14. Daniel

14

DANIEL

I let Emily in, waving the maid off at the door. She gawked upward at the large crystal chandelier hanging in the foyer, her mouth hanging open. At first I chuckled at her reaction, the way she ran her fingers along the picture frames of the French paintings hanging on the wall, but then doubt began to creep in as I remembered my mom’s accusations against Emily’s character. I observed her for a moment, pondering.

“God, Dan, these things are worth millions of dollars.” She rushed over to a small stand with a vase sitting on it. It was a one-of-a-kind émille Gallé straight out of Paris that I had imported to match the paintings. She started to pick it up, but I interrupted, taking it from her hands carefully.

“Some things are better left untouched.”

Her eyes went wide. “It’s expensive?”

“Everything in this house is expensive.” I set the vase back on the stand and hooked my arm around her waist. “Let’s go see about that drink.”

Emily stiffened when I mentioned a drink, which she previously refused, but I guided her toward my den anyway. She glanced over her shoulder at the vase and walked with me as I flipped on lights along the way.

“I’d show you around the entire place, but the staff is probably mostly asleep by now. We can just entertain ourselves for a while.” I smirked at her, hoping she understood my meaning. The way her cheeks flushed indicated she understood.

“You have very expensive taste.”

“I do, but it’s because I want for nothing. I don’t work because I have to. I work because I enjoy working. I love doing my job.” I flicked on the light in my den and let her in. She gasped at the wall of books, shelves stretching floor to twelve-foot ceiling. My collection of classics and certain first editions were organized in order of monetary value, with the most expensive to replace being safely stored in sealed plastic on the top shelf. Though my first edition Gatsby was front and center on a shelf just below eye height. Emily was immediately drawn to it, touching the glass enclosure gently. The exact reason I had that particular one in a case. Everyone loved to touch it, and since Emily was a book lover, I didn’t mind fingerprints on the glass.

“You have a Gatsby ?” Her eyes wide, she looked back at me, a half-grin curling her lips.

“I do, but you can’t touch it. Books that old have to be stored in very careful conditions so they don’t get damaged.”

“Of course they do.” She leaned in and cocked her head, presumably so she could read the spine. “I’ve never seen a first edition. How much was it?”

There it was again, the mention of something’s price. Maybe it was because we were so different, or maybe it was because I had only really entertained women of a much wealthier status, but Emily seemed both alluring and alarming in the same breath. Mother could very well have been right about her being a gold digger, but I didn’t want to believe it, so I chose to believe the former. She wasn’t used to being surrounded by such pricey things.

I poured myself a glass of bourbon and downed it in one swallow, not even bothering to ask her if she wanted a drink. After her previous reactions, I knew what her answer would be. “Well, the copy I have has a smudge on page one hundred twenty-three, but I paid two hundred fifty thousand for it.” I set the glass on the liquor cabinet and joined her by the books. “You are a fan?”

“You know I love reading. Do you have Dumas?” She smiled at me, clinging to my lapels.

“I do. My first edition Monte Cristo is valued at eighty-two thousand. The Musketeers that I have is worth twenty-five. They’re in great shape, and also both sealed in plastic and on the top shelf where oily fingers can’t destroy them.” I leaned down and kissed her. “All this talk about my books is tiring. I think maybe we should just relax a bit.”

“You said you loved reading, but I had no clue you had such a great collection.” Emily wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank you for showing me.”

She seemed to be feeling better. I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her, a soft, savory kiss this time, parting her lips and nipping at her tongue.

“I’d like to show you something else.” I pulled her hard against my body, crushing her breasts between us. “And it’s upstairs in my bedroom.”

“The bedroom?” she joked, pulling my mouth toward hers again.

“No. If I have it my way, the only thing you’ll be seeing are stars.” I continued kissing her as I backed her toward the door. She seemed to drag her feet a little, so I lifted her up, forcing her legs around my hips. When I did, her body loosened up, allowing me to be in control. I carried her up the stairs to my dimly lit room and dropped her on the bed. I had her clothes off her before she could protest, and mine fell into the same pile.

She lay on the bed quivering, her eyes dilated with lust and desire, her lips parted as she panted. Her skin was smooth and soft. I ran my hand over her and felt every ridge, bump, and crevice, becoming familiar with her body at last. “D…” she panted as my palm slid over her breast, and I squeezed it. I could smell her shampoo as I nuzzled her neck. Though it was sweet and floral, it carried with it the subtle musk of her arousal.

The sun had just set, casting a beautiful golden hue on the room. I felt her soft breath on my cheek as I moved closer to her, my fingertips trailing over her creamy skin as I explored her curves. She shivered beneath my touch, her lips parting in anticipation of my kiss. I leaned in and kissed her hard, taking her breath away.

The kiss was intense, sending a surge of warmth through my veins. The room seemed to spin, and a thousand stars danced around us. We were wrapped in an aura that only we could feel, and I wanted to stay in this moment forever.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” I ground my hips against her pelvis, feeling my cock slide through her juices. Her moans of enjoyment echoed through the room, the walls vibrating with sound.

The way she rose up to meet me as my body rubbed against her, pushing my fingers into her was erotic. Dangerous. I looked down at her, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly agape. Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily. She was completely at my mercy, and I reveled in the power it gave me.

I ran my hands slowly over her body, exploring her curves with renewed fascination. She shivered as my fingers trailed down her arms and across her stomach. When I reached her thighs, she parted them eagerly in anticipation.

Her pussy dripped with nectar, arousal slicking her soft folds. I pressed my fingers into it, feeling her tense and jolt with pleasure. She moaned and writhed beneath me, and I felt my own body respond in kind.

I moved my fingers in a slow, circular motion, going deeper and deeper until her whole body was quivering and trembling. My other hand caressed her breasts and neck as I continued to tantalize her.

Her breathing became more and more erratic, and I knew that she was close. I increased the pressure and speed of my fingers, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Finally, with one final thrust, she let out a shuddering cry as her orgasm took her over the edge.

“Ahh,” she moaned, convulsing beneath me.

“Good girl,” I growled into her ear, biting her earlobe and sucking on it. She sank her teeth into my shoulder and spasmed, clawing at my back. The orgasm lasted several minutes. Each time it waned, swelling again with renewed vigor on the part of my fingers massaging her. And when she calmed, I forced her legs farther apart.

She let out a tiny gasp as I slid into her, our bodies folding together in perfect harmony. I could feel her breath on my skin as I moved, each motion a moment of exquisite pleasure and anticipation. My cock dived into her, plunging into her abyss over and over. Her pussy clenched around me, milking me. I groaned as the pleasure built inside me to an unbearable intensity.

My hands caressed her curves as I moved, my mouth exploring her neck and her shoulders. Her breath came in short gasps as her orgasm neared, and I felt my own rising within me.

Finally, I could no longer contain myself and my climax filled her body. I let out a deep, guttural cry as my body pulsed and released, completely drained yet still connected to her in an intimate embrace. We lay there afterwards, panting, our skin slick with sweat and our hearts pounding. It was the closest we had ever been, the most alive either of us had ever felt. It was a moment of perfect bliss, where nothing else mattered.

And when we were finally still, I held her close, feeling her heart beating against mine. We lay there, entwined in one another, our breathing slowly returning to normal, the night around us fading away. For that moment, we were connected in a way that transcended words, a communion of souls I had never known before.

It felt like a dream, one that I never wanted to end. But dreams aren’t always reality, and when she spoke, I was brought back to the present.

“D, do you really think we’re compatible? That we can make this work?” Emily curled into my chest, and I held her. She kissed my skin, and I pressed my lips to her forehead.

“I think we can do whatever we put our minds to. I think if you want to be with me and I want to be with you, then nothing in the world will stop us. We just have to work at it.”

She sighed contentedly, and I pulled the covers up over us. “I’m sorry if something I said at dinner upset you. I noticed you were crying when you came back from the bathroom, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you. Emily, if you’re not okay with this, please tell me. We will work something out. I can assign you as assistant to Olivia again, or Michael. It will make things less stressful for you at work. We will just get less time together.”

I lay there waiting for a response, but one didn’t come. I pulled away slightly and saw her eyes shut and heard soft snores. She looked like an angel wrapped in cotton, sleeping on my pillow. How could someone so perfect cause so much doubt? My mother had no clue what she was talking about, and I was an idiot for doubting Emily. She was so wonderful, so kind. Granted, she was a bit na?ve when it came to certain aspects of life, but I found that part of her sweet and innocent. I never wanted to change that about her.

“I think I’m really falling for you, Em.” I kissed her forehead again and pulled her into my chest.

“Mmm, can you cover me? I’m cold,” she mumbled, but I knew she was talking in her sleep. I held her tightly to keep her warm. I’d never let her go again if I had my way, but we would wake tomorrow and life would thrust itself up on us. So for now, I enjoyed her as she was—mine.