Art of Survival: Part One (A Stern Family Saga Book 5)

by Monique Orgeron

  Learning takes time, but I also made it an excuse to still see Theo. We continue to meet at his strip club during the morning hours when no one would think to be around the club. And It all remains professional until I can’t stand it anymore. I’ve been waiting for him to make a move. I see him looking at me, knowing he wants me just as bad as I want him, but I know he’ll never make the first move.

  We’re going over a plan that William was working on but had abandoned. Theo thinks it’s a good idea to put the plan into action. Theo claims it should help everyone feel William’s strength again, as long as they believe it all came from him. Which is the idea. I need to make my husband look like he’s in control and not falling behind. We’re going over the plan again and he’s pointing to all the names he wrote out for me to memorize. I reach out and lay my hand over his and he freezes. “Theo.”

  He stares at our hands and then looks at me with those blue eyes. “Theo, kiss me.”

  I start to feel embarrassed when he doesn’t make a move. Did I misjudge his affection for me? Here I am putting everything at risk by asking this man to kiss me and more. If he turns me down, I don’t know how I will ever face him again.

  Suddenly, he leans over and kisses me. It’s the best kiss I’ve ever had. I feel it down in my toes. It makes me for the first time, truly want more. The kiss ends, and I feel his hesitation. He grabs my face, holding it still while he stares into my eyes questioning everything. I don’t know what comes over me, but I’m not willing to stop. I truly need him. Not wanting to give him a minute longer to think about how wrong this is, I stand and sit in his lap.

  “Please Theo. Don’t send me away. I can’t go on like this. I need you, not this.” I point to the papers. “I need and want you.”

  He starts kissing me again and it becomes more passionate. I’ve never felt so brazen in all my life. I move to straddle him, feeling the bulge in his pants. Without even thinking or feeling embarrassed, I start rocking back and forth, trying to feel any friction I can. Moans are coming from both of us as my hands start sliding down his chest, but he stops me.

  “Not like this.”

  He stands bringing me with him. My legs wrap around him as he continues to walk us to the back of the club. He stops in front of a door, kisses me one more time and asks,

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I’ve never wanted anyone, not even William, more than I want you.”

  He growls and kisses me, fully devouring my mouth as he pushes the door open. I hear the door slam as he lays me gently down on a bed. Our kiss breaks and he stands, now I have a chance to look around the room.

  “What is this?”

  “I’m single and sometimes it’s better for me to sleep here.”

  Ahh, he’s single. I get it. Of course, he would have a bed in a strip club.

  “I see.”

  He smiles and says, “No, you don’t. I’m not saying if the opportunity ever came up I wouldn’t have but not now, not after I have you. I’m not like he is Catherine. All I ever see anymore is you. You will be the death of me. I know It’s true, but I can’t stop myself. It’s a death I’ll welcome. I just don’t have any more willpower.”

  He slowly removes his shirt. Standing back up, I start to undo my blouse.

  “No, stop. I want to unwrap you. I want to take pleasure in every inch of you. My God, you’re beautiful.”

  I cower at his words. Theo makes me nervous. I’m not sure what he expects. Even with William or because of William, I’m still not comfortable in my own skin or with my performance. William mainly takes and gives only what he wants. I don’t want this to be like it is with him a game of give and take. A game of power.

  Lowering my head, I say, “Theo, I’m not… I’m not that great at this. I mean I know what to do but I might let you down.”

  He doesn’t let me hide. He uses his finger to raise my chin up to him and says,

  “Don’t ever question or cower for anyone. You are the most beautiful woman most men will ever have the luxury of meeting. Own it. Be proud of it. Use it. Do you understand me?”

  I shake my head answering no. “William sees the power you hold, that’s why he wanted you. Do you know the kind of beauty you have, has ruined many men and brought down empires? Women throughout history have used their looks to control men into doing what they wanted. In a lot of ways, you are and can be more powerful than William. Let them look, control them with your beauty. I’ll show you, but know this, you might be William’s wife but after today you will belong to me. Not because I say so, because you will choose to be. Own your power Catherine, you already own me.”

  There is not anything else he could have said to make me want him more. I kiss him, laying my hands on his chest, feeling my way down to his pants. He stops me again smiling.

  “Patience, I’m going to show you how to own your body. He might not have wanted you to get to know yourself, but I’ll make sure you take pleasure in everything you do and in everything you receive.”

  He stands confident and strong, making me feel small. Slowly he reaches for the back of my hair and starts pulling out my pins. Shaking my head, I let my hair fall, draping around my shoulders and down my back. Tenderly he holds my face between his palms. Pausing and looking at me lovingly, he leans in, and kisses me on my forehead, he kisses my cheeks, my nose then finally my lips. Slowly his hands slide down my neck then shoulders. Pushing my hair back, he leaves my neck exposed for him. He starts kissing me there along all the tender parts. I begin to feel his mouth as he sucks and licks his way to my ear.

  He whispers, “Do you know how long I’ve have waited for this?”

  My breath hitches, I feel his thumb glide down to my collar bone above my shirt. With hunger in his eyes, he starts unbuttoning my blouse. My breathing escalates in the anticipation he’s provoking in me. Never before have I felt every single touch a man has given me. He’s killing me now with how slow he’s moving but I know it’s his way of showing me how I make him feel.

  My shirt is unbuttoned now, but he stands there like he’s about to change his mind. I pull one shoulder out from underneath then he removes the other one. He leans back in and kisses my shoulders as he removes the shirt completely. Slowly he reaches to the back of my skirt and pulls the zipper down, allowing me to step out of it. Standing straight he backs up a step.

  “You are so beautiful.”

  Theo kisses me harder this time with more passion then he falls to his knees. He begins to kiss my entire body. His hands lift, and I feel my bra give way then fall. Next is my panties. With him still on his knees he pushes me back on to the bed. He lifts my right leg and starts kissing my instep, then my ankle, running his tongue up my leg. He repeats the same tender movements with the other one. I’m becoming delirious.

  “Theo.”

  “Shh, let me treasure you.”

  Pulling me by my legs down to the edge of the bed, Theo licks my folds then opens me wide, running his finger all over my wetness. He begins licking me again causing me to buck against him. Theo grabs my waist and uses his strength to lifts my ass off the bed to hold me in place as he feasts on me.

  When his tongue pierces through me, I’m on the verge but he pulls back. Blowing cool air on my heat.

  “Theo.”

  “What Katie, can’t you handle it?”

  Katie? What the hell? Why did he call me, Katie? He feels me trying to pull away.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Why did you call me Katie?”

  He starts laughing and lays me back flat on the bed. “Did you think I was calling you another woman’s name? I’m not. I know exactly who’s pussy I’m eating. But I want to make something very clear to you. You might be Catherine out there but when you’re with me, when I’m between your legs you will be my Katie. Understand? If you don’t like the nickname I can…”

  “No! No, I like it.”

  “Good, now relax. I have a job to finis
h.”

  With a smile on my face, I totally relax. He’s not aware but he just gave me one of the best gifts he could have ever given to me. My name, my real one.

  It doesn’t take long before he starts becoming more aggressive. I begin screaming his name, amazing myself in the process. Sex has never been like this for me. He’s treating me like it’s all for me, all about my pleasure. Theo has my orgasm rolling into another one. I thought I had a few before, but they never felt like this.

  “I love hearing my name on your lips.” He stands and begins to remove his pants. My eyes go wide from seeing what has been lying underneath.

  Gasping, I sit up. “Theo!”

  He laughs. “I take it William’s not quite my size.”

  With him laughing, I tell him, “William’s large but not like that.”

  He looks down and with a smirk he starts working himself up and down then rolls a condom on that he pulled from his pants.

  “If you’re worried, I guarantee you, it’ll fit.”

  He walks back to the bed and makes me lay back down as his body crawls over mine. His kisses start again as he moves from my mouth to my neck and breasts. The things his tongue is doing to my breast have me ready to explode again. With one more suck on my nipple while pulling it, he pinches the other sending me over.

  “Fuck, baby. Did you just cum from me sucking on your nipples?”

  God I’m so embarrassed. I dig my head into his shoulder.

  He pulls away forcing me to look at him. I tell him, “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what? Like a man dying to be inside you?”

  “I’m serious. I’m sensitive. I didn’t know I could do that either.”

  He laughs and says, “Well I say we do it again.”

  He starts going towards my breast again, but I start wiggling and crying out, “Theo! No! No please.”

  Stopping he gets serious and says, “I love the fact, William hasn’t made you feel this way. He hasn’t ruined you for me. I sure in the fuck plan on ruining you for him. We are going to learn everything about your body together. I’m going to find every way to make you cum screaming my name.”

  He uses his knees to push my legs wider apart and applies his weight ever so slightly over me.

  “Now no more talk of William.”

  Taking his fingers, he lightly brushes some loose hair off my face, and stares at me then asks,

  “You want me Katie?”

  Without giving me a chance to answer he says,

  “I’ve been waiting for so long to have you in my arms. I need to be inside you. But, it has to be your choice. Reach down Katie. Grab me, guide me to where you want me. It has to be you because after this, there is no going back.”

  He’s giving me a choice. I’ve never chosen anyone before. Not like this. I reach down and grab his large cock and guide him to find my entrance. I watch as his eyes close in satisfaction. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like I truly held all the power. Right now, I am the one in charge. When I have him where I want him, I push against him forcing the head of his cock into me just a little. He takes it from there, and starts pushing in slowly, trying to give me time to adjust to his size. At first, my body bucks him from the stretch, feeling like it’s too much.

  “Relax Katie, let me in.”

  That’s all it takes. Hearing him say my name again, I relax fully as he pushes further. I roll my head pushing it back, taking him inch by glorious inch. When he is fully inside of me, he gets my attention.

  “Look at me, Katie. You’re mine now. No other man, including William, will ever be enough.”

  Pulling out, he pushes back in me hard, making me gasp and holler out. I wrap my legs around him as he trusts back and forth, showing me his strength. He’s right, he’s ruining me. Not with the sex but with him. He continues to be loving and shows me with every move how much I mean to him. This is how it should always be. Not like I’ve been trained to like it. Oh God, I’m his. His hands slide under me, lifting me up onto him. With me in his lap, he continues to use his strength to love me, but now he has me using my own body, seeking my own pleasure. My walls start to tighten as I contract around him and scream out his name, again. I grab onto him, panting and moaning out my orgasm in his ear. He never stops. He continues to make love to me through it. Then I feel him tense and he joins me as he calls out my name. Katie. When we are both finished, he lays us back down and whispers in my ear,

  “I love you, Katie. God help me, I do.”

  My eyes shut tight, knowing I should say it back. I do feel more for him than William but is it love? My son is my true love. Do I have room for another?

  Pulling away he stops me, “Don’t. I know you’re still confused. You don’t have to say it back, not now. I just wanted you to know how I feel. How I have always felt about you. One day, when you’re ready, I want to hear you say it, but not until you’re ready.”

  He slides out of me and stands to go to the bathroom. When he returns, he slides next to me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  My tears start to fall. Covering my face, I try to hide my tears.

  “Tell me.”

  “My name.”

  “Catherine?”

  “No, my real name. When you called me Katie, I thought you knew?”

  “Know what? What are you talking about? I told you, I can find something else.”

  “No, it’s perfect. Theo, it’s my real name. Katie, it’s mine.”

  He looks confused staring at me. “William changed my name to Catherine. No one from this life knows my real name no one but you now.”

  He kisses me and says, “You’re perfect Katie. My Katie.”

  I continue to cry while he holds me. He never complains but something happened during our love making and I can’t stop crying. It almost hurts, not physically but emotionally. I feel like something inside snapped. Not sure what or how but I find myself hoping I can still go on.

  We continued our relationship and it kept getting stronger. My love for him was growing. Many times, he would beg for me to leave William. He would even try to offer plans to kill him. But I couldn’t. I was also having a harder time not showing my affection for Theo when he was around the house or at events. I was scared and knew something would have to change. However, my plans in strengthening William’s power were now being carried out. It was working perfectly. They all thought the orders were coming from him. It wasn’t hard. As he had kept slipping into his drugs, I took advantage.

  Everything was going great until it wasn’t. One-night, William found out about what I’d been doing behind his back. My fear was he had learned about Theo and me, but I was wrong.

  I turn a couple of pages in my journal, still nervous if I should keep this part in here or not. It’s horrific. It explains so much but yet do they really need to know this part of my life?

  Finding the page in my journal, I start reading. William told me to be ready at nine, we were going out and meeting some associates of his. He had been acting funny, extra cold to me, but I never thought what would happen that night, would have been by his choice.

  At eight on the dot I was ready to leave. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going or who we were meeting, he just told me it would be fun. On the drive, he laid his hand on my knee being very possessive. But his silence was killing me. I knew something was up. I could always tell when he was agitated, but he never said a word. We pulled up to a popular strip club in the city. Thankfully it wasn’t Theo’s. This one had been there a long time. We enter and were immediately seated in a booth.

  Tony Guidry, a new boss who had been recently promoted and Michael Toups another boss, were seated with us. We all started to drink and have a good time. Not long after, Murphy Larussa sat down with his mistress Cherry.

  Cherry and I had been somewhat friendly for quite a while. Even though she was a stripper and a mistress, Murphy was important to the organization and I was always ordered to be nice to her. Nice. It’s more li
ke she knew I put up with her.

  The night seemed great, against my better judgment I became at ease and forgot about William’s earlier demeanor. Huge mistake.

  I shut the book, not needing to read this part. It’s remains with me. Like I had told Avery, you will never forget.

  “It’s getting late.” Murphy says before he kisses Cherry goodbye and tells William to watch over her. Because Cherry is supposedly the love of his life, but tonight is a night he has to attend a family function. Cherry stays because she has another set later in the evening before closing. Shortly after, she excuses herself to get ready. It’s not long after she leaves, before I start to feel funny. My head’s becoming hard to hold up and my arms feel so heavy. My speech becomes a slur. I call out to William,

  “William…Will…I’m not feeling good.”

  “What’s wrong baby? Not so smart are you now?”

  “Whaaat?”

  My eyes try to focus as he pulls me close to his body while the other men leave the table.

  “You think I wouldn’t have found out Catherine? You’ve been a busy girl. I know my love. I know those moves came from you. There’s no one else that could have done them or had access to that information.”

  He lifts my face to his. “How could you? Do you think I’m growing weak? I don’t need my wife making moves behind my back. You leave me no choice but to punish you. I have to show face with some gentlemen now and you will be my payment.”

  He stands and pulls me out the booth, carrying me because I can’t walk, my feet won’t cooperate. None of my limbs are working now.

  “William.”

  He starts walking. “Can you hear me? I love you Catherine. I know I wasn’t supposed to, but I do. I’m sorry but you’ve left me no choice. Just remember, you did this. I have to prove to them and you, I still control this mother fucking city.”