by Melody Anne
He then started thrusting in and out of her with speed and there was no way she could’ve squeezed any words past her tightened throat. He held her close as he kissed her, simultaneously thrusting in and out of her body. She lost all sense of time, dizzy in the immense feelings building higher and higher inside her.
He thrust in again and her body convulsed around him, as her pleasure seemed to stretch on and on. With a groan he pushed into her one last time, before he shuddered and then collapsed on top of her. They were both breathing heavily and neither of them seemed to have any energy to move.
He finally shifted their bodies and pulled her half on top of him and half lying next to him. He was unwilling to let her go. He brought the cover up to keep the chilled night air off her body and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him.
“I should go,” she said sleepily, though she didn’t try and move.
“Not yet.”
She didn’t have any energy to argue with him and told herself she would get up in a few moments. She would allow herself to rest her eyes for a minute. They were so heavy and she couldn’t seem to keep them open.
Emily woke up and stretched her sore muscles. At first she was confused by the stiffness of her body and then the night came back to her like cold water splashed in her face. She sat straight up in the unfamiliar room and looked around.
Mark wasn’t there, which she was incredibly grateful for. She needed time to gather herself together before she faced him. She’d never before made love to a man she wasn’t in a relationship with. Before Mark, she’d only been with her ex-husband and sex had never been as good as it had been with Mark.
She’d fallen asleep in his arms, only to be awakened sometime in the night by his roving hands. He had loved her again, giving her more pleasure and then she’d fallen into a dreamless sleep.
She found her nightgown on the floor, near the bed and slipped it over her head. She then walked to the doors and peaked out at the balcony. No one was out there, or anywhere in the backyard, so she quickly ran to her own bedroom door.
She hadn’t known Mark’s room was so close to hers. If she would’ve known that sooner she would’ve had an even harder time falling asleep at night. She didn’t think she was going to sleep again with her new knowledge.
Emily allowed herself an extra-long shower, trying to ease the achiness of her muscles. She’d used some she didn’t know existed. Even though her body was sore, it was an incredibly satisfying feeling at the same time.
She allowed herself to smile, as she thought back to the intense pleasure Mark had brought to her. She then pulled herself together and got dressed. She would have to tell him the night was amazing but it couldn’t continue. She really loved working for him and that was far more important than some fling.
It sounded rational in her mind. She hoped he wouldn’t take it as rejection. She certainly couldn’t tell him it had been the best sex she’d ever had in her life. That wasn’t the way to get him to not want any more of it.
Emily was feeling more confident as she finally descended the stairs. She walked in and found Trevor and Mark sitting at the kitchen table, each with a large bowl of cereal before them. They both looked up guiltily, as if they’d been caught doing something wrong.
Emily thought that was strange until she noticed the cereal the two of them were polishing off was Cookie Crisp. She never let her son eat sugary cereal. She always told him she may as well just give him a spoon and let him eat right out of the sugar bowl.
She was close to scolding Trevor for eating something he knew he wasn’t supposed to but the look on their faces was just too pathetic. She couldn’t contain her smile from slipping through.
“Don’t get used to eating this,” was all she said. She grabbed a bowl and poured the very little amount left in the box for herself. She was surprised to find it was actually quite good. She wouldn’t admit that to the smug boys staring at her. “I’m only eating this so you two don’t have anymore,” she finally said.
Mark let a small chuckle escape so she glared at him, then finished her breakfast. He was eating the cereal as fast as he could, like he ate everything. You would have thought the man grew up in an orphanage, the way he ate.
“Why do you always eat so quickly?” she finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“You try growing up with two older brothers and then you would eat fast too.”
Emily chuckled at the image of Lucas and Alex stealing Mark’s food. He smiled at her and she almost forgot they needed to have a serious conversation later.
“Mom, don’t forget I’m going to the movie today with Jasmine,” Trevor said, through sips in his chocolate milk.
“I did forget. Finish up so we can get you dressed. Lucas will be here any time,” she said, while starting to clear away dishes from the table.
“I’m done,” Trevor said and then dashed up the stairs. He liked nothing more than to spend time with Jasmine, who was his new best friend.
“Wait for me,” Emily said, as she chased her son up the stairs. She quickly got him ready to go and by the time they came downstairs, she could hear Jasmine calling for him.
“I’m here Jazzy,” Trevor yelled from the top of the stairs and then jumped on the railing and slid down. Emily stared dumbfounded as her son made the long slide down.
“Trevor you can’t slide on the rail,” she scolded her son. “Whatever gave you that idea?” she questioned.
Trevor looked at her guiltily and then shrugged his shoulders. “It’s my fault Emily, I’m sorry. I kind of showed him how to do it,” Mark piped up.
Emily turned her astonished gaze on Mark. She then threw her hands in the air in defeat. She couldn’t understand men. The banister was beautiful and expensive and they were using it as a slide. She decided to let it go. Sometimes that was the smartest thing to do.
“There you are,” Jasmine said as they came around the corner. “I missed you,” she grabbed Trevor up in a hug. He hugged her back and they smiled goofy grins at each other. Emily loved how sweet they were together.
“Are you ready to go?” Lucas asked him.
“Yes,” Trevor replied with real enthusiasm.
“Is it okay if he stays the night? We’re going to be done late and they will have a good time,” Lucas asked Emily.
“If you honestly don’t think it will be a problem.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s a great kid. I really enjoy him coming over, plus it’s the only time I can get Jasmine to stop talking,” he whispered.
Emily chuckled and then kissed her son goodbye. She reminded him to listen to Lucas and Amy and to be on his best behavior.
Lucas took off and suddenly Emily was all alone with Mark. Well, she thought, there was no time like the present to have their conversation.
“Mark we need to have a talk.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“Last night was magical. It was the greatest night I have ever had.”
“Well that sounds like a great conversation. I say we end before you add in a but…” he started to say.
“I wish it were that simple Mark but we both know we can’t let it happen again. Trevor is so happy here and this thing between us won’t last and then everything will fall apart,” she pleaded with him to understand.
“Why can’t it last?” he asked her.
“Mark, you’re my boss. You are amazing and your family is incredible and I don’t want to have an affair and then end up with us not liking each other. Can’t we please be thankful we had a great night together and now call it good?” she once again pleaded.
Mark stared into her eyes for several moments, before letting out a long sigh. “I’m not happy about this and I guarantee you I’ll try and change your mind but if you need me to back off for now then that’s what I’ll do,” he finally conceded.
“Thank you. Can we please go back to the way things have been?”
“I need to go work out in the barn f
or a while,” was his only answer. He walked out the back door and left her feeling a bit rejected.
If she was doing the right thing, why did she feel so miserably bad about it? Sometimes it would be so much easier to be a child and not have the reservations you developed as you got older. She knew she really was doing the right thing; she just had to convince herself of that.
She didn’t see Mark the rest of the day. They both were managing to avoid one another, which was best for them right then.
Chapter Four
It took a few weeks but things got back to somewhat of a normal routine. Emily and Mark could be in the same room once again without too much tension and even began some of their earlier teasing.
Emily was feeling more and more secure. She would still find her eyes drawn to Mark and seemed to always know where he was but she cared far too much about him to risk losing him with a cheap romance.
Her body ached each night wanting him badly but she was used to denying herself for the sake of others. In this case she was putting her son’s needs ahead of her own, which made the sacrifice worth it. She at least thought it was worth it, or hoped it was.
What made the aching even worse was every day she was around Mark she was finding she fell a little bit more in love with him. How could she not love a man who was so gentle with her son and so compassionate to all those around him? He was even a saint when it came to his animals.
She had yet to find a single flaw. She didn’t understand how he wasn’t already married with ten kids. He would make the perfect father and husband. She dreamed more than once of herself in the role of wife and mother with Mark.
Emily and Trevor were playing a game of Candy Land in the den when Mark came in. “Mark look, I’m beating my Mom again,” Trevor said as he beamed at his hero.
“Great job, buddy. Edward just brought in some chocolate cake. If you hurry to the kitchen, you can get some before he puts it away,” he added.
“Yeah,” Trevor yelled and took off running down the hallway.
“You know you’re spoiling him,” Emily admonished but the smile she gave him took away any sting.
“I really love having him here. He brings so much light to the house.”
“Thank you,” Emily said, as tears stung her eyes. She was a sucker for anyone who loved her son.
“Emily we need to talk about Trevor’s school. The year starts in a few weeks,” Mark started out carefully. He was prepared for a minor battle with the stubborn mother.
“There’s a great school here. I was going to go talk to them next week,” she said, thinking the discussion would be over.
“Lucas told me all about the school Jasmine’s enrolled in and it’s not much further from this area. He would have a lot of opportunities there you can’t get from a regular school and he’d get to go with Jasmine,” he told her.
“Mark there’s no way I can afford to place Trevor in a private school.”
“You wouldn’t have to pay anything. It would be a part of your employment.”
“There’s no way I can accept that, Mark. You already sneak things to Trevor all the time, like the dirt bike you got him last week. He will be fine going to the local school here,” she added stubbornly. She already owed Mark far too much and didn’t want to be indebted to him any further.
Mark was prepared for her argument. He’d already discovered she wasn’t a greedy person. As a matter of fact, she was the complete opposite. It was downright frustrating trying to give her or her son anything.
“Just let me explain myself before you start getting all defensive and completely close the idea off,” he began.
“Fine. Go ahead and explain yourself but I’m telling you the answer will still be no. You’re wasting your time,” she said, while crossing her arms.
“You are the most infuriating woman. I also said not to get all defensive,” he almost shouted.
They both stared, neither willing to back down. Emily finally folded and shrugged her shoulders. “Go ahead,” she mumbled.
“Thank you. As I was saying, the school is top of the line and if Trevor went there he would be provided far more opportunities than a public school could give him. The public school system has had far too many budget cuts. Heck, he wouldn’t even be able to learn another language or participate in any good clubs. Those are things he really needs to secure his future.”
“But the money…” she began.
Mark held his hand up. “You can talk to many different employees of mine personally and of the company’s. We have added benefits where we pay for college tuitions and extended leaves. We believe in taking care of our own. I paid for Edward’s kids to go to college and they didn’t fight me on it, so please put Trevor above your pride and allow him to take this opportunity,” he said. He knew that last bit was a low blow but he also knew she was willing to make just about any sacrifice for her son, even if that sacrifice was accepting something from another person.
Emily sat, fighting with herself. She knew what Mark was saying was right. She knew she really could be hurting her son’s future success by not letting him go to the better school but she really didn’t want to be in any more debt to Mark.
“I can understand your points and you are right,” she finally conceded.
Mark looked a little bit smug at her words. She held her hand up to let him know she wasn’t finished speaking. The smile dropped away.
“I said I can understand your point, however if you expect me to compromise, you need to be willing to, also,” she said, staring him in the eye, to make sure she was getting her point across.
“What kind of compromise?” he asked suspiciously.
“If Trevor is going to go to a fancy school, then I insist on contributing to it. We already have no expense here and I receive a generous salary. I’m sure the tuition is a lot, so you’ll cut my salary in half.” She thought that would make an acceptable solution for them both.
“No way,” Mark told her, with no room for compromise on his part.
“Then it’s no deal,” Emily added, just as unbending.
They both stared again at one another, trying to break the other person. When Emily refused to back down, Mark finally held up his hands in defeat.
“Okay how about your salary gets cut by one hundred a week, not half,” he said. When she started to shake her head he cut her off.
“Listen, if he’s going to a private school there are extra things you are going to need. You’ll need your salary,” he tried to reason with her.
Emily hadn’t even thought about an added expense. Mark wasn’t going to tell her about the extra fees for field trips and such. He would just make sure the school contacted him directly, because if she knew any of that she would insist on breaking herself to pay them. He didn’t understand her; the money wouldn’t even be missed by him. He was frustrated with her and at the same time impressed with her independence.
“I guess we could try it out,” she reluctantly conceded. “But Mark, if the kids there make him feel bad about himself because he’s not rich like they are, he’s not staying. I would rather he have a public school education than for him to ever feel like he isn’t good enough,” she said emphatically.
“Emily he’ll fit right in. He already has a best friend he’ll be going to school with and he’s outgoing and social. He’ll be friends with every kid in the school,” he told her.
“Okay, when does registration start?” she asked.
“We can head up there tomorrow. We’ll take the chopper over to my dad’s and then drive in. I have been promising Trevor for a while to take him on a ride.”
“I think it would be just fine to drive,” she said nervously. She was terrified of heights and not a fan of flying in anything, let alone a tiny helicopter, which only remained in the air because of a couple of steel bars spinning around.
“Don’t be such a chicken. You’ll love the view and it’s only about a fifteen minute ride but we’ll probably take the scenic route,�
�� he added with a wink.
Emily shuddered and resigned herself to having to do things she’d never done before.
“Come on, Mom. It’s time to go,” Trevor said as he paced around her bedroom while she finished the last touches of her make-up.
“I’m hurrying,” she lied.
“Mark said you were dragging your feet cause you were afraid to go in the helicopter,” Trevor said, like he couldn’t believe that were possibly true.
“Well Mark doesn’t know everything.”
“Yes he does, Mom,” Trevor said, as if she had lost her mind. “He’s the smartest guy in the whole wide world.”
Emily cleared her throat to keep from laughing and followed her son out of the room. She really was terrified to go on the chopper ride but there was no way she was admitting that to either her son or to Mark. They would both tease her mercilessly over it.
“All ready?” Mark questioned when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Emily glared at him, as he tried to wipe the wide grin from his face. When he started to cough, she wasn’t fooled into thinking he wasn’t laughing at her.
“I just think it’s silly to fly there when it’s not that long of a car ride,” Emily had to say. She knew it was a lost battle but had to try one more time to not get into that helicopter.
“Ah Mom, you’re just no fun.”
“Don’t worry Trevor. She'll have a great time once we're up in the air. I’m an excellent pilot,” Mark told him.
“You’re flying it?” Emily gasped in horror.
“Do you see any other pilots around here?” Mark answered with his own question.
“I just assumed you had one come in,” Emily said. She hoped he had, anyway. She knew he could ride a horse better than anyone but she wasn’t so sure he was capable of keeping them up in the air.
“Don’t worry; I have plenty of hours in. You’re in safe hands,” he said with a wink. She wasn’t reassured one bit but it was too late to back out now. Maybe she could fake an illness. One look at her son’s face and she knew she was going to have to get the ride over with.