Emilee

I spent the last few weeks torn.

Why didn't Dylan come to rescue me at the wedding? Why haven't I heard from him? Why can't I stop thinking about Alex? Why does my pulse race every time I see him?

I had been calling and texting Dylan regularly since my father arranged this marriage, but Dylan never responded. Even on the day of the wedding, I heard nothing. He never said he'd rescue me. I couldn't see why he wouldn't, though.

He said he loved me.

Didn't he?

Wait.

Did he?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized he hadn't. I tried to remember him saying anything loving to me, but I couldn't.

This is my father's fault. If he hadn't arranged for me to meet Alex, if I hadn't felt that rush when our eyes met, I would still be happy with Dylan.

But was I happy with Dylan? Or was I staying with him because it annoyed my father so much? I was starting to question what I had been so sure about before.

In the meantime, I spend my days avoiding the man I'm dying to get to know better. The man who cuts such a sexy figure in his suit that I wonder why I never liked men in suits before.

I can't love him, though. I can't even like him. He's just a pawn my father is using to keep Dylan and me apart.

I'm desperate. I need to see Dylan. I need him to say the words I know he feels. Or I need to finally get some closure and accept the truth about him. Luckily, I know exactly where to find him.

As the limo approaches Spumoni Gardens, I spot Dylan sitting at a table with Clive and another of Dad's security detail.

"Right here, Reggie," I say as I point to the restaurant. "Stay here. I'll only be a few minutes. I'm just meeting an old friend."

"Yes, Miss," he says.

His eyes flick up to the rearview mirror, then back at me.

This is it. This is where I learn the truth.

I take a deep breath before opening the car door and walking over to Dylan. I'm so focused on him that I don't see anything else going on.

"Hi, guys. Can you give us a minute, please?" I ask.

The two other men look at each other and then get up without a word. They sit at a nearby table, leaving Dylan alone with me.

"Where have you been?" I ask.

"Where have I been," he scoffs. "Like that's any of your business."

"What's going on, Dylan? Did I do something wrong?"

"Has your dad given me a raise or a promotion yet? If the answer is no, then yes, you did something wrong."

"Is that all you care about? I ask, motioning with my hands as I extend the word ‘all'.

"Why are you here?" he asks.

"Because I want to know how you feel about me. I just need to hear you say it."

My heart is racing from adrenaline. Why is he acting this way? Has he always been like this? Maybe I was too blind to notice.

"Say it? Say what? This is ridiculous. It's not like I'm getting anything out of you being here."

"All you have to do is tell my dad how you feel about me," I say.

"And why would I do that?" Dylan asks.

"If you do that, then I can get an annulment, and we can be together. He just wants to hear that you love me."

"But I don't."

The wind is knocked out of me, but somehow I keep talking because nothing is making sense. I'm surprised, but not at the same time. I'm hurt, but either. I should be devastated, but all I can think of is how my father was right all along, and that angers me.

"But you have to! You do love me. We made love, you called me your baby, and you said you wanted to be with me."

Dylan laughs. "Yeah, baby. Because that's what guys do to get some pussy. Plus, I thought you would put in the good word with your dad and get me some extra cheddar cheese." He motions with his hands as if he's passing out money. "Now, that would've been worth putting up with you."

"Putting up with me?" I say, feeling my anger rise, but I quickly push it down. He doesn't mean what he's saying.

"Fuck, you're such a clingy bitch."

"But I thought?—"

"Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what you think," he scoffs. "All that matters is what I get. Can't believe I have to spell that out to you."

"But Dylan…"

I move closer to him hoping that the Dylan I thought I knew would show up. I put my hand on his arm, desperately hoping that the man I once thought would rescue me appears.

"Get the fuck away from me," he says.

He slaps my hand away, then shoves me back. I trip backward over one of the table feet and start falling, but I never land. Strong hands catch me, and when I look up at my rescuer, I see familiar blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" Alex asks.

"Alex?" I whisper.

Before I can gather my thoughts, Alex punches Dylan on the nose, making it gush.

Dylan falls back off the bench. His hands cover his nose. He's shrieking, but I don't care what he says anymore.

"Don't ever talk to my wife again," he says before throwing money at Dylan. "Get yourself cleaned up. You're an embarrassment."

Alex turns around and walks past me. I follow in awe. Not only was my father right about Dylan, but he was right about Alex, too.

My heart is thumping so loudly in my chest that I think everyone can hear it. Is this what love feels like? This feels warm, comfortable, and safe. Like a warm blanket on a cold day. It's nothing like what I felt with Dylan.

Alex opens the limo door for me.

"I'm leaving for a few days on business," he says before walking to his car.

As I stand by the limo and watch Alex drive away, I think about how I've treated him the past few weeks. He didn't deserve any of that.

I pull out my phone to apologize but then decide it's better done in person. I can wait until he gets back. In the meantime, there's someone else I need to apologize to. Someone I've missed over the last few weeks because I was too stubborn to talk to him.

I get into the limo and buckle my seat belt.

"Reggie?"

"Yes, Miss?"

"Can you take me to see my dad?"

"Right away, Miss."

I burst into tears as the car moves into traffic. I can't believe how stupid I've been. I think back over the past few weeks, and even though I had been reaching out to Dylan, I had also been convincing myself that Alex doesn't matter.

A so-called normal girl would reach out to her bestie for some girlfriend therapy, but I never had that. What I always counted on was my dad.

As the limo pulls up to the front door, my father races out of the house. He's unshaven and has dark circles under his eyes. I can tell he hasn't been sleeping much. He doesn't need to tell me that it's all because of me, I know it is.

Not that he would ever blame me, but he didn't need to. I did a good enough job of blaming myself.

The limo comes to a stop, and my father opens my door. As soon as I'm out of the car, he kisses my cheeks and wraps his arms tightly around me.

"My girl is home!" he exclaims.

"Stop it," I say as I hug him back. "You're going to make me feel even worse."

"Come inside and let's talk," he says. "Reggie? Thank you for bringing my little girl home."

"I'm just the driver, Sir. She asked to come home."

Dad wraps his arms around me again and squeezes tight.

"I can't breathe, Dad!"

"I'm sorry, it's just been so long."

We enter the house, and Dad leads me to the kitchen, where we always have our best conversations. I sit on the stool and lean my elbows onto the kitchen counter while Dad makes us ice cream floats.

"So tell me what happened," he says.

I updated him on the past few weeks and what just happened with Dylan.

"Oh, I can't wait to talk to Alex about that. I want to hear what it felt like to punch that asshole." Dad balls up his fist and punches the air. "Pow! I bet it felt great."

I giggle, replaying it in my head again.

"Dad? How do you know when you're in love?"

He takes a long sip from his straw as he thinks about my question.

"I don't think love is a matter of knowing or not knowing. It just is. It's not dictated by a timeline. It can happen at any time. Some people don't believe in love at first sight. They think love has to take time to become love. I don't think that's true, though. I believe there are both kinds of love. I think the lucky ones are like your mother and me, who are lucky enough to find their soulmate. When you meet that person, everything feels as though it's all fallen into place. Like you were made for each other. As if every step in life has been taking you to the moment you meet. That's a special kind of love.

"I think a lot of people settle because they want to be in love, so they convince themselves they are," he says. "They think of love as some badge of honor, or maybe an excuse to get married, or even live with someone when all they really want is not to be alone. That's when love doesn't work because that's not true love at all.

"I know you're kicking yourself because you thought you loved Dylan, and now you're realizing you never did, but a lot of people go through that. You're young. Maybe I should have just let you get hurt when you realized who Dylan really is, but you're my daughter. I wouldn't knowingly let you run headfirst into a wall; I couldn't sit back and watch you run into a wall with him, either.

"Love is what you want it to be. It's very personal," he says. "I know this all sounds confusing, and I'm sorry about that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that no one can really tell you what love is, but when you feel it, you'll know."

"Then how do you know if someone loves you?" I ask.

"That one is much easier to answer. If someone loves you, they don't need to say it; you'll see it, feel it, and know it. Their actions will always speak that love loudly. You'll never question the love of someone who truly loves you; you'll just know."

Waiting for Alex to come back from his business trip felt like forever. I needed to see him, talk to him, and apologize for being a jerk. I did that the first chance I got.

Having his arms around me, comforting me, and finally spending time with him felt perfect. Being with him felt like I was home. The time flew by too quickly, though, and he wanted to get to bed—his bed—even though I really wanted him to share mine.

"Why can't you sleep here tonight?" I ask. I thought of those movies where the girl grabs the man by the tie and pulls him down to kiss her. I reach for his tie, but I lose my nerve, so I only loosen it. "You need to relax more. Not everything needs to be about business. Come on, stay with me tonight. We can make up for lost time and keep talking."

"I need to shower and get the travel funk off of me. We can talk more in the morning. Good night, ."

"Alright," I sigh, giving up. "Good night, Alex."

Any other man would have taken me up on my offer. That says so much about him.

I sit back on my bed and stare blankly at the television for a minute. Then I realize while he said he didn't want to stay in my bed, he said nothing about his.

After putting on my fuzzy slippers, I went down the hall past the foyer and stood outside his bedroom. I put my ear up to his door but couldn't hear anything. I raise my hand to knock on his door, but stop myself and take a few steps back.

"Come on, ," I whisper. "You can do this. Just knock. It's no big deal. After all, he is your husband."

I put my hand up and quickly knock before I convince myself not to.

And then I wait.

And wait a little longer.

But nothing. So I check the doorknob, and it turns. I let myself in.

Alex's bedroom is a stylish, modern male sanctuary. The king-sized bed takes center stage but doesn't stand out. The room is a mix of navy paint on the walls and warm hardwood flooring, with grey and brown accents. I make a mental note to ask Alex for his interior designer so I can recommend them to my dad.

From the bedroom, I can hear the shower running. I make my way to the doorway and peek in. The shower is oversized, with stone and glass surrounding it. I turn away from the shower, wanting to give him his privacy, but then I realize I can see him through the mirror. I put my hands over my eyes and take a few steps into the bathroom, making enough noise that Alex hears me.

"? What are you doing here?"

"Umm I thought I'd join you?" I bite my lip, surprised the words were able to come out of my mouth.

"How are you joining me if you won't even look?"

Slowly, I lower my hands. When I open my eyes, I'm in front of the shower, staring into it.

Alex's body is toned and muscular. The water is running down his body and I can't help but follow the beads of water with my eyes.

"Feeling dirty?" he asks, his voice almost growling. "You can join me."

He pushes the heavy glass door open and holds out his hand. My breath catches in my throat. I think to kick off my slippers, but nothing else. I take his hand and step into the shower fully dressed.

He lets go of my hand and reaches up for my face, and our lips meet. We slowly kiss, our tongues and lips tangling as his hands slip down my body and he holds me.

As we kiss, he moves me under the stream of the rain shower, drenching my pajamas. He then pins me against the glass wall as his hands run up my body. Our lips can't get enough of each other.

Breathless, he leans his forehead against mine. "I want you," he says.

"I'm yours."

He kisses me hungrily as I melt into his strong body. He picks me up and carries me out of the shower.

"I never thought I could feel this way about anyone," he says as he carries me to the bed.

We lay on the bed, him on top of me as we paw at each other. As we kiss, he unties my pajama bottoms. I lift my hips as he slides them down.

"You won't be needing these," he says as he grabs my panties and then tosses them onto the floor.

I unbutton my pajama top, and he slips it off my shoulder; his lips kiss every piece of skin he reveals. Alex has tight abs and a V-cut just underneath, which brought my eyes to his large member.

As he moves my wet top off the bed, his lips travel up my body. He pays attention to all of me. He starts by kissing my foot, then sucking on the inside of my thigh, and later nibbling at a ticklish spot under my breast. But I feel impatient. These three weeks have been all the foreplay I needed.

His hands slide over my breasts before he sucks a nipple into his mouth and rolls his tongue over it. My heart is pounding, and my hands tremble excitedly as they trace the lines of his muscular arms.

He kisses my neck as I wrap my legs around him, but he pushes back as I move my hips closer to him.

"Not yet," he whispers. It's been a long time for me, and call me old-fashioned, but ladies first."

He wiggles his eyebrow and gives me a half smile as he moves lower. His teeth graze one of my tight nipples, giving me shivers. As his hand travels up the inside of my legs, I giggle with anticipation.

As he spreads my legs, he runs his tongue up my inner thigh to my mound. His fingers rub along my pink slit. He moves his tongue over my clit, licking and rubbing it as his finger slips into my wetness.

My body pulses with each movement of his mouth. I look at him as he opens my legs wider, and our eyes meet. Chills run down my spine and my body tingles.

"Come for me, ," he says as he rubs my clit faster.

The waves of my climax overtake my body. I cry out and grab the pillow as he licks me to orgasm. Before my climax tapers off, I feel the tip of his cock at my entrance.

"I can't believe how fucking wet you are," he whispers in my ear.

He slowly inches his cock into me, teasing me with it, before pulling it out again. Then thrusting it in deeper. My body quivers. I wrap my arms around him, enjoying feeling his body so close.

His hips move faster, thrusting deeper into me, and I gasp with pleasure. I'm close to coming again. As he slips his arm underneath my back, he holds me tighter. The room spins as the orgasm consumes my body. As I clench tightly around his cock, he groans as he orgasms.

He kisses my shoulder and neck before kissing my lips. Our eyes meet again, and a smile spreads across his lips.

"I love you, . I've loved you from the first moment I saw you. I knew then that my soul was finally complete."

"I know I haven't acted like it, but I love you, too. When our eyes met that first day, I knew you were the one. I didn't understand it, but I knew."

We kiss, and it's as if a spark has been lit inside me, one only Alex can control.

As he rolls onto his back, he pulls me close into his arms. My legs are intertwined with his. He kisses my forehead and lets out a big sigh.

"I promise next time will be longer," he says.

"Oh? And when is the next time?"

"We have all night, every night, for the rest of our lives. There will be as many next times as you want."