by Jamie Knight
“Sounds like a good plan,” I agreed, taking off my coat and setting it on her couch.
“I know, right? So, what I did was to make a list of the dishes I think I can make the best, my strong points if you will.”
“Good call,” I said.
“Thanks.”
“What do you need from me?” I asked.
“Two things.” She swung around and held up two fingers to emphasize her point.
“Okay.”
“First, I need your help with preparation, okay? Some of the dishes are pretty complex, and I only have two hands.”
“At your service,” I said, with a deep cordial bow.
“Great,” Emma said with a slight giggle at my intentional exaggeration. She turned and started for the apartment’s small kitchen. I followed.
“What's the second thing?”
“I need you to taste the food when it is done. I want your honest opinion, okay? If something tastes like kaka, tell me, okay? I really want to make my best stuff. Ann and Jim have some really powerful friends in really high places, and if they like my work, it could be the making of me.”
“I'm not exactly chopped liver, you know?” I said, with faux-insult.
“Oh, yes, of course, I didn't — you're yanking my chain, aren't you.”
“Just a bit,” I said with a big grin.
“I do you know, think that you're important, that is. I mean there's your charity work and all the defense cases you take. I mean you got that Turkish journalist out of prison for writing a satirical novel and—”
“You've been googling me.”
“Yes, I have. I didn't even know that international civil liberties were a thing.”
“It shouldn't be, really. So many countries have their own laws, it can be almost impossible to keep them all straight.”
“Must take a really good memory.”
“Yes, and some bullshitting skills. All for the greater good, of course. In the case you mentioned, I got her out by pointing out that while there is a law against criticizing Turkishness because the novel was a satire, it did not criticize it directly and given the extremely specific references and deep metaphors it was unlikely that most people, even Turkish people, would get it anyway, and would likely just read it on a surface level. In the end, the government decided that they didn't mind being made fun if no one knew it was happening.”
“Genius,” Emma said shaking her head in wonder.
“A hail Mary actually, but it worked.”
As the even went on, food was assembled and prepared with amazing speed and efficiency, each tasting better than the last. I made sure to tell Emma so.
“Honestly? You're not just saying that?” she asked as I ate a sausage roll. Somehow, she had missed the fact that it was my third helping.
“Honestly, it's really good.”
She went and sat down with some emphasis at the dining table, resting her head in her hands. “I think I might have overdone it. I just want everything to be perfect.”
“It will be, and you didn't overdo anything. Yeah, it was a bit intense, but that was how you get to be the best.”
I put down the sausage roll and went to her. Putting my hands on her shoulders, I gently gave her a massage. Emma humming contently, not raising her head as I worked her tight shoulders and neck.
“That feels really good,” she said.
“You're going to do great,” I insisted.
When Emma had rallied a bit, we got down to writing up the menu for the party. In the end, there were maybe five items Emma struck from the list, bringing the menu down to seven items, each arranged perfectly for the course they were being prepared for.
I was so excited for her. This could really change her life.
Chapter Thirteen - Emma
We had been cooking most of the night. Noah had arrived just after five, and it was nearing midnight when all was said and done. To celebrate, we sat at the table and finished off the final dish I'd made, some handmade eclairs I'd gotten the recipe for online, finishing it off before there rest had to go into the fridge for later. I was going to be up to my eyeballs in party food for a week or so.
“You’re eating around the cream,” I said, looking at Noah.
“Saving it,” he said.
I laughed. “Aw, come on live a little. Bite right into the middle.”
“I don't think that's a good idea.”
“Why? Will you turn into a pumpkin?” I asked.
“Possibly.” He grinned.
I took a bit of the whipped cream from the center of the eclair and dabbed it on his nose. He looked at me with something resembling shock. Slowly and methodically, Noah took some of his own cream and flung it in my general direction. I could see it coming and managed to dodge, most of it going on my shoulder. I took more from mine and did the same flick move only with a good deal more accuracy hitting him directly in the chin. To be fair, I had a good deal of practice. Noah tried again, despite his failed first attempt, that shot getting me in the chest. Which would have been impressive if he hadn't clearly been aiming for my head.
“Nice shot,” I said before retiring fire, hitting him in the cheek.
“Touché,” he said, because of course, he did.
No longer trusting his aim, Noah broke off a bit of the eclair and came at me, smooshing it into my face. While he was distracted, I broke off a bit of my own and got him back, squishing my handful directly into his face. He stumbled back, from surprise as much as force — I've never been very strong.
Noah caught himself, leaning against the table and blinked, trying to get his bearings. It was adorable.
Suddenly, he came to me. Not aggressively but with great conviction. I still put my hands up defensively, just in case. Taking me gently by the wrists, Noah pulled me up to my feet and towards him, taking me into an embrace, the cream making an interesting sound. Then, holding me still, he gently licked the cream from my face and started moving down towards my chest.
Struck by inspiration, I took him by the hand and led him towards the bathroom.
Getting my clothes off in record time, Noah started stroking my pussy and kissing my neck as I turned on the shower and tested the water temperature. When it was tolerable, I stripped Noah down to nothing, his beautiful cock already fully hard, and got into the shower with my fake fiancé close behind.
I went first, washing him off, first the cream and then in general, caressing every inch of his perfect body, half convinced that I had to be dreaming.
I tried to focus, but it was no use. When I got down to his legs and saw his big hard cock, I just couldn’t resist. I was overtaken by a powerful desire and just had to touch it.
Wrapping my hand lovingly around his throbbing shaft, I began to stroke, listening to his moans of pleasure. Before I knew it, I was gently lifting his shaft, still stroking it, and filling my mouth with one of his balls. It really did barely fit. Giving that one some tender loving care, I switched to the other and then back again, alternating at regular intervals until Noah was ready to explode, barley getting his cock into my mouth in time, but I did and was very happy.
There was something about his cum that made me feel amazing. Keeping his cock in my mouth, I started to suck him. Slow and gentle at first, for my benefit as much as his, getting used to his massive girth in my mouth. When I had adjusted a bit more, I wrapped one hand around his cock, keeping the other massaging his balls. Noah put a hand on my head to let me know that he liked it. I knew this was the intent because he didn't push or pressure me in any way to suck him harder. He just let me do what I was going to do with no pressure or expectation, which felt really freeing.
Before long, I had gotten him to the end again, nursing a massive load of cum from his huge cock, instantly filling my mouth. I struggled to swallow it all down, but it was worth it. I didn't want to waste a single drop.
When I was finished, he helped me back to my feet and kissed me, letting me know how much he liked what I had done.<
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Taking a handful of body wash, Noah scrubbed me down, taking extra care with my boobs and pussy, which were particularly sensitive from my heightened excitement. The slightest touch on my pussy lips sent waves of pleasure through me.
He even washed my hair, washing and rinsing properly which I could attest was not an easy thing, not least because I wore my hair so long. On the last rinse, he started kissing my shoulder, then my neck slipping his hands around my waist, holding me tight, one of them finding its way down my pussy. I leaned back against him and moaned, letting him know how good it felt.
“Bend over,” he said.
I wasn't quite sure what I was doing, never having fucked in the shower before, but still, I did my best to get into a good position for him. Bent as far as I could at the waist, I pressed my hands against the wet tiles. I guess I did an okay job because his cock slipped right in, my pussy lips hugging it tight pushed in.
“Okay?” he asked.
I replied by saying yes, but that fell far short of how I was actually feeling. In actuality, I was absolutely desperate for it, and if he didn't fuck me soon, I might actually scream. I didn't say that though he seemed to get the message, likely from the desperation in my tone when I said yes, meaning it as much more than momentary consent, which he also had in spades.
Taking me firmly by the hips, Noah started to move in me, working further into my pussy with each thrust, managing to get all the way in. Something that wouldn't have been possible the first time. I didn't know he was going to try that and was not sure he did either, but I was really glad that he did because it felt absolutely amazing.
Intuiting that I was ready, Noah started going faster, building up to a steady, medium rhythm, which was honestly pretty intense, mostly because of the depth but still felt amazingly good. A fact I made clear with the sounds I was making. I was usually pretty quiet when I was touching myself, self-conscious about the sounds I might make, and what people might think should they accidentally hear me. With Noah, I didn't care and let it go, wanting him to know exactly how good it felt.
I could feel it when he was getting ready to come, moving at the same time, me forward and him back. He pulled out of my tight little pussy, and I got his big hard cock into my mouth just in time to get the full force of his load. Swallowing it all down, I sucked him hard until I received another huge helping of his sweet cum.
Helping me to my knees, he kissed me deeply as I stroked his still hard cock until he came a fourth and final time in my hand, which I happily licked up, swallowing it down. It was so good I could hardly believe it. Just as I could hardly believe that even after all that I'd already had, I still wanted more. I forced myself to leave it, knowing that he only had so much to give.
Stepping out of the shower, we dried each other off, more or less at the same time, the set of moves and dodges coming out a lot like a dance, which made me want to laugh. Seeing my smirk, Noah pulled me to him, our naked bodies pressing together, and kissed me in a way that made me want to melt.
Scooping me up into his powerful arms, Noah carried me, still quite naked, into my bedroom and tucked me in before getting in next to me. His added warmth noticeable on the chilly night, the idea that L.A. was always warm being so much bullshit. Even I had gotten to the point of smirking at the tourists wearing shorts in January.
“Can I tell you something?” I asked.
“Sure anything,” Noah said.
“Even that I'm secretly a covert assassin for a foreign government sent here to whack you for the outcome of one of my cases?”
“Um, sure, is that true?” he murmured.
“Nope, just thought I'd ask,” I said.
“Ah, I see,” he said, before breaking out into uproarious laughter.
“What?”
“Here to whack me!”
“What's funny about that?”
“The industry term is liquidate. Or erase if you want to be existential about it.”
“I forgot you've had to deal with such people.”
“Once or twice,” he said with a shrug.
Leave it to the hot lawyer to shrug off an assassination attempt. I thought back and tried to remember if I had seen any scars. Coming up blank, I reached out and touched him. He did the same to me, thinking I was just being affectionate.
“I-I think I'm falling for you,” I admitted before falling asleep.
I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up. I had yet to buy a new alarm clock, other things always getting in the way somehow, and it was still too dark to see my watch, a piece with a fancy indigo light being way outside my budget.
What I did know was Noah was gone. Again. Not even a lovely origami note this time. Just a big empty space — like the one that was gathering in my heart.
Noah had made himself clear. He only wanted me as a fake fiancée and possibly a fuck buddy. That was all. I decided to try and keep my emotions in check.
Chapter Fourteen - Noah
It was pretty swanky for a child's birthday party. It could partly be because there was exactly one child in sight. The birthday boy looked somewhat dazed in his highchair at the head of the table. I guess that's what happened when your mom was in the upper three percent of society. I didn't remember it being that way for me, though.
I made it a point to take a seat near Drew so I could try an engage him. A decision that put me across from Ann. It was honestly hard to tell if she liked me. Sure, she and Jim had made me a partner, but that was mostly based on my work and my friendship with Jim. My work stood for itself, but I could never tell what Ann thought of me on a personal level.
I was certainly unorthodox, specifically in my mode of transportation and I didn't always turn up to the meetings — particularly if I had something better to do, which was most of the time, but I brought a lot of attention to the firm with my charity work.
I knew Emma was in the kitchen cooking up a storm, trying to get the next course ready and had to push down the urge to go back there, see her, talk to her, and, if she would let me, help out. I was aware that we were in a bit of a weird place, so I stayed where I was.
“You look deep in thought,” Leo, the newest lawyer at the firm, said.
“It's been known to happen,” I replied and took a swing of the whiskey I had in front of me.
Leo seemed like a good guy, but we hadn’t talked much around the office. Today he was seated right next to me.
“Does it hurt?” he asked with some snark. It made me like him.
“Just a bit. Like a dull ache.”
He snorted a quick laugh. “Penny for your thoughts,” he continued, pressing a bit.
“Oh, they're worth way more than that,” I argued.
He laughed again and ran his hand through his blonde hair. “I would think so, considering how much time you have to spare to give to charity.”
“Yeah,” I said, not sure what else to say. I really didn’t like boasting about my accomplishments.
The man next to me nodded. “I mean it. It is rare that I hear about that kind of generosity. Especially from a lawyer. I mean, we don't exactly have the best reputation.”
“I know, I've heard the jokes,” I said.
“Jokes? What jokes? There are jokes?” Leo asked, a grin turning up one side of his mouth.
We sat in silence for a few moments, and I noticed that he was drinking whiskey just like I was. The guy couldn’t be all bad, then.
“How long ago did you graduate?” I asked.
“A while ago, I had a hard time finding a job and had to take other work for a few years before joining Howell and Howell.” He glanced away like it was a subject he was uncomfortable with.
I didn’t press. The man’s business was his own. “That’s likely why you have never heard the jokes.”
We both laughed, feeling more comfortable again, and were joined by Drew, drawing looks of burning ire from Ann's side of the table. Probably because she was exactly the kind of lawyer that the jokes tended to be told abou
t. I could laugh at them, and suspected Leo could too because we knew that it didn't really apply to us and what we did.
“You really are generous; I do mean that.”
“Thanks, honestly, it is easy with strangers, particularly those oppressed. I'm not good with personal connection, either negative or positive. When it comes to matters of the heart, I can be even more guarded.”
“What do you mean?” Leo asked, looking genuinely curious.
“You've likely heard about Emma and me, right?”
“Well yeah, it's kind of the talk of the office, especially when you came up with your mom.”
I nodded. I had forgotten that Leo had the office a few doors down from mine.
“That was not my idea,” I explained, knowing how loud my mother could be.
“Clearly, there was a bet as to where she was holding the gun,” Leo said.
“Oh, she doesn't need one. She's armed with the mighty power of weaponized guilt.”
“I think I have heard the legends,” Leo explained.
“Take heed young one,” I said.
He laughed. “So, what's really happening with you and Emma?”
“Well, that's the thing. There isn't anything, really. At least there isn't meant to be if there is, if that makes any sense.”
“Not even a little bit,” Leo admitted.
“Okay, let me start again. I'm being honored at the governor’s gala for my charity work.”
“I knew that,” Leo said.
“Right, and my mom is after me to settle down and get married and make all the same mistakes that she did because if she's in a rut, we all have to be.”
“Seems a bit harsh but, okay,” Leo said.
“Right, and as you may or may not know, I am chronically single by choice.”
“Not what I heard,” Leo said, eyeing me and taking a sip from his glass.
“Oh, there are lots of women. Lots of one night stands I should say. I'm rarely at a loss for someone to go home with but that's not the same as having a relationship. That is the matter of another part of the body other than the heart. Anyway, my mom is so nuts; she invited my crazy ex to the event, no doubt in hopes of getting us back together so I can get married and be respectably miserable. Then someone, who shall remain nameless, told me about how you and Carina first got together, and it didn't sound like a bad idea.”