by C. L Stewart
“I need to use the bathroom Dan; I’ll be back shortly.”
“Okay, I’ll get you at the bar.”
I’m taken by surprise when Dan kisses me softly on the lips, in front of everyone in this huge ballroom.
I smile against his mouth. “Mmm. What a show,” I whisper.
He leans back a tiny bit. “Let them look. I don’t care.”
“I would stay here kissing you all night Dan, but I might just pee myself.”
He laughs, his chest rumbling against my body. “Off you go, I can’t be dealing with pee right now, I get enough of that with Olivia.”
I swear his eyes sparkled when he mentioned Olivia. It makes me smile and as I walk in the direction of the toilets, my smile gets wider and a warm fuzzy feeling spreads over my chest. The bathroom is just as beautiful as the rest of the hotel and as I enter, I notice a couple of young women standing at the sink reapplying their lipstick. I smile and politely nod my head at them. I’m a little shocked when one of them, a tall, slim brunette, rolls her eyes at me and looks away with utter disgust on her face. Now, I am not a confrontational person and I would never pick a fight with anyone, except my sister, but what she just did to me was out of order.
“I’m sorry, do you have a problem with me?” I ask from my safe distance.
She turns to her friend and mouths something to her. The friend looks like she wants the ground to open up and swallow her. When the brunette does a slow, patronising head turn and looks me up and down, I want the ground to open up and swallow her. She’s giving off some really horrible vibes and I realise I’ve made a huge mistake confronting her.
“What is he to you?” She asks in an extremely posh English accent.
“Excuse me?” I counter, my brow furrowing.
“Daniel. What is he to you?”
Daniel. I’ve never heard him called that before. Everyone calls him Dan. Who is this woman? “I’m his date,” I say a little too feebly.
She laughs, “Daniel doesn’t do dates, believe me.” She swipes her hands up and down her body. “If he doesn’t want this, he certainly doesn’t want that,” she practically hisses, pointing a skinny finger at me. “You’re a conquest love, that’s all.”
My breath catches and I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“That’s enough Bianca,” her friend says, but I can tell that standing up to her is not something she does very often when Bianca draws her a most vicious look. I see her visibly shrink back and she genuinely looks worried.
Bianca turns back to me and walks slowly towards me, her model length legs closing the gap between us far too quickly. She leans in close to me and puts her finger on my chest. “It don’t mean a thing if you aint got a ring sweetie,” she says in a singsong voice.
I know my eyes are wide and I can’t breathe, it feels as though she has put her hands round my neck. I’m grateful that she doesn’t say anything else and decides to leave me alone. She struts her way out the door leaving me with her friend.
“Are you okay,” the friend asks, her voice a little shaky.
I shake my head unable to speak my answer for fear that I’ll burst into tears. She puts her hand on my shoulder and I flinch back from her almost slipping on the tiled floor.
“Hey it’s okay. I’m really sorry about her. Bianca has been trying to bed Mr King since she first met him two years ago. I’m Casey by the way.” She holds her hand out to me. I take it and she gives a soft shake. Her hand is cool against my embarrassingly sweating palms.
“Nikki,” I manage to breathe out.
“Nice to meet you Nikki. Where are you from?” She asks and I look closely at her. Her auburn curls and pale skin give her a pre-Raphaelite look and she is very pretty. She doesn’t have on a lot of makeup and her pale blue eyes are sincere. I can’t help myself but warm to her.
“South Africa.”
“Oh nice. So how did you meet him then?”
I’m really not ready to share this information with a stranger.
“How do you know Dan?” I ask her.
“I work at the London office. So does she. We were invited here as his guests, along with about thirty others, but Bianca took that to mean he’d finally given in to her flirting. She goes out of her way to be near him every time he visits with us. In all honesty I was glad when I saw him with you, I thought it would stop her making a fool of herself, but its only made her worse. Now she’s going to be unbearable.”
“Wow, do you think she needs help? Like professional help?”
Casey laughs, “Oh honey, she’s just a little infatuated.”
A little infatuated? That’s an understatement. “Well she really shouldn’t do things like that to people it’s really not nice. She’ll do it to the wrong person someday. I’m sorry Casey I really need to use the toilet, but it was nice to meet you. And thank you.” I smile at her and head into the closest cubicle.
Hiking my dress up, taking down my knickers and sitting down on the toilet, I cry silently until I’m finished peeing. I dry my tears and clean up, giving myself enough time to make sure Casey has left, and leave the cubicle. When I reach the sink and look in the mirror I want to die. I look an absolute mess. My makeup is faded, and my eyes are red. I shake my head and sigh. What the hell is it with people? I’m already feeling constantly under attack by hurricane Astrid, I really don’t need it from a complete stranger too. Some women are so bitchy. Whatever happened to female solidarity? After trying to fix my face as best I can, I make my way out and back into the throes of the party. I find Dan exactly where I left him and, thankfully, I don’t see Bianca or Casey. That makes me happier. I hope they’ve gone but I want nothing more than to leave here myself. I understand that Dan is used to parties like this and social gatherings in general, but I’ve never liked it. We used to attend a lot of functions when I was younger because of my dad’s job and I spent the whole time feeling uncomfortable, wishing I was home and in my own little world.
Dan’s smile when he sees me lights up his eyes and makes me smile too. I need to start living again. He’s been so lovely to me and now that he knows what happened to me and hasn’t given up on me, I feel I owe it to him, and me, to allow myself to heal and be happy. I make my way towards him, my date, with purpose.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“You okay sweetheart?”
I turn and look at Dan. Every streetlight we pass illuminates his beautiful face and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. “Yeah I am. I’m just glad the party’s over. I really don’t do well in social gatherings like that.”
“Interesting. How the hell did you cope all the years your dad was in office? I assume you attended a lot of parties.”
“We did and I hated every minute of it. “
“Then I thank you for being there with me tonight. You were the most beautiful woman in there tonight do you know that?”
I felt beautiful. He had made me feel beautiful. “Thank you. It’s amazing what a good make-up artist and an expensive dress can do.”
He reaches over and puts his hand on my cheek. “Those things only work if the canvas is already beautiful.” He strokes my bottom lip with his thumb, and I melt into his touch.
“Dan,” I whisper.
He answers by pulling me into a soft and sensual kiss. I should be melting into him but all I can think about is what Bianca said to me. I know she’s simply jealous. It hurts when you hold a torch for someone, and they don’t even acknowledge you exist.
He breaks our contact and leans back slightly. “What’s wrong Nikki? You’re not okay. You’re tense.”
“What is this to you Dan?” I gesture between us. “What am I to you?” Bianca’s words play over and over in my head. You’re a conquest love.
“I don’t know.” His answer wasn’t what I was expecting although I’m not entirely sure I even know what is going on between us.
“Oh.”
“Nikki,” he says as he takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. “You are a
beautiful, intelligent woman. Everything about you turns me on to fuck. I’ve spent so long trying to protect myself and Olivia from anything that might hurt us that I felt as though I’d lost my way. Then you came along. There was something about you. It was like something was pulling me to you. I still don’t really know what it is, don’t know if I’ll ever find out but it’s there.”
“There’s something about you too Dan. I felt it the first time we met on my first day in the elevator. Your eyes tell a thousand tales.” I reach up and caress his face, staring straight into those tell-tale eyes. “Please tell me I’m not just a conquest to you. That I’m not simply someone to fill your time.”
“Nikki, you’ve met my daughter,” he says his voice tinged with hurt that I would even suggest that.
“I know Dan and thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. But I know what people will say about me. Our relationship isn’t conventional, I mean you are my boss after all.”
“Okay. I’m going to lay this down then. Nikki, I’d like you to be my girlfriend, my partner. I can’t say where this will go, no one ever can at the start, but I have this need to be with you. Please understand I will never hurt you. I’ve seen too much of that in my life, I know how it wrecks a person.”
If I had any doubts as to what his intentions with me were, they were dashed away by his statement. Unclipping my seatbelt, I slide closer to him on the back seat and am pulled right into his lap. Our kiss is hard and fevered and Dan puts his hands in my hair and holds on tight as though I might float away.
When the driver pulls up outside the apartment building Dan has us out before the guy even has a chance to put on the handbrake. As we head for the door, my heels make it almost impossible to go very fast.
“Hold on,” I almost shout, and Dan comes to an abrupt halt.
I bend and slip my sandals off, hooking my fingers through the back straps. The gritty pavement is cool under my bare feet. Dan smiles and grabs my free hand again but, this time as he bolts to the door, I can keep up.
The lift we use is exclusive to the penthouse and as soon as the doors close, he’s on me again. Our teeth clash as we kiss, and I’m pressed against the wall by his strong warm body. He snakes his hand down past my waist and round to rest on my bum. I give a little moan when he squeezes my cheek, pulling me in closer to him. His erection presses right into my hip and he groans as he breaks our kiss.
“Nikki,” he breathes against my mouth. “Are you wearing any knickers?”
I bite my lower lip, a smile forming on my face. “Uh uh,” I shake my head.
“Fuck!”
The doors are barely open before I’m pulled through them and into the apartment. We stop in the kitchen and I watch Dan’s chest rise and fall as he rakes his eyes up my body. He stalks forward, pushing me against the island in the middle of the room, his eyes ablaze and my breath catches.
“Turn around,” he says, and I do, dropping my sandals onto the tiled floor. Right now, I’d do anything he asked of me.
I hold on to the island as he moves my hair from my shoulders and sets about unzipping my dress the few centimetres it takes to expose the flesh of my backside, ever so slowly, teasing me with every tooth he loosens. When he has it unzipped all the way he runs his finger up my spine and the shiver it evokes tightens my nipples and sends goosebumps all over my body.
“Dan.” My voice is low and pleading. This is utter torture but of the most delicious kind.
“You are a vision in green, an angel, my beautiful angel,” he whispers as he kisses my shoulder, hooking his fingers in the straps of my dress and letting is fall from my shoulders. I move my hands from the island just in time to let it slide right down my body and I watch as the emerald silk balloons at my feet.
I’m dizzy with need and I hear him suck in a long breath as he takes in my naked body. He takes my hand and turns me to face him. “Angel,” he whispers.
“I feel at a disadvantage here Dan.” I point at his clothes and smile as I watch him strip in front of me. Each piece of clothing he discards reveals a little bit more of his delectable body. As he unbuttons his suit trousers and lets them fall to his feet, my smile almost hits my ears.
“Dan the man, you went commando too. Nice.”
“I’m nothing if not optimistic.” He laughs and his dick bobs ever so slightly.
I’m in the middle of a laugh when he steps forward and claims my mouth, his warm hands pulling my naked body against his. He lifts me up onto the kitchen island and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him in tight so that his bare cock is sitting against my core.
He shoots me a warning look and I nod. I’ve never had unprotected sex with anyone, but then again, I haven’t given myself to many men. No one has ever made me feel the way Dan does. He worships me and my God is he good at sex.
“You’re sure?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything,” I answer and with that he pulls me towards him and pushes his way in.
His guttural groan is hot as hell and I slide myself onto him a little more, feeling him filling me with an exquisite stretch. He pushes himself in to the hilt and stops still, resting his forehead on mine, our noses touching. “We can’t do this here Nikki. I’m taking you to my bed.” And with that sentiment, he pulls out of me and holds me close, lifting me off the island, taking us through the kitchen to his bedroom.
Dan settles us on the bed and takes his position between my legs. His expression contemplative.
“Are you okay?” I reach up and stroke his cheek.
“Yeah I am. How could anyone hurt you Nikki?” He smoothes my hair away from my face.
I feel a tear run from my eye towards my ear and I swipe it away. “Stop talking, please?” I pull his head towards me and allow myself to be happy in his arms.
“Beautiful,” he whispers as he claims my mouth and my body, his hand snaking its way down my torso, his fingers finding my clit. As soon as the warm pad of his finger touches my swollen bud my body bucks under him. Every nerve ending is on fire and so help me, but I don’t think I’ve ever orgasmed so quickly in my life.
“Jesus, Nikki,” Dan breathes and then his mouth replaces his finger and I almost explode with sensation. He swipes his expert tongue up my soaking wet slit and then goes all out as he pushes it inside, fucking me with his mouth.
“Dan… fuck…” I grab his shoulder before he makes me lose my mind and he rears up over me, his face slick with my pleasure. It’s hot as hell and when he kisses me, and I taste myself on him I can’t control myself any longer. Grabbing at him and deepening the kiss I lift my hips to meet his cock and he pushes himself right in. Fucking me hard and fast, claiming my body with his. He takes my breast in his hand and rolls my nipple between his fingers hard enough to be on the edge of pain and I move my hips up to meet his thrusts, each one hitting my clit and firing me higher and higher. I can feel myself on the edge of another orgasm and I grab at Dan’s tight bum, pulling him in as far as I can, writhing under him and coming like a freight train.
He stills, letting me wring every last morsel from him, then pulls out of me. The cool air hitting my wet core and thighs makes me draw in a breath and as I watch him take his cock in his hand to find his own release. As I lie there, open to him, watching him as he comes in great waves over my belly, I’m struck by just how intimate the scene is. More so because we haven’t taken our eyes off each other. I can see the strain in his face as he tries his hardest to hold it together.
Dan puts his head down panting and I’m about to move when he comes to my side and pulls me over on top of him.
“Ew, Dan the… stuff,” I squeal.
“Stuff?” He enquires, a cheeky grin on his face. He wriggles under me smearing his come all over us.
“You’re getting it everywhere.”
“I know. Just making sure we need to shower. I want to fuck you in there too Nikki. In fact, by the time we leave here tomorrow I want to have had you in every room in this apartment.”
“Ooh ya dirty wee minx,” he says laughing as he sits us up, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed.
Wrapping my legs round his waist I smile at him and put my hand on his cheek. “Thank you, Dan.”
“For what?”
“For bringing me here and making me see that my life isn’t over.”
“You’re special Nikki, in more ways than you realise.” He kisses my nose. “Let’s go and get clean so we can get dirty again. I want you naked for the rest of the night.”
I giggle like a little schoolgirl as he stands, and I slide against him. He gives my bum a squeeze and I pray he gets us in that shower quickly. I never want this beautiful feeling to end.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
My limbs feel heavy and overworked as I stretch out in bed. The early dawn light seeps in through the partially open shades and I turn to look at the beautiful specimen of a man lying beside me. Dan is deep in sleep and I smile. He’s treated me like a princess this weekend, never once like a possession and certainly never with anything but respect. It’s been wonderful but unusual.
My love life has never been great. I didn’t lose my virginity until I was in second year at university and it was the worst. We were both wasted so it was more of a fumble than anything else. Any other relationships I had after that were short lived when they found out what my father did for a living. Then there was Mike. He was selfish. If I orgasmed with him it wasn’t because he’d allowed it to happen. And he didn’t look at me during it the way Dan has. He hated seeing me having any pleasure and certainly not before him. It usually meant I’d be walking on eggshells for the entire time I was with him.
I move out of the bed, careful not to disturb my sleeping beauty, grab a blanket and wrap it round my naked body before heading to the bathroom in the room I was in on Friday. I check out my reflection in the mirror as I brush my teeth. I’ve changed. My eyes are brighter, and my skin is glowing. I spit my toothpaste into the sink and wipe my lips.