“Why don’t you want to sleep with me?” Her voice pierced into me and I stopped short, my hand hovering over the door handle.
I turned back to face her, she was just pulling her pants back on.
“We’ve been doing this … thing for months. This thing, whatever it is. It’s a game isn’t it? To make me feel more like shit. You know how I feel about you and that’s the part that’s funny. That’s the part that’s a joke because it’s me. Maid Girl.”
As I looked at her and saw the pain fill her eyes, no torture on earth, or fear of embarrassment could send me through that door. She was right, she was absolutely right.
We were physical but I hadn’t exactly changed. Physical was just physical. It left you with assumptions.
“No,” I answered.
She continued to survey me and I felt worse when the hurt in her eyes deepened.
“I saw you with her today. Tiffany. You were with Tiffany. You went down to the old changing rooms. The funny thing was that at lunch time, before we left campus, I promised myself I’d never allow you to touch me again, and look at the day we’ve had.” A tear ran down her cheek.
It moved me back to her. It moved me right back to her to cup her face. Her beautiful, beautiful face.
“I didn’t do anything with Tiffany.” I shook my head.
She grimaced. “Ryan. Do you seriously expect me to believe that? God knows what you haven’t done with her.”
“Not today.” I wouldn’t deny what I’d gotten up to with Tiffany. No, I wouldn’t and telling her what I did do with Tiffany today would show more of how I felt about Lana than I was ready to admit. But fucking hell, I was listening up well to what she was saying and I knew if I didn’t cough up the whole truth I’d either lose her or she’d actually start to hate me. “She wanted to talk to me because I haven’t been with her in months. I told her I couldn’t be with her anymore.”
Lana’s eyes widened slightly. “You told her that?”
“I did.”
That was the short version of what happened. The vicious Tiffany knew I was seeing Lana. In fact I was pretty certain a number of people had guessed at school. It was just at home where it was a secret.
Tiffany knew I was seeing Lana and lashed out at me, asking me how I could ditch her for my maid’s daughter, and if I didn’t realize who she was.
Like fuck, as if that mattered. Her father owned a property development company and they were incredibly wealthy. So was I, and wealth didn’t mean shit to me.
“What does that mean?” she asked. Her voice was faint.
I stared at her, really looking at her and thought about my answer. “It means I’m with you. But…” I pressed my hand to the flat of her stomach and slid down to the edge of her waist. “It means you give yourself to me when I deserve it. When you’re sure it’s me you want to be with.”
She looked genuinely shocked and another tear ran down her cheek. “I want to be with you Ryan O’Shea.”
I wanted to ask why.
Why of all the people would she choose me. She could do better. I knew it, I just wasn’t sure she knew it.
I smiled and thought I’d bring back some lightheartedness to the conversation.
“That’s going to take more than five minutes even with the tent I’m pitching,” I joked. When she gave me a little smile I secretly rejoiced because I knew I’d got her back. “And, not here.”
“Where?”
I bent down to kiss her. “I’ll think of somewhere special.” That seemed to make her happier. “I’d better go before I turn my future upside down.”
“Okay.”
“See you in the morning.”
One last kiss and I left her.
I went down the back stairs that would lead to the corridor outside the kitchen.
I loved this house for many things, this was one of them.
All the back stairs and secret passages were an asset to a guy like me.
Excellent for getting in and out of my girl’s room.
My girl….
God, it was the first time that I’d ever thought of a girl as mine. It felt though like she always was.
I was about to proceed past the library when a shadowy figure made me stop.
Someone else was down here in the back corridor.
Who was it?
The figure moved into the light that shone from the library and I saw it was Mom. She wore her dressing gown that flowed about her as she strolled down the pathway and stopped by the largest pillar.
I hung back in the shadows of the pillars near me so she wouldn’t see me. She was looking at something and whatever it was she really didn’t look happy about it.
From where I was I could get close to the library and see inside, so I did.
What I saw was Dad and Amelia.
Okay, nothing strange there.
Except…
Except maybe the circumstances. I glanced at my watch and saw it was now five minutes to midnight. What were they doing together in the library at this hour?
Amelia as always looked beautiful. It was evident where Lana got her looks from.
To the casual passerby they looked like they were just sorting through some books. Dad handed her a small old-looking book and she smiled.
“Browning. I love this. His poetry always spoke to me,” Amelia bubbled.
If I thought nothing of seeing them together before I would have corrected myself right about now. Dad gazed back at her and it was the way he looked at her that got my attention.
The admiration in his eyes said everything and piqued my suspicion, sending it through the roof.
To add to the look, he reached out and cupped her face briefly.
“You’re the duchess. Proud and beautiful,” he told her. I’d never heard him talk like that and he sure as shit never talked to Mom like that.
“Oh Connor, you shouldn’t say such things to me.” Amelia glanced down at the stack of books in front of them, bashful.
“Why not? It’s true. You should have someone who can tell you that every day.”
When she looked back to him I saw the same admiration. Even from where I was, I could see it.
Dad moved his hand away from her cheek. “You keep that. It belonged to my great grandfather.”
“You can’t give this to me.” She shook her head.
“I just did.”
There was a prolonged moment that held an air of anticipation when they just stared at each other.
“Thank you, Connor. Good night.” She leaned to him and gave him a chaste kiss on the edge of his cheek then left, walking through the large oak doors at the furthest end of the room.
Dad stared after her.
I glanced over at Mom. She was still watching. She was still watching and I knew what she was thinking because I thought it too.
Were they having an affair?
Dad wasn’t that kind of guy. He wouldn’t do that. Look at him, the man read poetry and talked about duchesses.
Mom hated all that stuff. Amelia seemed to like it and they looked close.
I glanced down at my watch and frowned.
Two minutes to midnight.
I didn’t have time to figure out whatever was going on.
I decided it looked innocent enough to me, even though Mom might think differently.
I had my own problems.
Chapter 14
Ryan
Present day …
I had my own problems to deal with and enough on my plate.
Why the hell did I always think it was a good idea to make things worse than they already were.
My focus right now should be Jack for a start.
I didn’t see there being much of a problem in regards to Tiffany allowing me to see him but I couldn’t rely on that.
Things may be rosy now but it could turn. She was the type of woman who could switch on you and I needed to be ready to play dirty if the time came.
My second and third focus should be
Mom and this investigation.
Three things, three things that I should have been able to manage.
But, oh no, I didn’t just stir the proverbial pot last week when I decided to jump on a plane, fly to LA and see Lana. It was more like I opened Pandora’s box and unleashed everything that was beyond my control.
Everything meaning one thing.
The girl. The girl who’d bamboozled me from the dawn of time.
The girl—woman— I’d spent the night with and lost myself in her and to her all over again.
As the sun rose this morning, reality crept back in and asked me what the fuck I was doing.
Why was I letting myself back in for heartbreak?
As soon as Detective Gracen wrapped up this investigation Lana would be back on that plane to L.A and back to her life as Lana D’Angelo. A life I wasn’t a part of.
It didn’t involve me and the only difference between when she left last time and when she’d be leaving now was I knew where she was going.
After the divorce and after all the shit I’d gone through with Tiffany, I just wanted to get my life back.
What I was doing wasn’t the way.
I went into the office, late.
Dad greeted me with a folder filled with paperwork.
“This fax came through for you this morning,” he said, handing me the files. “It’s a new case, they specifically asked for you. The client thinks she might be sued for breaking and entering into her own workplace and stealing trade secrets.”
I frowned. It sounded like a good case but I wasn’t in the mood. “Dad, isn’t that more of a Johnson case? He loves anything to do with trade secrets.”
“I think he’s swamped. You know the only person suitable enough to do these types of cases is you.” Dad smiled. “Plus if she is sued there’s the aspect of the breaking and entering you can cover. Are you okay Ryan?” Curiosity filled his eyes as he looked me over.
“I’m okay.” I wasn’t sure if he knew Lana was back in town and I wouldn’t tell him. I didn’t want to talk about her right now.
“Cool, so will you take the case?”
I’d never been able to tell him no and I wouldn’t start now. “Of course. I’ll go look over the files now and make contact with the client.”
Dad rested a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “Appreciate you son.”
“I know. Right back at you Dad.”
“I’m about to go into a meeting with our Japanese clients, but call me if you need me.”
“Sure.”
I left him and went to my office. I didn’t even bother with my usual coffee before I jumped into work. I’d found that when I was like this coffee made me jittery and snappy. I didn’t want to feel like that if I had to talk to people on the phone.
About twenty minutes into looking through the paperwork there was a knock on my door. I frowned because I didn’t know who it was.
Janice, my PA knew to call me if she needed anything and Dad too would have checked with me first before coming to see me.
My mind conjured up Tiffany coming by. In all the time we were married she never came to see me here. After the divorce was when she started making her presence and it enraged me to no end.
If it was her and she’d come with her bullshit from yesterday I’d ask her to leave. Work was work and I didn’t want shit following me here. She knew what I wanted and I wasn’t backing down.
I straightened up in my chair, trying to get rid of the funk that had taken me since leaving Lana’s house.
“Come in.” I called out.
The door swung open and I saw the person I least expected to see.
Lana stood by the door looking as beautiful as she had this morning when I left her bed. Asleep or awake her beauty rivalled the angels.
With her hair pulled back into a ponytail her high exotic cheekbones were on display. Cheekbones on her beautiful face that I’d spent hours committing to memory.
As I stared I had to wonder if she was real. I’d found myself asking that question a lot over the past week.
She came in and the door shut behind her.
I had to stand up and go to her. It was an involuntary action like my body was drawn to her.
She gazed up at me when I stopped a breath away.
“I came to see you,” she breathed, eyes searching mine. “You left and I didn’t know if that meant it was over.”
Over…
Suddenly I had that feeling I experienced all those years ago when I was in her room back at my parents’ house. When she asked me why I wouldn’t sleep with her. She’d thought I was still screwing around with Tiffany.
The look in her eyes back then was enough to steer me toward the ultimatum that posed itself in front of me.
Say the wrong thing and lose her.
Lose her forever.
It was like that now, although the situation was different. I already knew what it was like to love her, what it was like to be with her completely and to the point where you knew there was no one else for you. For me.
Yesterday I’d held back, as I’d tried to describe the shit sham show of a marriage I’d had with Tiffany. Tiffany who she’d hated.
What a fucking mess.
Logic and reasoning screamed at me. It told me to get a grip.
Then I noticed the way her eyes brimmed with tears. In that moment desire and fascination stepped right back in and took over.
The powerful force of all that I’d felt for this woman shoved everything out of my path. Out of my mind, out of my sight. Everything.
Over?
She hit the nail with the hammer. A sledge hammer that sealed it right into the concrete of reality.
Was it over?
Over… that was the thing. We were never over, it never ended. It wasn’t over then and it wasn’t now.
Her lips parted again as she was about to say more but I stopped her with a kiss. A kiss that unleashed what I’d thought I could hold back.
I captured and claimed that pretty mouth of hers and I didn’t care about the fucking consequences that would follow.
I moved with her to the little sofa in the corner of the room.
Dad bought it for me thinking it gave the office a nice touch and I could use it to discuss stuff with my clients. As if the other chairs in the office were made for something else.
I had the perfect use for the little sofa today.
I absolutely did.
Lana and I tore at each other’s clothes until they came off layer by layer and I had her gorgeous naked body pinned beneath mine on the sofa.
The door was only closed but not locked and I didn’t care. I pitied anyone who would think it was a good idea to barge in.
She moaned as I covered her gorgeous nipples with my mouth. Maybe anyone thinking of coming in would hear us and it would be enough of a warning to stay away.
Don’t come in at all.
Her lips returned to mine the second I came up for air and the ache in my cock to be inside her got the better of me. No more kissing and no time to explore. We would do that later.
Roughly, I flipped her around so I could take her from behind. My crazy mind took the agonizing second to admire her gorgeous ass and the deep arch in her back.
One look and I was a goner. There would be nothing slow about us today.
I gripped her hips and guided the fat head of my cock to the delicious pink lips of her pussy and slid right in giving into the desperation that made me lose control.
As I seared into her heated passage, the walls tightened painfully around my cock, feeling so good, yet so tight it was painful. She soon adjusted to take my width though, once I started to move.
I tried for a controlled pump but I lost the battle and my body took over. Emotions guided me and made me give into that raw, carnal need that possessed my being with ultimate pleasure.
Then I made the mistake of glancing over at the glass filing cabinet across from us and saw our reflection. Our truly, erotic, scan
dalous reflection showing me the picture of us in the mad lock of passion, giving into the call of desire.
Her on her knees moaning with her massive caramel tipped globes bouncing with each pound I gave her. Me behind her beautiful body fucking her.
Us on the sofa of my office at work.
The sight of us and the thought sent me over the edge.
It sent me spinning over the cliff of logic and reality and I didn’t want to go back.
I wanted this.
Whatever it was.
No matter how long I had it for, no matter what it would do to me. I wanted it. I wanted her.
As her orgasm took her and she cried out my name, it took me too. The tight walls of her pussy gripped me in the lock of the wild recklessness of us and I surrendered … everything.
Everything…
We collapsed in a hot sweaty heap and as I slipped my hand around her waist she reached for it and laced her fingers through mine.
I moved closer to her ear and planted a kiss there.
I hoped I answered her question of whether or not we were over. To be clear about what I wanted and needed I had another idea.
“Get ready we’re going.” I told her.
She twisted her head around to face me. “Where?”
“Home.”
Chapter 15
Ryan
Lana straddled my waist with those long golden brown legs and loomed closer to me with a spoon filled with strawberry ice cream.
We’d already finished a tub together just like this, except I covered her breasts with the ice cream and strawberries and ate them off her.
She’d decided on more ice cream and I had to say there were no complaints from me. When we were kids we used to beg Amelia to let us have ice cream for dinner.
She did occasionally. Then a few times before I got truly horrible, Lana and I would sneak downstairs and eat the ice cream Dad stocked for the parties. I used to threaten to cut off her Barbie doll’s hair if she told anyone I was down there.
No way would I have guessed that this would be us in the future.
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