by Penny Wylder
“More how?”
She takes a big sip of that wine, and sits silent for a moment. “As soon as we tell my parents...I hope it goes well, but we don’t know. But regardless, I don’t really want to be living in my parents basement while engaged to my father’s best friend.” Her words get faster, and she doesn’t notice the huge smile on my face. “If you think it’s too fast or whatever I’ll find my own place but—”
“Move in with me,” I tell her.
“Really?” The hope in her voice breaks me a little.
“Hell yes. If we could I would move you in here tomorrow so I don’t have to wake up another morning without you right here.”
Nicola tries to hide the fact that she’s tearing up, but I still notice. I pull her into my lap and hold her. It’s a comfortable silence as we drink our wine, steeped in the knowledge that things are settled.
“Any ideas on time frame?” I ask.
“For the wedding?” She laughs. “Let’s get through the gala next week and telling my parents before we start picking dates.”
I kiss her neck, ready for another round if she is. “We could just elope and go to Vegas.”
“No,” she responds. “That’s one thing I know for sure. I’ve thought about marrying you for years, and I’m going to do it in front of our friends and family.”
I take the wine glass out of her hand and place it on the bedside table along with mine before pulling her on top of me. “Fair enough.”
She grins. “If I promise to buy you can I rope you into the auction last minute?”
I raise an eyebrow. “For charity?”
“Yep.”
“On one condition.”
She smiles down at me. “Name it.”
“When you win I get to take you to the nearest available private room and do unspeakably dirty things to you with all the people nearby, completely ignorant of the fact that you’re getting fucked senseless.”
I watch for the blush I know is coming, and am rewarded when she bites her lip. “Deal.”
I pull her down so I can kiss her perfect mouth, and show her what the rest of our lives are going to be like.
13
Nicola
The space for the gala looks amazing. Jill has really outdone herself. The ballroom in a hotel downtown has been utterly transformed into a Valentine’s Day wonderland. Red and pink are draped over every surface with glittering gold accents and gorgeous flowers. She’s really struck the balance between making it tasteful and luxurious as opposed to gaudy.
I’m here helping her arrange the last minute things, but if I’m going to be ready in time, I really need to leave soon. Tristan is here as well helping and getting ready to be one of the ‘bachelors’ in the auction, but we’ve been studiously ignoring each other because of all the people coming in and out. Jill thinks it’s hilarious.
I was also here making sure everything was in place to unveil the new flavor. The focus group for orange basil went phenomenally well, and Dad decided to launch it here. We should be all set to go.
My ring catches the lights and blazes like fire out of the corner of my eye. I’m still not used to wearing it, but I’ve refused to take it off even with the potential for questions. I’ve just been more careful with my hands around people that might notice.
But tonight is the night. I’m going to tell my dad that I’m marrying Tristan. My stomach is filled with nerves, but it has to happen tonight. Neither of us want to wait anymore, and with the auction, they’re going to see it. Because as hard as we try, Tristan and I can’t hide our chemistry when we’re together anymore.
I finish arranging a bouquet of flowers on one of the side tables when Jill walks up to me. “You should really go, Nicola. Get ready.”
“What about you?”
She laughs. “My clothes are already here, I’ll be fine.”
“I should have done that,” I mutter and tweak one last flower in the arrangement. Too late, I realize that I reached for the flower with my left hand. I told Jill the truth about Tristan’s father, but not about the engagement. Not that I don’t think she’ll be fine with it, I just wanted to tell my family first. But the cat is out of the bag now as she grabs my hand and whispers. “Holy shit, Nicola.”
I smile. “I know.”
“When did that happen?”
“Last week.”
She shakes her head in disbelief but she’s beaming. “I mean, it’s kind of fast, right?”
“It is, but this has been a long time coming.” I’ve since explained our history and how we’ve both been waiting for this. “Hopefully we’ll get to tell my parents tonight.”
Jill flinches. “Good luck with that. I mean, I know that Tristan is a good guy, but that’s still not going to be an easy conversation.”
“Tell me about it.”
She grins. “Well go get beautiful so you can win your man at the auction.”
“He’s already mine anyway,” I say, sticking out my tongue.
The man in question catches me around the waist in the lobby and pulls me into a shadowed corner. “Hello beautiful.”
“Hi.” I let him kiss me, and melt a little into him as he does. “I’m going home to get ready.”
“I know, I wanted to give you this.” He hands me a red gift bag. “For tonight.”
“What is it?”
Tristan smirks. “Don’t open it until you get home. You’ll see.”
I give him a look, but I take the bag. As I’m walking away he catches me by the elbow and pulls me back to whisper in my ear. “I don’t want you wearing any panties tonight.”
It’s my turn to smirk. “Don’t worry, it’s not the kind of dress where you can.”
I have the satisfaction of watching his eyes go dark with lust before walking away. Serves him right. He can deal with the hard-on I just gave him while thinking about me without any panties.
Fresh out of the shower, freshly shaved and shampooed, I’m looking at the box that’s on my bed, having just pulled it out of the bag that Tristan gave me. I grab my phone and text him.
Are you kidding me?
His response only takes a couple of seconds.
No, I am not kidding.
It’s another butt plug. Bigger than the last one. He texts again.
It’s one size bigger.
I can’t wear that to the gala, I protest.
Why not?
I try to think of a good argument, but I don’t have one. All I can come up with is,
I can’t be around my family in a dress that doesn’t let me wear underwear and wear a butt plug.
Nicola, I fully intend on fucking you behind the scenes at this gala. So not only will you be without panties and wearing a butt plug, you’ll have my cum running down your legs. Or possibly on your tongue.
Warm heat settles in my stomach. We both know that I’m going to wear it. It turns me on too much not to, but I still feel like I have to make a token protest.
You’re lucky you’re my fiancé.
I am lucky about that, you are correct.
I throw my phone on the bed, and toss my head back. I cannot believe that I’m actually going to do this, but I am. It takes me longer than it would if Tristan were here, because he’s better at it than I am and it feels fucking weird to be doing it myself. He’s had me wear the smaller plug several time over the last week, and so this one doesn’t cause a problem. But just like when I wear the other one, everything seems to get more sensitive. I’m more aware of my body, especially my pussy and ass, and that’s only going to cause problems tonight.
Delicious problems.
The other thing I do is put little stickers over my nipples. Not the sexiest, but the dress I’m wearing more than makes up for it. It’s a red silk number featuring thin straps and a back that drops almost to my waist. The material is thin enough that any underwear would ruin the line of it. Pair it with a gorgeous pair of red high heels that I bought for it and I look hot as fuck.
And ho
pefully hot enough to fuck.
I do my hair and make-up, soft waves and a bold red lipstick that matches the rest of my ensemble. And finally, I’m ready. Looking in the mirror, I have both nerves and excitement in the pit of my stomach. I feel sexy with the plug in and the smooth brush of silk against my skin.
Now I’m just delaying the inevitable.
My parents have already left the house and people are already arriving to the ballroom when I get there. In fact, more people than I thought the room could accommodate. I love this event. The men in tuxedos and the women in gorgeous gowns. There’s not a lot of opportunity for this kind of thing in Leighton City, so I soak in every moment.
I hope that this year is the one that I remember forever though.
My parents are right inside the door to the ballroom greeting all the guests, and Mom wraps me in a hug. “You look beautiful, darling.”
“Thank you.” I hug her back. I hope that she’s okay with me and Tristan.
Dad hugs me too. “You ready for everyone to be awed by your new flavor?”
“I don’t need awe, I’ll settle for enjoyment.”
He grins. “It will be awe.”
They need to move on to the next people in line, and I need to see Tristan’s face once he gets a load of me in this dress. A few people here and there talk to me. Old friends and people who have been invited to the gala as long as I can remember. I’ve been coming to this thing long before I ever worked at Thompson’s.
Snagging a glass of champagne, I look around for my fiancé. God, I love that word. And I finally find him talking to one of our warehouse managers on the far side of the room. His eyes sweep across me and it takes a full five seconds before his eyes dart back to me in a double take. Slowly, I take a sip of my champagne, and then I lick my lips.
Tristan’s eyes drag down my body and back up again. I feel like I’m being consumed in flames, even from here. I walk across the room to him. We’re allowed to talk, though him keeping his hands off me is going to be a struggle, I think. He says goodbye to the person he’s talking to and meets me half-way. “Nicola, you look stunning this evening.”
“Thank you, Tristan. You look pretty good yourself.” And he does. The tuxedo he’s wearing is perfectly tailored to his body, and hints at the power beneath the fabric. If I didn’t know every scrumptious detail of what he looked like beneath that suit, then I would swear that this site is better than porn.
A hand on Tristan’s shoulder startles me. “Good to see you, Tristan,” my father says. “You ready to be the most eligible bachelor in town?”
“Dad,” I say. “I was actually going to ask you about that. We’re donating, right?”
He nods. The gala usually benefits the children’s hospital in town, and this year is no exception.
“How do you feel about me bidding on Tristan?”
He looks stunned. “You want to go on a date with Tristan?”
I smirk. “Maybe I just want to drive up the price. And if I win, Tristan is off the hook for an awkward date.”
Dad smiles. “Fine. No more than ten thousand.”
Tristan almost chokes on his drink which just makes Dad laugh. “Bruce, I’m not going for ten thousand.”
“We’ll see.” He heads off, and I grin at Tristan.
My fiancé takes another swig of his drink. “You’d better win.”
“If I don’t it’s still a good cause. But now I have ten thousand dollars to play with.”
Tristan leans close enough so that I can hear him and no one else can, but not so close to arouse suspicion. “I cannot wait to peel that dress off you.”
“I’m pretty excited for that part too. But I have to win you first.” A high chime of a bell rings, signaling that it’s time for the meal. “I wish I was sitting with you.”
“Soon.”
We go our separate ways. But serendipity has saved us a little bit. Where we’re seated we can see each other, so if he doesn’t think that I’m going to eye-fuck him the entire meal he has another thing coming. And that’s exactly what I do. I’m actually surprised when my dad stands up and goes to the stage.
“Evening everybody,” he says. “Thank you for coming to the annual Thompson’s Ice Cream Valentine’s Day Gala.”
There’s polite applause.
“I just wanted to make a couple of announcements. First things first, we’re raising money for the Leighton City Children’s Hospital tonight, and if you donate privately or if you win a date with one of our lovely bachelors in the auction, we can’t tell you how appreciative we are of your support for a worthy cause.” More applause. “And secondly, we’re about to be served dessert, and I’m happy to announce that dessert tonight will be a brand new Thompson’s Ice Cream flavor, designed by our flavor master, Nicola Thompson, who is also my daughter.”
There’s way more clapping than there should be for that, and I can tell that I turn pinker than the decorations with the blush. Across the room Tristan raises his glass to me.
“I hope you enjoy it,” my father finishes. “Have fun with the auction, and let’s get this party started!”
I roll my eyes, but it gets the laugh that he’s looking for, and Jill swiftly replaces my dad at the microphone, taking over and announcing the auction and how it will work. Nerves dance in my stomach. Tristan looks delicious, and I don’t pretend that I’m going to be the only one gunning for him. It doesn’t matter if I’m going home with him anyway or not. I want this.
The first bachelor is a guy from the production line. Closer to my age and hunky. I’m not surprised when he goes for several thousand dollars. We have a few more people from the office strut their stuff, and the warehouse manager that Tristan was talking to earlier goes for quite a lot.
“And last but not least, we have Tristan Swallows. A recent hire and Thompson Ice Cream’s new Marketing director.” Tristan makes his way to the front of the room and steps up on the stage. “Let’s start the bidding at a thousand dollars.”
“A thousand!” A voice calls from the back of the room. I turn to find a woman I don’t know grinning with determination.
There’s a call for fifteen hundred from another table, and the woman in the back raises it to two thousand. A third person enters the fray and the money starts going up faster. My dad gives me a look but I just smile. I know what I have to do.
The woman in the back has deep pockets and wants Tristan. “Seven thousand, five hundred dollars,” she says smugly. Her other two opponents don’t say anything and there’s a stunned silence around the room. That’s the highest bid there’s been. No one speaks.
Jill looks at me and says. “Anyone else? Seventy-five hundred going once. Going twice.”
“Ten thousand dollars,” I say loudly, and I hear the whispers run through the room. I turn to the back and lock eyes with the woman who had no idea she was competing with me, and I see her look defeated. Behind me, I can hear the smile in Jill’s voice. “Ten thousand going once. Twice. Sold! To Nicola Thompson.” There’s polite applause, and the woman looks pissed. I should probably watch my back.
“Time to start dancing, everyone. Enjoy the party!” Jill says before she scurries off the stage and the lively dance music starts up.
Tristan comes directly to me and bows gallantly. “The dance you promised me? I owe you one.” I know he’s saying it for my parents’ benefit. My mom looks a little confused, but I’m sure that my dad will tell her as soon as we’re dancing. I put my hand in his and allow him to pull me onto the dance floor.
“Nicely done,” he says as he pulls me into his embrace.
“I thought so. Though I think I may need to be careful of getting stabbed in the back with a high heel.”
He chuckles. “Don’t worry, she’ll have to go through me first.”
“I don’t want you getting stabbed with a high heel either.”
Together, we sway to the music. Around us other couples join in, and it feels a little more comfortable. All I want is to lay my hea
d on Tristan’s chest. This chaste contact is driving me crazy. There’s way too much space between our bodies.
“I am so in love with you,” Tristan says.
I smile. “What made you say that?”
“I don’t need a reason to tell you that. In fact, I think I’m going to be telling you that whenever possible for a very long time.”
My heels make me taller, so I don’t have to even lift myself very far to capture his lips with mine. We lean together, and the kiss deepens, and then I hear a gasp. Oh fuck. I pull back from Tristan with a start, the reality of what we just did crashing down on us like concrete. It feels too natural, and we entirely forgot.
I look to my left to find the source of the gasp, and my stomach sinks. My parents are dancing barely five feet away, and now they’re both gaping at us. My mom looks stunned with disbelief, and my father looks hurt and confused.
He drops my mother’s hands and storms away towards the lobby. Other people are staring too. I need to go after him, but I need to explain to Mom too. Tristan places his hand on the small of my back. “Go after Bruce. I’ve got Valerie. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“Okay.” I don’t hesitate, following my dad at a pace that’s just short of sprinting, trying to ignore the sudden stares of nearly all the party-goers. Including what might as well be a death ray from the woman at the back table.
My father is pacing in the lobby, running a hand through his hair. When he sees me he starts talking. “Are you insane? What are you doing? The man is twenty years older than you.”
“Dad, please listen.”
“Why should I? After you drop this on us like a bomb, I’m not sure I owe you that courtesy.”
I hold out my hands. “That was an accident.”
“You accidentally kissed my best friend in public? At the biggest event of the year?”
It does sound ridiculous. But that doesn’t make it less true. “Believe it or not, yes. Please just give me a couple minutes. After that, you make up your own mind.”