You and I Together

by Melissa Toppen

  I don't move at first, letting my body adjust to his size as we both try to regulate our breathing. Lifting up slightly, I begin a slow riding motion, up and down. He feels so amazing beneath me, inside of me. Within seconds, everything seems to float away. The pain, the loss, the uncertainty. It's replaced by this. Pleasure, want, need. And then I finally see it. Why I crave Bentley the way that I do.

  He sparks life in me. Satisfies a need rooted so deep inside of me that only he can reach it. And that's when the full magnitude of what this man means to me takes hold. Bentley is my dance. He is my outlet, my calm from the storm. He grounds me. He makes me feel alive. But more importantly, he makes me feel it. All of it. The pain, the happiness, the regret, the love. He makes me feel it all. And as he reaches for me and pulls my face down to his, I know without a doubt, that this is where I want to spend my forever..... Right here, in his arms.

  Chapter

  Sixteen

  “So where are we going again?” I ask Bentley, reaching for his hand as he leads me through the lobby of the hotel.

  “You'll see.” He promises, flashing a grin my way before turning his attention forward again.

  “Really? That's all I get?” I pout, playfully stomping my feet as he pulls me outside into the warm evening air and leads me to the town car waiting on the curb in front of us.

  “Mr. Colbers.” I smile warmly at our driver, not waiting for Bentley to give me an answer. It's pointless anyways. I have been trying to get him to tell me where we are going since I found out we were going somewhere over three hours ago. “How are you?” I stop at the open door.

  “Ms. Blake.” He nods. “Please, call me John. How are you?” He asks, returning my smile with one of his own. Not the least bit phased that after several requests to call him by his first name, I still refuse to do so.

  “I will call you John when you stop referring to me as Ms. Blake and call me Anna.” I quip. “And I am doing well, thank you.” I say, rolling my eyes when Bentley practically shoves me into the back seat of the car and slides in next to me.

  “Honestly woman. You can talk to him in the car.” He laughs, pulling me into his side as John climbs into the front seat.

  “My goodness Mr. Reed. Why the impatience?” I ask, turning curious eyes on his handsome face.

  “We don't want to be late.” He says, his eyes darting to my face before turning forward again.

  “Well, considering I have no idea where we are going, I don't so much care if we are late or not.” I shrug indifferently, laughing lightly when his hand squeezes just above my knee.

  “You really are not good at letting someone else be in control. You realize this right?” He laughs when my eyes widen.

  “Um.... Hello!” I exclaim dramatically. “Have you met me?” I laugh. “Me and control are best friends.”

  “Well tonight, I am separating you two.” He laughs when I swat at his hand as it tightens on my leg.

  “You're really not going to tell me are you?” I ask, not sure why I am even surprised.

  “We're having dinner with my mom.” He says, looking away from me, his gaze directed out the window next to him.

  “You're kidding right?” I laugh nervously and instantly knot my fingers in front of me, a nervous habit of mine. “You can't seriously be taking me to officially meet your mother with no warning what so ever.” I interject, feeling the nervousness creep in.

  “And yet, that is precisely what I am doing.” He laughs, finally meeting my gaze, a playful smile pulling up the corners of his mouth.

  “Bentley.” I gape.

  “Anna.” He responds, giving me the same blank stare that I am giving him.

  A growl escapes my throat from somewhere down deep and I cross my arms in front of my chest. “I'm not going.” I say, obviously joking.

  “Yes you are.” He says, not losing his smile.

  “You going to make me?” I raise my eyebrow curiously at him.

  “I think I can convince you.” He says, leaning forward.

  “Not gonna work.” I get out, just as his lips brush against mine.

  Pulling back just enough so that he can meet my gaze, he lets out a light laugh and shakes his head slightly. “For me?” He asks, his eyes not leaving mine.

  “Nope.” I shake my head.

  “Not even for my birthday?” He asks, laughing when I gape at him in total shock.

  “Birthday?” I question, pulling away slightly so that I can gauge his reaction and try to figure out if he's messing with me or not.

  “Oh, you didn't know?” He plays innocent and sits back in his seat, his eyes once again falling to the window.

  “Bentley.” I reach over and grab his chin, forcing his face towards mine. “Is today your birthday?” I ask, my voice void of all playfulness.

  “It is.” He answers simply like it's no big deal at all.

  “Why didn't you tell me?” I try to keep the irritation from my voice.

  “I just did.” His smile remains playful.

  “Why didn't you tell me earlier?” I rephrase the question.

  “Because it's not a big deal.” He cocks his head to the side like he can't possibly understand my shocked expression.

  “I can't believe you didn't tell me it was your birthday.” I shake my head in disbelief. “What if I wanted to get you a present?”

  “You already have.” He says, reaching up to trail his thumb along my lower lip. “You are all the present I need.” He leans forward and places his lips gently against mine. It's impossible to be mad at him when he says things like that but even still, I can't help but feel disappointed that I didn't have at least a little notice.

  “So we are going to dinner with your mother then?” I ask, even though he's already established that much.

  “My mother, Shira, Ethan.” He laughs when my eyes widen again.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” I can't make my words sound anything but completely annoyed.

  “What?” He laughs like he doesn't understand my reaction.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Me?” He laughs at my outburst. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He asks, clearly finding humor in my reaction.

  “Um, I'm a woman.” I say the statement like it is so very obvious. “I would have liked a little advanced notice.”

  “Why? What would you have done differently had you known?” He asks, his smirk giving away just how humorous he thinks this whole situation is.

  “I would have taken more time to get ready.” I look down at my charcoal knee length shift dress and pull at the hem.

  “Opposed to the hour you already spent getting ready?” He laughs.

  “Shut up.” I swat my hand at him but he catches it mid swing and pulls me towards him.

  “Tell me to shut up again.” He growls, his lips hovering just above mine.

  “Shut up.” I challenge, swallowing hard when his other hand jets out and roughly pushes between my legs, his hand closing down on my inner thigh.

  “Again?” He questions, challenging me. I dart my eyes towards John who seems to be completely oblivious to what is going on just feet from him and then back to Bentley, wanting desperately to push him further but questioning if now is the time or place.

  Leaning forward, I place my lips gently to his and then speak against his mouth. “Shut up.” I barely get the words out before his hand is on me, pushing my panties aside as his greedy finger dips deep inside of me with no warning.

  “Bentley.” I gasp. My knee jerk reaction is to push him away, only he doesn't let me. His grip on me so sound that I either draw the attention of John by fighting him off, or let him do what he's doing.

  “Shhhh.” He breathes against my lips, inserting a second finger. Leaning forward slightly, he gives himself the ability to move his fingers in and out without giving away what he is doing to the other person in the car.

  His fingers feel like heaven as they work inside of me. I can feel the moisture o
n his hand as he slowly pulls out and his finger finds my clit, my body jumping slightly at the contact.

  “Bentley.” I protest quietly, my eyes jumping between him and the front seat. He gives me a look that says not to worry and increases the speed of his hand. “Bentley.” I let out in heavy whisper, feeling the orgasm start to build inside of me as his fingers continue their assault. I can feel it at the cusp. Hanging over the edge just waiting for the final string to snap. But just as I feel the warmth start to spread, Bentley's fingers stop abruptly and he pulls his hand away.

  Hitting him with a confused look, he smiles sweetly at me and then inserts his fingers into his mouth, seductively licking my taste from his hand. “We're here.” He laughs at my confused expression, just as the car pulls to a stop.

  Leaning forward, he grabs the handle behind me and pushes the door open. “Perhaps next time you will remember that I don't like being told to shut up.” He whispers into my ear before pulling back and gesturing to the open door. “Shall we?”

  I have the overwhelming urge to refuse to get out of the car but I also can't deny the rush I feel with the little game he's playing. We both know that he won't leave me hanging for long and while I really need the release now, I also like the idea of playing this up a little longer.

  Giving him a wicked smile, I turn my attention to John just as he approaches my side of the car. Taking the hand he offers, I allow him to assist me from the back seat before straightening my dress and stepping up onto the curb.

  Bentley is at my side within seconds, his hand immediately falling to the small of my back as he leads me inside Calberras, one of Chicago's finest Italian restaurants. Knowing that I am going to be officially meeting his mother, I take a deep breath and try to turn my focus away from the burning need between my legs.

  Throwing me a knowing glance, Bentley winks as he leads me to the hostess stand without a word. A young girl with blonde hair greets us the moment we arrive, her eyes immediately widening as she realizes how attractive Bentley is. Smiling even wider, she makes a point to touch his arm as she leads us through the dim restaurant, and again when she stops at a circular table in the corner of the room.

  I try not to show my annoyance at her obvious attempt to come onto Bentley but by the smile he gives me, I can tell that I am failing miserably. Of course, it doesn't help matters that in my current state, all I can think about is stripping bare and letting him finish what he started in the car. I know it was his goal to wind me up and wind me up he certainly did.

  “About time you got here.” Shira pulls my attention to her as she stands and immediately pulls me in for a brief hug. “So he finally caved?” She asks, throwing Bentley a smile. Clearly picking up on the fact that I am not surprised to see her. “For the record, I told him to tell you yesterday but alas, he never listens to me.” She laughs, reclaiming her seat next to Ethan.

  Shaking his head, Bentley barely acknowledges Shira before he turns his eyes to me. “Anna, I would like to introduce you to my mother, Rebecca.” He says, pulling my attention to the woman sitting to his left. Heat rushes to my cheeks as she stands and extends her hand to me.

  “So lovely to see you again dear.” She gives me a full smile and I don't miss the again part she so delicately dropped.

  “You too.” I manage to squeak out through the lump firmly lodged in my throat.

  She looks so different from the first time I saw her. I thought she was pretty then, even dressed in her night clothes and her hair a mess. But now, seeing her like this, she's breathtaking. Her blue eyes are just as crisp as Bentley's but the green and gold stand out more in hers. Especially against her lighter hair which falls just to her shoulders. She has her bangs swept across her forehead and the sides tucked behind her ears. She's wearing a casual cream colored dress and very little makeup, nothing fancy. It's very clear to tell just by looking at her that while she looks very nice, she has in no way embraced Bentley's love of the finer things in life. And honestly, that makes me immediately like her more.

  “Here.” Bentley says, pulling out the seat in front of him and gesturing for me to take a seat. I desperately want to protest that he is sitting me next to his mother rather than Shira but knowing I can't say anything, I nod a thank you and slide into the seat, waiting until he takes the one next to me before turning towards him.

  “I already ordered wine.” Shira immediately kills the silence and makes me suddenly very grateful that she's here. “I also got the shrimp that you like.” She says, reaching out to extend a menu to me before handing one to Bentley.

  She is dressed in her normal Shira fashion, wearing a gorgeous emerald green drop waist dress that only she could pull off so well. Her shoulder length dark hair is pinned back on the sides and her makeup is perfection. I have come to expect nothing less of Bentley's very beautiful half sister.

  Turning my attention past her, I nod towards Ethan, who barely meets my eyes before he looks back down at the menu in his hands. He's dressed in black slacks and a button down gray shirt, his blonde hair too short to really hold any kind of style. I don't know what is with this guy but he has not spoken more than five words to me since I met him. I can tell by his interactions with Bentley that they are very close but as of yet, I haven't learned much about the specifics of their relationship. I immediately make a mental note to ask Bentley more about Ethan later.

  It's funny how sitting here with his mother, sister, and friend, brings to life how very little I still know about Bentley Reed. Hell, it was only moments ago that I learned today is his birthday. And while the thought of not knowing every little thing about this man is maddening, there is also an excitement to knowing that each day I get to learn a little more. Each day he lets me further into his world. And each day I realize more and more, just how hard I have fallen for the man at my side.

  Chapter

  Seventeen

  Being in Rebecca's house is like stepping into an alternate universe. One where simple everyday people can sit next to a man like Bentley and it seem completely normal. Like the money and fancy things don't exist and in this home, he is just a guy. An impossibly beautiful guy, but just a guy all the same.

  “So Bentley tells me you're a student at Chicago University.” Rebecca pulls my attention to her as she takes a seat next to Shira on the faded brown leather couch that sits in the center of the small living space, while I occupy the matching chair that sits horizontal from them. Bentley is on the floor at my feet flipping through one of his mom's magazines and Ethan is on the far side of the couch, arms crossed, lips tight. Funny, he acts like it's physically painful to speak in front of people.

  “Yes. I just started my last year.” I say, doing my best not to fidget.

  “I attended there.” She smiles, leaning forward to retrieve her cup of coffee from the table in front of her. “Of course, so much has changed since then, I doubt I would even recognize the campus anymore. What are you studying?” She asks, seeming very interested.

  “Sociology.” I get out just as Bentley's phone begins ringing loudly in his pocket. Stretching his legs, he pulls the phone out before throwing me an apologetic look.

  “I'll just be a minute.” He says, pulling himself off of the floor and placing a quick kiss to my forehead.

  The moment Bentley disappears into the hallway, the air suddenly feels heavier. And while Rebecca's demeanor towards me does not change, I also can't deny that without Bentley here with me, I feel a little more vulnerable.

  “Shira. Would you give me a moment alone to speak to Anna?” She asks, turning her attention towards her and Ethan.

  “Of course.” Shira nods, nudging Ethan to come with her. She throws me a smile before pushing into a stand and walking away, Ethan on her heels.

  “Anna. I wanted to speak to you privately for just a moment. I hope that's okay.” Rebecca says, turning inward to face me.

  “Of course.” I say, trying to push down the nervous flutter now swimming in my stomach as I turn my eyes towa
rds her.

  “Please don't think me awful for saying this dear but I want to be very frank with you about something.” She says, waiting for me to nod before continuing. “Bentley has had a lot of girlfriends over the years. Well, I don't know that you would classify them as girlfriends but you get the idea.” She shrugs, like there's no sense in beating around the bush.

  “I know my son Anna. I know he may seem strong and let on like the world can't hurt him but deep down, he's probably softer than most. Which is why he usually is very closed off and has a hard time opening up to people. But he's opened up to you and I know what a big step that is for him. It means he must care for you very deeply.” She says, pausing to take a drink of her coffee.

  “And I care for him very deeply as well.” I manage to get out clearly without stuttering. I don't know why Rebecca makes me so nervous. She is everything that I pictured she would be. Sweet, loving, friendly, but there is also a sternness to her. An edge that tells me while she may be super sweet, she is also someone I never want to cross.

  “It's clear to see that you are a very independent, strong young woman. I can see why he's drawn to you. But I can also see how much power that gives you. This may not be my place to say but I'm going to say it anyways. If you aren't in this for him, walk away now. I know it's easy for a young girl like yourself to get caught up in the power and money that comes along with Bentley but that can't be what matters to you.”

  “Mrs. Reed. Forgive me.” I say, cutting her off before she can continue. “But I can assure you, the last thing I want from your son is his money. I'm in love with him. Even if he wasn't successful and rich, I would still love him. It's not about what he can give me monetarily.”

  “I really hope you mean that.” She says, giving me a small smile.

  “I really do.” I reassure her, not sure what else to say.