by Annie Stone
I nod to that. She shows us a variety of beautiful dresses, but somehow there is not one that I really do like. Will is trying to persuade me to try something on, but it somehow doesn’t feel right.
“What about this one?” he asks and shows me a deep blue one.
“That’s not really my color,” I answer and look through more fabric and sequins and tulle.
Finally my eyes fall on a caramel-colored silk Cavalli dream. It’s covered in sequins, strapless, and cut deep in the back. It’s love at first sight. I go into the changing room, try it on, and it fits perfectly. I usually don’t go strapless, because I am afraid that my boobs might fall out, but this one is so perfectly cut, that the girls are safe. As I come out of the changing room, my eyes fix on Will who’s sitting on a sofa to the side. I watch his eyes look me up and down, then twirl his fingers. I turn on the spot slowly and feel his eyes come to rest on my ass. When I’m facing him again, he gives me a thumbs up.
“It is perfect, isn’t it?” I ask and stroke the material of this dream come true.
“It is.” He approaches me and lays his hands on my hips. “Now for shoes and underwear,” he says to the shop assistant and she disappears on their next mission, not without sending a longing glance his way.
I decide on a pair of simple Jimmy Choo heels and don’t bother with underwear. I can’t wear a bra under the dress, and I know Will is going to appreciate me not wearing any panties.
I’m about to pay when he grabs me and kisses me passionately. By the time I get my breath back, he’s already paid with his card. Smooth, I think, and punch him lightly on the arm. “I wanted to pay for this,” I say and he puts an arm around my shoulders.
“I know,” he says, “but I’m not letting you pay $6,000 when I know that’s what you earn in a month.”
“It’s not and how do you know what I earn?” I say. He’s actually right, or in the right ballpark.
He grins at me. “Everyone knows that ColtonTech pays less than average,” and I look at him darkly. He lifts his hands in defense.
“Hey, it’s just a fact, I don’t mean anything by it, but while we’re on the subject, I’m not a fan of your company and wish you worked somewhere else.”
“Right, sure, and who’s going to put a woman in her ‘birthing years’ in a director’s position?” I ask, in a slightly bitter tone.
His eyebrows go up. “Let’s go to a café and chat.” He takes my hand, and we leave the shop.
He stands in the queue while I find us a place to sit.
“Okay, start talking,” he says when he sits down.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I mumble.
“Sure there is. Spill.”
“Fine. When I left college two years ago, all I did was fill out job applications, millions of them. I graduated from a reputable college with a PhD and honors, have outstanding references from all my internships, and I got exactly one interview. ColtonTech.” I take a sip. “I’ve been putting out feelers in the last two years, I’m not stupid, Will. I know this job is far from ideal, but even though everyone’s impressed with my work, no one wants to give me a job.” I take another sip. “This possible promotion: If I were a man, there’d be no discussion, but because I’m a woman I would have been passed over were it not for the two female board members who voted against it. And now I’ve got this appraisal on my back. It’s a damn travesty.” I let my head drop into my hands and sigh. “You know what the worst part is? My boss let slip that the reason the board don’t want to give me the job is because I might get pregnant and I can’t do anything about it. If it went to court, they’d say I’d only been there two years and they’d opted for someone with more experience. But it wouldn’t matter if I was a male or female over forty.”
Will is silent for a moment. “Why didn’t you apply to BioKing?” he asks, and I look at him surprised.
“How do you know I didn’t apply?”
He shrugs. “I checked. I was curious after I found out whom you worked for. So why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Sorry, Will, but your head of HR is a misogynistic asshole,” I say, and he looks shocked.
“I’m sorry, what now?”
“Hendrick Pierce. I met him at a conference and the whole time we were talking he just stared at my breasts. When I asked him about an internship, he said he’d never offer that kind of job to a girl like me.”
“Girl like you?” Will is openly irritated.
“I asked him the same thing, and he said that girls like me should stay at home and be fucked rather than turn guys on in a lab. No work would get done, otherwise.”
Will’s eyes go to ice. “He said that?”
I nod. “I didn’t—and don’t—want to work for a company that tolerates those kind of people. I thought you were like that too.”
“I hope I’ve proven otherwise,” he says and looks at me earnestly.
I take his hand. “Of course you have. It only took me a second to realize that.”
His thumb strokes the top of my hand.
“Thank you for telling me, Thea. I mean about Hendrick. I will take care of that. And the other thing? I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that. I’d love to tell you it’s not always the case, but I’d be lying.”
“Don’t worry about it, Will. I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.” I smile at him, it might not be the widest smile, but it is sincere.
“Thea, baby, I know you’ll say ‘no’ now, but know that there’s always a job for you at BioKing. Whenever you want. No matter what happens between us. No matter what. If you need a job—and I know you’d only take it if you really needed it—it’s yours.” He looks at me so sweet, and my heart melts.
“Thanks, Will,” I whisper, and he grins at me.
“Okay, baby, one more stop before we go home. Come on.”
We walk a few blocks, and Will carries my shopping. He stops at a door and pulls me in.
“Mr. King?” asks the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“Yes and this is Ms. Bennet.” He kisses me on the lips. “Go with this lady. I’ll wait for you here.” He sits on the sofa and gets out his phone.
I follow the lady and realize I’m in a beauty salon. For the next two hours I let myself be pampered with a massage, mani-pedi, hair, and make-up. I float on cloud nine. Will’s an angel.
When I’m finished, I almost fall into Will’s arms. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“Does that mean you enjoyed it?” he asks.
“More than that.”
“Okay, baby, we need to go, it’s almost half past six.”
“Oh God, how will I manage?”
“Relax, you’re almost done. Just dress and shoes and this.” He picks up a box from the table and opens it. Inside is a diamond bracelet.
“Will…”
“Do you like it?”
I nod and put it on. “I can’t accept it.”
“Yes, you can,” he grins. “We did agree you wouldn’t be so bitchy anymore.” And before I can protest, he closes his mouth over mine for a long kiss.
He gets out of the car and holds his hand out to me. I grab and follow him, which isn’t easy in an evening gown and killer heels. He rests my hand on his elbow and lowers his head to mine. “Don’t be nervous,” he whispers.
We go in slowly. We’re barely through the door when we’re stopped as somebody starts talking to Will, and I notice people staring at us. Females glancing at him and wishing they were me. I try to appear confident. I refuse to let them rip at my nerves. Fake it ’til you make it. Even though I’m at his side, I can feel the barracudas closing in. They stare, longer than necessary, jostle for position to show off their cleavages and bite and lick their lips. One of them even has the nerve to remove my hand and nestle herself between Will and me. As I go to make room, Will grabs my hand, pulling me close, puts an arm around my waist and twinkles at me. He sees her look
and kisses me possessively on the mouth. I open my mouth for him, and his tongue is in me for a second before he pulls back and gazes at me with warm eyes.
I hear someone clear his throat near us and we both turn to face a very good-looking older gentleman and a stunning woman who are looking at us. She beams as she takes both my hands.
“You must be Thea,” she says, and I’m surprised she knows my name. I look back at Will who looks slightly uncomfortable.
He introduces us, “Thea, these are my parents, Robert and Miranda King. Mom, Dad, this is Thea Bennet.”
His parents. He told his parents about me?
His father offers his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Thea.” His smile is warm, and his tone genuine. His mother takes my arm and ushers me to one side.
“I am so glad to meet you, darling. William talks of nothing else these days,” she says, and I blush, struggling to think of something to say. I think she exaggerates, because it’s not even a week since I met the boys.
“Oh, don’t panic, darling. I’ve been hoping I’d see the day my son fell in love, and he couldn’t have made a better choice,” she smiles happily, “I know you probably think I’m a little crazy,” I was thinking just that “because I don’t know you, but I can see how good you are for him. He tends to retreat into his little world and not let anyone in but since you’ve come into his life, I’ve seen quite a difference in him. He smiles all day, he’s more open to other people and he’s opening his heart.” She smiles again, so lovingly that I almost break down. This is what it must be like to have a caring mother.
“Just do one thing for me, darling. Whatever it is you’re doing, don’t stop.” She pulls me to her and kisses me on the cheek.
“I…thank you, Mrs. King,” I whisper.
“Call me Miranda, darling. Or you can just start calling me Mom.” She winks at my shocked face.
We are stopped by her friends, and she introduces me to them, tells me funny stories about them, and makes sure that my champagne glass is never empty. She makes me feel like I have known her forever, and she’s opening her heart for me. Already.
At some point, Will and his father return to us. Will puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him when I suddenly hear my name being called. I turn to see my therapist, Carmen. She smiles at me, and we hug. She’s more of a trusted friend than a therapist really. She turns to the Kings and greets them like old friends.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Thea.” She smiles. “And with an good looking guy.”
Shut up, Carmen! “Carmen,” I say, through gritted teeth, but she’s not listening.
“I love seeing you out and about, dear,” she says and I am kind of glad that she didn’t say anything more embarrassing. We have an unusual kind of relationship. Sometimes it feels more like friends than therapist and patient, so it could always happen, that she just says something out of line..
“I’m so proud of you.” She turns as she hears her voice being called.
“I have to go, are we still on for Thursday?”
I nod, just glad that she’s leaving now. My cheeks are flushed, and I’m thankful for the five layers of make up, hiding my hideous red blotches, which have no doubt broken out on my face. Will grins at me.
“Carmen Mendoza is the best therapist for sexual abuse…” Miranda starts and then stops suddenly, looking appalled. I feel Will’s grip tighten around my waist, and I don’t trust myself to look up because there’s an extremely awkward silence.
I feel Will’s hand on my cheek as his eyes search out mine. He looks at me, distraught. I swallow and nod slightly. His eyes blaze and for a moment I wonder what I’ve done wrong. It takes a second for me to realize it’s not me he’s angry at. I cover his hand with mine.
“It’s okay, honestly. It was a long time ago, and Carmen’s really good.”
“But if you’ve been in therapy for ten years…”
I smile at him. “She told me seven years ago I didn’t need her anymore. Five years ago she told me I was healed, but I’m blindly loyal and stubborn. She’s kind of become a life coach since then.”
He doesn’t look convinced, and a horrible thought goes through my mind.
“You don’t think I’m damaged goods, do you?” I ask, and he pulls me to him, kissing me softly on the lips in front of his parents. Again.
“How could you think such a thing?”
I feel the relief pour over me.
“Good,” I say, and he smiles at me sweetly. It reminds me of what his mother said earlier and I’m filled with a warm feeling.
As he lets go, his mother pulls me into a hug. “Thea, darling. I’m so sorry. If you need anything, if I can help in any way, if you just need someone to talk to, call me.” She turns to her son. “William, put my number in her cell.” She hugs me again, and as she breaks away, I see worry and affection in her face.
I don’t know what to do. It’s not a secret, but I don’t exactly share the information either. Now Will and his parents know and it’s a strange feeling, even a bit uncomfortable, but I can’t really describe it. I wonder for a moment if I should be feeling embarrassed, but I shake my head resolutely. I’ve got no reason to be ashamed. If anyone should be, it’s that asshole, Connor McCreepy. It’s taken me a damn long time for me to view my body positively. I needed years before I would allow myself to be touched by another man, and I’ve never given my heart or soul to anyone.
Even though it was a long time ago, I still remember every detail. It was painful to talk about and hard to stop blaming myself. I haven’t forgotten, but I’ve learned to cope with the pain and accept that he has no power over me. It’s a part of me just like a thousand other things. It’s an important part but it doesn’t define me.
If I ever see Connor McCreepy again, however, I will cut off his balls and make him eat them for breakfast.
Will takes my hand, and we enter the dining hall. He leads me to our table, his eyes fixed on me. He doesn’t notice the admiring glances he seems to be attracting.
“If you want to talk about it, Thea, I’m here for you. If you don’t, that’s also okay. Either way, no pressure, baby.”
My sweet Will. I squeeze his hand and gaze into those beautiful blue eyes. “Thank you, baby.”
“Oh, now I’m your baby, too?” He looks at me, surprised.
“Always.” Crap. “I mean…you know what I mean, you know, if you want?” My words seem to fall over each other.
He kisses me softly.
“That’s what I want,” he says. I know, I know, I must be cracked. But somehow, this stupid exchange was one of the most romantic things I’ve ever experienced. In a geeky way.
The rest of the evening is a blur. I’m not drunk; it’s just that so much happened that it’s all a hazy memory. We ate (the filet mignon was simply heavenly, and the chocolate mousse, a dream), we danced (Will is an amazing dancer, and the only time he didn’t dance with me was to dance with his mother while I danced with his father), we talked (the only other woman he talked to, was, again, his mother. It’s not as if he wasn’t allowed. God, am I already becoming possessive?) and gazed longingly into each other’s eyes (I could do that for hours and never get bored).
The evening is perfect. Will is perfect.
But I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. Matt, Will. Will, Matt. What am I to do?
When we get home, we make love, slowly and gently while he strokes my back. His could quickly become my favourite touch.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When I wake up, Will is still asleep. My head rests on his chest and our limbs are locked. He looks so peaceful, his hair is mussed, and there’s a small smile on his lips. I wonder to myself what he’s dreaming about. I disentangle myself, careful not to wake him. Just when I think I’ve succeeded his hand grabs me and pulls me to him. His arms and legs wrap around me, and I’m trapped. He continues to feign sleep, and I giggle.
“Let me go, baby.” He strengthens his grip.
; “I have to go to the bathroom.” No chance.
“I’ll make breakfast for us.” He doesn’t care.
Perhaps he does care for something after all, as his fingers close around my breast and begin to knead. I groan lightly as his thumb and finger pinch my nipple, and I arch against his hands. He continues to squeeze my breasts harder. His mouth finds my neck and bites the soft skin on my nape. I lower my head to give him better access. His lips move to my earlobe, and his tongue probes my ear. While one hand roughly kneads at a breast the other wanders between my legs. He rubs over my pubis, pushes two fingers into me, and thrusts in and out. My breath comes in starts while his other hand moves over my neck. My fingers claw at his arms, and I moan loudly while he finger fucks me. His hand on my neck gets me excited. It’s only lying there but the idea of what he could be doing makes my adrenalin soar.
“Oh, Will,” I whisper hotly.
He turns me onto my back and rolls onto me. He bites my nipples and covers my breasts with little love bites. Oh God, how am I going to explain these to Matt?
He kisses his way down to my belly button and takes his time playing and dipping his tongue into it. He kisses my lower belly and moves down, licking over my clit, and positioning himself between my legs. He licks along my opening slowly, nibbling at my lips and sucking them into his mouth. His tongue flickers against my clit, and I almost lose it there and then. I come in seconds, and Will does nothing this time to stop it happening. Good boy, I think. For goodness’ sake, I tell myself off. If that’s not equally as chauvinistic, I don’t know what is.
Will sucks my clit hard, and I arch against him and try to close my legs, but he holds them open, wanting me to feel everything he wants me to feel, rather than being able to relish the sensation when I close my legs. I thrust my hips at him, begging him to continue. He licks along my lips one more time before letting his tongue glide into me. Oh God, this is incredible! I cry out quickly and feel his smile against my pussy. He pushes two fingers into me and begins to finger fuck me again. He sinks his lips onto my hard bud and presses them together, making my clit throb and pulsate. My pussy contracts around his fingers, but he doesn’t stop, and he fucks me faster, in an out.