Chapter 11

11

L IZ

"Vale?" he says.

I love when his eyes narrow and he cocks an eyebrow at me. I'm playing with fire here. And I'm fully aware of it, but what do I have to lose?

The differences between our lives are hard to ignore and even harder to overcome.

Nothing can make us a good fit for each other.

Despite being a good fit when it comes to our wild imagination, the figments of our friendship I value more and more, and the steamy activities in the bedroom.

"Vale from…?"

He doesn't like Vale.

"Vale from Valentin. And don't you dare fire him."

"Who said I'd fire him?" he mutters, and a chuckle peels off my lips.

"Seriously," I say.

He gives me a conniving look, a smile creeping across his lips.

"Seriously," he says.

I have to thank Vale for flirting with me tonight.

David wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't be having this conversation if it weren't for him.

"He's your new friend now, isn't he?" he says, his hands sliding off my thighs.

He leans forward, scoops up his drink, and takes a sip, evading my eyes.

"He is someone I met at the hotel. And he knew exactly why I was there. His admiration for me was mixed with curiosity. Yes, he is attracted to me. I bet he knows a lot about what's going on in that hotel."

"Just another reason to move him up," he jokes, putting his drink down. "I didn't say I'd fire him," he adds proactively.

"Move him up if you want to. He deserves it. But I will still call him if I need a ride," I toss at him in a tease.

He wags his finger at me.

"You're going to get me in a lot of trouble."

I study his face for a little longer before I quietly say,"I think we are both in trouble."

A longing look slides over his face while his eyes hover over my lips.

Slowly, I push upright and untie my belt.

My robe falls open and glides to my waist.

His eyes move down while I slide my arms out of the robe and peel it off.

"I want to come on you…" I say, witnessing my magic work.

He catches the double meaning with ease.

Smiling, he shifts in his seat, lays his palm flat on my abdomen, and lowers his lips to kiss the skin below my navel.

A shudder of pleasure barrels through me.

Propped on my elbow, I slide my fingers through his hair while he kisses a trail to the spot between my legs.

My knees spike and pull apart, and he lifts his head, dragging his hand down.

The heel of his palm moves over my clit, increasing the tension.

He brings his other hand to the back of my neck, hypnotizing me with his eyes.

Our lips connect without a hitch as if we have rehearsed this kiss so many lifetimes.

My head falls back into his touch, and his fingers splay over my hair, my thighs parted for his hand.

I fall back, and he hovers over me, undoing his buttons before I take over his buttons while he takes over my mouth and sex.

I'm halfway down with his buttons when I lose my focus completely.

His knee separates mine while he rubs my clit. With every stroke, his touch slides lower until a puddle forms between my legs, and he slides a finger into me.

I moan against his lips, hot and sweaty against his chest.

He adds another finger, and I relish the tension and pain between my legs.

Slowly and lasciviously, I move against his touch, running my nails down his neck and back.

And I kiss him back.

My lips are hostage to his lips, and my breath is intertwined with his.

We taste like grapes and heat and lust, and the more I think about it, the more turned on I get.

How would we fuck for money if we normally fucked like this?

I'm sure he has something in mind.

But for now, this feels like swimming in bliss.

Eventually, he grips his dress shirt back and peels it off while I unbuckle his belt and run down his zipper.

My fingers loop around his hardness when he pushes up. Propped on his knees, he brings it straight to my mouth.

It's nothing like I had in mind, but it's also nothing we hadn't done before.

Barely quenching my thirst for him I suck on the chiseled head of his erection while having him tower over me, naked to his waist, his pants open, the buckle clinking every time I bob my head.

Holding the back of my head, he helps me sheathe more of his wet hard–on.

And we do this, teasing myself to death while he watches me swirl my tongue around him, my cheeks tense, my eyes watery from him hitting the back of my throat.

I forget about straddling him and moving on top of him as I near the edge and lose control.

At some point, he shifts his position, stands up next to the couch, and pushes me down in front of him.

I take him into my mouth, and he slowly pushes in, pressing the tip against the confinement of my throat.

His hands are on my head, and my palms are on his thighs, and I realize this won't be my moment.

He'll come in my mouth to satisfy his pleasure and maybe punish me for flirting with that guy.

Whatever it is, it fucks with my imagination in a good way.

He gets tenser, and before long, his hand wraps around my neck. Feeling the tension in his touch, I pick up the pace.

He comes in my mouth, his chest heaving, his grip iron-hard while I hold onto him for dear life.

LIZ

Thursday

Terry's Place

"Are you ready?" Terry shouts from the other room.

"Not yet," I say, looking in the mirror.

So the rule is, we wear fancy clothes but not those we'll wear at the wedding.

No one wants to go there dressed casually, and it makes sense.

Since I can't wear the gown my cousin has given me, I sport a party dress.

It looks like my gown's naughty little sister.

It has the same beautiful strapless design, a long zipper down my back, and see-through lace all over.

My hair moves down my back.

The volumizing shampoo, the styling foam, and a few minutes spent with the curling iron have created big luscious rings.

The color looks vibrant, a contrast to my black dress.

Red lipstick and heels complete my look, and black underwear matches my dress and heels.

There's no way I look like the flower girl I am supposed to be on the wedding day, but still, I want to look my best.

Sighing, I check my appearance in the mirror one last time, spin around to inspect my back, and grab the small evening bag sitting on my bed.

Terry and I decided to travel together.

We use her car because mine…Well, it's still not fixed and sits in the front of my mother's house.

"All right. Wish me luck…" I say quietly, talking to the voice inside my head.

I think she hid her head under a pillow.

She knows I'm up to no good.

And why would I be?

The man left me in a swirl of need last night.

It wasn't only that I wanted him inside me with a ferocity I had never experienced before.

It was that he tied me to him with invisible ropes, and I couldn't get a wink of sleep after he left.

I slipped in and out of a drowsy state the entire night.

Warped dreams rattled my sleep, and a lot of noise filled my head while my brain sought answers.

My imagination even produced a few snippets of the upcoming parties. The only peculiar detail was that I didn't wear a black dress at the wedding rehearsal or a dusty pink one at the wedding.

Panic was laced through my dreams, and everyone was there. David, James, Lex, Tiago, and Edward. All the girls. Even Chloe. It was a mess.

What am I saying?

Pam popped in, but I expected that.

I only caught a few hours of sleep in the morning.

Like a zombie, I went about my day, and here I am now. Fresh, awake, running on adrenaline.

Nervous. Anxious. And full of anticipation.

I push the door open, step out, and gingerly close it behind me.

"Liz?"

The puzzlement beaming in my mother's voice is what I had counted on.

I must've hit the mark if she's having this kind of reaction.

I lift my gaze and meet my mother's baffled eyes.

"When did you get this dress?"

"We ran a sale a few weeks back."

"Nice."

She looks down.

"Turn around. Oh… Look at the shoes."

I twirl for her before she brings her eyes to my face.

"You look good. So pretty. And your hair. What did you do to your hair?"

I gesture nonchalantly.

"Nothing special. What I'm usually doing."

"Well, that may be true, but this is not how you usually look."

She flicks her index finger up and down.

"I've never seen you look like this before."

I roll my eyes.

She laughs.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady. That job finally pays off. Maggie has such cute stuff."

"She does. So, are we going or not?" I say, anxious to leave the house.

"Yeah, yeah… Let me get my purse."

Terry looks great herself.

I always liked my mother's hair and her warm smile, and I considered myself lucky to have her in my life.

She's never treated me badly, and she did her best for us to have a joyful, peaceful life together.

She turns to me with her purse tucked under her arm.

She has her hair done, and minimal makeup on her face, except for the bright shade of lipstick on her lips.

Garnet red, like her dress.

"I wish we could go out more often," she says.

"You mean you want to go to a fancy event like this more often."

"Precisely," she murmurs, smiling.

A few seconds later, she grabs the keys, and make a beeline for the garage.

LIZ

The Twins' room

Thea's House

Everybody is here.

And I mean everybody.

The rehearsal has been stressful, and I'm happy that it's over, but I'm also glad I'm much better prepared for the wedding.

"You look fantastic," Thea says before shifting her focus away from me and making sure the twins are asleep. "They're fine," she says, and I look at her while she stares at them with that awe on her face happy parents usually have.

She wears a beautiful evening gown, yet it's nothing like the dress she'll be wearing at her wedding, which is yards and yards of tulle and lace with tiny rhinestones sewn on the bodice.

She looks like a princess in that dress, and I'm so happy and proud that she's asked me to be her flower girl.

They decided to have the wedding party at home for obvious reasons. The house is big and beautiful, and the twins are more comfortable at home. It's easier for Thea and Ed to keep an eye on them.

She gestures at the nanny to stay in the room with them before we quietly leave and walk down the main corridor on the second floor of the house.

"How do you like it?" she asks, voices drifting from the wedding tent outside.

They weren't sure about the weather and asked the organizers to have the tent ready just to be on the safe side.

I love the idea.

It's more intimate, and the guests have plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves.

There are tables outside and inside the tent, and servers with trays of food and drinks are everywhere.

The fact that we're all meeting now will make things less stressful at the wedding.

"I love it," I say, and she looks at me inquisitively. "It's going to be a magnificent wedding," I add.

"Thank you."

Her eyes slide down.

"You've never looked so good," she says as we reach the top of the stairs and float down the steps like two princesses.

Her dress is white and has a plunging back neckline. It clings to her body and makes her look heavenly.

"I can say the same thing about you."

"Are you still nervous?" she asks, smiling.

"No. Not at all."

"Good."

Her eyes move away when a handsome man I instantly recognize heads our way.

He wraps his arm around Thea and kisses her hair.

Ed Preston's face glows with happiness. A tender smile reaches his eyes when she winds her arms around his neck and gives him a kiss.

"Ready for the big day?" Ed asks when they tear away from each other, and he takes her hand.

"Yes. I can't wait."

Someone calls Ed's name, and they both shift their eyes in that direction.

The housekeeper is waiting for them when Thea turns to me.

"I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Sure, no problem," I reply before watching them walk in that direction while I get ready to step outside.