I push them down his arms. Grabbing it in his hand, he tosses it on the chair inside the door.

  I am standing in my flats and panties before him. Everything else is bare. One by one, I unbutton his shirt. I can feel his eyes on me as his torso becomes bare. When his shirt is laying in a wrinkled mess on the floor, he removes his shoes and is now standing in only a pair of suit pants. Tangling his hand in the back of my hair he pulls me into a kiss.

  My eyes close, ridding my mind of all thoughts. I allow myself to escape into a different frame of mind. I don't want to think; only feel. He turns us around, placing my back facing the bed and begins walking forward, toward the bed. The back of my knees comes in contact with the mattress and I sit, making him bend to still be able to keep his lips attached to mine. His hand is now cupped behind my head and he guides me backward until I'm laying flat on my back.

  He releases the hold he has on me and begins unbuckling his belt followed by the button on his pants. He lowers his pants and boxers in unison until he is completely naked. Grabbing my hips in his hands, he begins sliding them down, removing my underwear in one swift motion. My shoes fall to the floor, creating a soft thud.

  I prop up on my elbows and scoot upward until I'm lying completely on the mattress of the bed. He follows me until he's over me completely, looking down. Lowering his face to mine he kisses me, making love to me with his mouth. My belly prevents his body from being aligned with mine, but he makes do. Sliding his arm underneath my back, he flips us over. He's muscular, but his build is lean; although, he's stronger than he appears.

  He pulls me into a straddling position on top of him and scoots against the headboard so we are facing each other in a seated position, without offsetting my balance. His hardened shaft is lying under me, between my legs, further enhancing my need. Our breathing is staggered and our faces both flushed as we allow ourselves to get lost in each other's kiss.

  He breaks free, but I clutch his hair in my hands pulling him back for more. "Wait, Kinzleigh."

  I stop, aggravated, and look at him. I let him know, aloud in a low growl, just how frustrated I am. He's already gotten me in the mood and ready to go. Talk time is over. "What?"

  He places a kiss on my breast, calming my annoyance a few degrees. I can't help the grinding motion that occurs with the temptation of what is laying between my legs. He smiles and both of our eyes become heavy, but he doesn't make an attempt to keep going. I surrender and stop, so he can get out whatever it is he needs to say. "I just wanted to say this before we went all the way. I didn't bring any condoms, well, because of obvious reasons."

  He looks down at my stomach briefly and continues. "I know that we've hooked up some, but I wanted to let you know I got tested after I talked to you on the yacht last summer and again before I came back for you. I've never had sex with a girl without a rubber, but I wanted to be sure. I'm clean. I told you I wouldn't sleep with another woman until I had an answer from you and I kept my word. I haven't been with a woman aside from you in over a year and that's the truth. I want to feel you in a way I've never felt a girl. I want to feel you bare."

  This hasn't been a topic of conversation to date and I didn't ever think of this. I've been with Breyson bare, but I don't recall a time it was ever really discussed; it just happened. I reason in my head. We are getting married and I'm already pregnant, but I'm pregnant. The two perspectives of the same thing alternately leave me in the middle. I come up with a solution. "Just don't cum in me until after the baby is born, okay?" I may be willing to do what I'm about to do, but there are just some lines I won't cross. Those two things are not going to mix by fault.

  He smiles and fists my curls in his left hand, pulling me closer to him like he can't get enough. His right hand dips down below, resting against my sweet spot. He begins messaging lightly wi
th his thumb; enough to send me into a blissful state of euphoria as I arch my back needing more. Untangling his hand from my hair, he traces down the seam of my back until it is cupped over my butt.

  The muscles in his arm flex as he lifts me off of his body. He stops the pleasure he's inflicting on my body and I whine. I shift the weight from my shins to my knees creating a larger space between the two of us. I look down as he grabs his shaft, holding it straight. The head is positioned at my entrance, but not touching. Now that I've taken the weight from him, he moves the opposite hand to my hip and lowers me to the height he wants me.

  His head is now pressed barely inside and the sudden desire to lower myself is consuming my mind. He rubs the head up and down my folds with his tool in hand creating an aurora in my body that is intoxicating. "Damn, you're so wet. Do you want it?"

  It's been months since I've felt this feeling and the added hormones don't help. "Yes, please." He positions it back where it needs to be and pulls me down, entering me along the way. He grunts when he is completely buried inside of me.

  He has both hands now on my hips and he holds me from moving. "What's wrong?"

  "Give me a minute. It feels better than I expected it to." I clench the muscle between my legs hoping he will start moving or something. "Holy hell, Kinzleigh. You're going to make me come if you keep doing that and we aren't going to get anywhere. You're already tight without squeezing my dick."

  I take matters into my own hands. Just sitting here isn't going to cut it. Placing my hands on his chest, I push him back against the mattress. Lacing my fingers with his, I pin them above his head as I rock back and forth. Luckily, I find the spot I need on the first try. I squeeze his hands, as each hit against that perfect spot feels better than the one before.