by E. L. Todd
“Oh, shut up,” he said. “Now we just sound like a bunch of girls.”
I laughed. “We really do.”
He slid out of the booth and left the cash on the table. “Now let’s go shopping.”
I rolled my eyes.
Chapter Ten
Taylor
“So what does Volt do?” Sara walked beside me, holding a Gucci bag that contained a new sweater inside.
“He owns his own company.”
“So, he must make bank?”
“Uh…I guess.” I never asked Volt about his finances. I knew he was wealthy because of his penthouse overlooking Central Park and the Maserati parked in his garage, not to mention his expensive suits and other knick-knacks.
“Like, how much are we talking?”
What did it matter? “I don’t know. I’ve never asked.”
“Really?” she asked in surprise. “This is important information if you’re going to marry him.”
“Well, rich or poor, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Sara had always cared about security and having nice things.
“By the way, he asked me to move in with him.”
“Seriously?” She stopped walking and stared at me.
“Yep.” I already packed most of my things in boxes and prepared for the move. I just had to figure out what to do with my old furniture. There was no place for it in his apartment.
“Wow. That’s great.”
“I know. I’m excited.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to be living with this guy but I haven’t met him.”
I know. Every time we arranged something, it fell through. “You want to meet him now? He should be home.”
“Yeah, of course.”
We walked a few blocks before we reached the building. She looked up and admired the view. “Wow. Definitely loaded.”
I rolled my eyes.
“And you’re moving in here?”
“Well, my apartment is way too small.” We took the elevator to the top floor then walked inside. “Volt, I’m here. And Sara is with me.”
Sara shut the door behind her and took a look around his luxurious place. “He’s super loaded.”
“Shh!” I didn’t want Volt to hear that.
“You made the right choice moving in here. It’s so nice.”
“Volt?” I set my purse down and came farther into the room. “Are you here?”
There was no response.
“Hmm.” I wasn’t sure where he would be. I pulled out my phone and texted him. Hey, I just got home. Where are you?
Hey, baby. I’m hanging out with Derek. Sorry, I forgot to let you know.
It’s okay. When will you be home?
We’re going to grab dinner and watch the game. I probably won’t be home until bedtime.
Okay. I tried not to be disappointed. I didn’t mind him going out with Derek. I just missed him. I’ll see you then.
You better be awake when I get there—and naked.
I smiled. Will do.
Love you.
I melted when I saw those words. Love you too. I set down my phone and turned back to Sara. “I guess he’s out for the night.”
“Oh, really?” she asked in disappointment. “I need to meet this incredible man. The suspense is killing me.”
“It’s killing me too.”
“Well, you want to get dinner since you’re free?”
“Sure. Let’s get a drink too.”
“Now you’re thinking.”
***
By the time Volt came home, I was already in bed. I tried to stay naked, but it was too cold. I ended up putting on his t-shirt and sweatpants. I read off my phone in bed until I heard the front door open and shut.
He came down the hall a moment later, still wearing the suit he wore to work.
“Long day?”
He removed his tie, his eyes trained on me. “Why aren’t you naked?”
“I was cold.” I set my phone aside and sat up.
He tore off each article of clothing, stripping down until he was completely naked. His cock was hard and throbbing, eager for some rough sex.
Now I wasn’t cold at all.
He climbed over the bed and dragged me by the ankle until I was underneath him. He stripped me down harshly, getting my clothes off as quickly as possible. Thirst was in his eyes, and he was desperate to drink me.
When I was naked, he wrapped my legs around his waist and shoved himself inside me, stretching me with no warning whatsoever. His hand moved to the back of my hair and he yanked it, keeping my chin up and my eyes on him.
I liked it.
He thrust into me hard, taking me like he owned me and was the commander of every part of me. He moaned from deep in his chest when he felt the moisture between my legs and he rammed into me harder.
I was already going to come.
“I missed you.” He breathed hard on top of me, breaking a sweat from the exertion.
“I missed you too.” My nails dug into him harshly, on the verge of drawing blood. I loved the sweet and sensual lovemaking we did, but I loved this even more. I loved the way he pushed me down into submission, taking me because I was his.
He continued to thrust inside me, his cock becoming harder as he approached his climax. I could feel it thicken, desperate to release inside me. He dug his pelvic bone into me harder, rubbing against my clit so I would explode.
After three more thrusts, I was there. “Right there…” My head rolled back as I felt the power slam into me.
He fisted my hair and yanked my head until I was facing him again. “Look at me when you come.”
My orgasm was that much harder, hotter. I gripped his arms as I held on, feeling my body tighten as the pleasure took me sky-high. I saw the dark desire in his eyes. He was loving the face I made when I crumbled for him.
A grunt escaped his throat, and he released deep inside me, giving me all of his seed until there was nothing left to give. He shoved himself as far as he could go, hitting my cervix as he released. “Baby…”
We finished our high together, falling into the mutual passion we had for each other. Somehow, that orgasm was even better than all the rest. He made my toes curl and my breath hitch. He sent me into the clouds, high above the ground until I reached the heavens. “You always make me come so hard.”
He kept his dick inside me, having no intention of pulling it out anytime soon. “And it’s always a pleasure.” He scooted me up the bed and laid me down, snuggling with me under the covers. He didn’t pull his cock out because he planned to take me again the second he was at full length.
“Did you and Derek have fun?”
“Yeah. But not as much fun as we just had.” He kissed my neck then my nose.
“Sara came over for a little while. She was hoping to meet you but you weren’t home.”
“That’s ironic. I’m always home.”
“I know.”
“Arrange a dinner. I’ll finally meet this amazing best friend of yours.”
“Alright, I will. How about this weekend?”
“Sounds like a date.”
“Perfect.”
“Did you tell her you’re moving in with me?”
“Yep.”
“Was she supportive?”
“Yeah. When she saw your place, she almost had a heart attack.”
“Why?” he asked. “What’s wrong with it?”
“She thinks you’re loaded.”
He kept a straight face as he spoke. “I am loaded.”
“But she seemed surprised by it.”
“I own a company that has expanded into several different cities. I help people and make money at the same time. It’s a nice set-up.”
“Well, I think she’s jealous.”
“A lot of people are.”
“I had to remind her I wasn’t with you for your money. She kinda cares about those sorts of things.”
“All women do.”
“No, that�
�s not true.” I certainly didn’t.
“Admit it. The fact that I’m wealthy makes me more attractive.”
“I really don’t care.” I’d never been a gold digger. All I cared about was a man who pulled his own weight. Someone who was passionate about his work. But that was it.
“Really?” he asked. “So if I were delivering pizzas, you’d be snuggled up with me right now.”
“Well…delivering pizzas would make you a completely different person. So, probably not. But if you were a teacher who didn’t make much, I wouldn’t care. I’d like the fact you helped kids as your passion.”
“Maybe I deliver pizza because it’s my passion.”
“Then you aren’t passionate about the things I care about.” It was a stupid conversation. I wasn’t even sure why we were having it. “Let’s change the subject.”
“No. It’s interesting.”
“How?”
“I just think money has more to do with a relationship than you realize.”
“Again, I don’t feel that way.”
“But I do.” He squeezed my hip with his hand. “I like knowing I can take care of you. I like knowing you could quit your job whenever you felt like it and raise our kids. I like knowing I can buy you whatever the hell you want without breaking the bank. Money means something to me.”
When he put it like that, it was sweet.
“Every woman wants to be taken care of. You aren’t any different. And you know what? That’s perfectly fine. Because if I couldn’t take care of you, then I wouldn’t be good enough for you.”
“But I can take care of myself.”
“One day you won’t be able to. And I’ll be there.” He rubbed his nose against mine. “I want to give you half of what’s mine. I want to give you my name. I want to give you everything—my empire.” He looked me in the eye, showing me his sincerity.
Our relationship fell to a deeper level. I wanted to marry him but I never told him that. He never told me either. But now we were confessing how we really felt. Now that I was moving in with him, I realized exactly what our future held. One day, we would get married. One day, we would have a family.
It was actually happening.
And that made me happier than I could understand. It brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn’t control them. They bubbled from my eyes and fell into the corners.
Volt watched them, understanding what the emotion meant. He pressed his lips to the corners of my eyes and kissed the tears away. “I love you too.”
Chapter Eleven
Volt
The second Mom opened the door, she peered around for Taylor, expecting her to be right by my side. When she wasn’t there, Mom looked at me in pure disappointment, as if she didn’t want to see me unless Taylor was there too. “Taylor isn’t coming?”
I told her I had plans with Derek. I needed to speak to my parents alone, preparing them for what was about to come. “She couldn’t make it. You know, she has to prepare for class tomorrow.”
“She’s such a hard worker.” Mom gave me a half-assed hug then led me inside. “We’re having lasagna for dinner. Hope you’re hungry.”
I was always hungry for my mom’s cooking. “Starving.” I took off my heavy coat and greeted Dad. He was drinking whiskey so I poured myself a glass. My love for hard liquor started when I was sixteen, when my father and I used to drink together in the den.
We sat down at the table and talked about work and the winter chill outside. They asked about Clay, and I brushed over the fight he and I had. I didn’t want to get into it. It would just bum me out, and it would make my parents sad too. “Actually, there’s something I want to talk about.” It felt oddly similar to last time. I went over there and told them I was going to ask Sara to marry me. They were thrilled, on the verge of tears. Connor even seemed slightly excited about it. Everything felt the same—except he wasn’t there.
“What is it, baby?” Mom asked.
I didn’t have any doubts about what I was going to do. I just hoped they would take me seriously. I already claimed I would love one person forever and that went to shit. Maybe it would explode in my face all over again. “I asked Taylor to move in with me.”
“You did?” Mom asked. “Why would you do that?” She was still traditional even though the rest of the United States wasn’t.
“Good for you,” Dad said. “It’s always good to live with someone before deciding if you want to marry them.”
“Well…that’s the thing.” I stared at their faces before I continued. “I do want to marry her. And I’m going to propose.” I reached into my inside jacket pocket and pulled out the black box. I set it in the center of the table where they could see it.
Mom covered her mouth but didn’t gasp.
Dad stared at it, shocked.
“I asked her to move in with me because I thought it would be easier. I’ve already been down this road once before, and I didn’t want to go there again. But then I realized I was being stupid. So, I’m going to ask her.”
Mom was still in shock.
Dad was the first one to go for the ring. He opened the box and revealed a beautiful solitaire diamond. It was nothing like the ring I bought for Sara. This one was simple and beautiful—just like Taylor. And it was twice as expensive. It would sparkle with brightness, keeping away any lookers. It was the clearest and most obvious way to tell the world she was mine—and to keep their hands off.
Mom finally reacted after several breaths. “Volt…it’s so beautiful.”
“I think she’ll like it.”
She took it from my father and examined it with a woman’s eyes. “My god, this is gorgeous. She’ll love it.”
“I think so too.”
Tears came into her eyes, right on cue. “Volt, this makes me so happy. We were worried you would never give love another chance. We thought that whore broke your spirit.”
“Let’s not talk about her.” She was a thing of the past, not worth mentioning.
“You’re right,” Mom said. “Your father and I would love to have Taylor as a part of this family.”
“I know.” I knew they loved Taylor and would be happy about this.
“When are you going to ask her?” Dad asked.
“When she moves in with me. I’ll have one extra box left over, and when she opens it, the ring will be inside. And then I’ll get down on one knee.”
“Aww…” Mom fanned her eyes. “That’s so romantic.”
“I don’t think she’ll expect it. It doesn’t make sense for me to ask her to move in and then propose immediately afterward. It’s the perfect plan.”
“I like it,” Dad said. “She’ll never forget it.”
I took the ring back and placed it in my pocket. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“We appreciate it,” Mom said. “We’re so excited. I’m not sure if I can wait that long.”
“Well, you’re going to have to keep your lips sealed,” I said. “Especially you, Dad.”
Dad rolled his eyes. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Okay.”
“Did you ask her parents?” Mom asked.
“I got their number from her phone when she was asleep and called them.”
“Oh, good,” Mom said. “What did they say?”
“They’re really excited,” I explained. “But not excited that she’ll be living in New York for the rest of her life.”
“Maybe they’ll move here,” Mom suggested.
“Maybe,” I said with a shrug.
“Well, you did a good job with that ring,” Dad said. “You don’t need to buy her anything else expensive for a very long time.”
“Good to know,” I said with a chuckle.
“I’ll call your brother after dinner. He’ll be excited too.”
I doubted he would care. “Good idea.” I was finished with dinner and didn’t want any pie so I excused myself. “Well, I should get going. I’ve got a lot of stuff to think about for
the next week.”
Both of my parents hugged me, happier than ever. They weren’t just happy with the woman I chose to settle down with. They were happy I recovered from that horrific nightmare that Sara caused. They were relieved I found myself again—found joy.
***
“You’re free Friday night?” Taylor asked from the couch. She was sitting in front of the TV with her schoolwork surrounding her. The TV was on and her favorite reality showed played.
“How are you supposed to get stuff done when you’re so distracted?”
“It really slows me down,” she said. “But I never have time to do normal stuff so I try to do both.”
“You do normal stuff.” I stripped off my coat and hung it by the door. “You roll around with me every night.”
“Yeah, that’s not normal. Every woman wishes she were doing that.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “Thanks for the compliment.”
“Are you going to answer my question or what?”
“What was the question? If I want to roll around with you right now? I’m game.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re having dinner with Sara on Friday. You were supposed to meet her twice, and it never happened. Are you going to meet her this time?”
“Yes, baby. Just chill.”
“Alright. She’s starting to think I’m hiding you from her.”
“Because you’re afraid she won’t keep her hands off me?” I winked and sat beside her on the couch.
She rolled her eyes again. “Yes. That’s it.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she keeps her hands to herself.”
“I just want her to know I’m not embarrassed of you. That you aren’t grotesquely disfigured.”
“Wow…this took a bad turn.”
She laughed and set her mound of papers aside. “She’s been my best friend since we were two. That’s a long time.”
“Longer than I’ve known Derek.”
“So, I want this to go well. If we’re going to be together, I want her to be on board. I want the three of us to be able to hang out. And when she finds someone, I want us to double date.”
It sounded boring to me, but I would give her whatever she wanted. I patted her thigh. “Baby, it’ll be fine. I’ll dazzle her.”
“I know you will.”