Chapter 56

Chapter Fifty-Six

I was lost in my thoughts all day, barely aware of anything around me, consumed by the anticipation of tonight.

I told Kelly that I would have to take her up on her offer of an alibi again today. She agreed, but only if I told her everything in detail afterward. What else…

As Ezra asked me to, I parked my car at his club and waited for him. I’m a little early because I couldn’t wait any longer.

I know I shouldn’t be so thrilled and excited about this. I should play it cool, be more laid back. After all, I’m married and older, and this can never be more than a fleeting affair. But no matter how hard I try to stay calm or focus on not getting so nervous, as soon as Ezra is near me, all my logic vanishes, and I feel as young and alive as ever.

I can do anything with him and be whoever I want because he lets me. It’s beautiful with him, and even though I know I shouldn’t be doing this under any circumstances, I’m sure I’m falling in love with Ezra right now. God! What am I thinking?

I quickly shake my head to dispel these crazy thoughts. When the door to his club finally opens, and Ezra comes out with two young guys, my mind goes blank, and all I can see is him. He talks to them for a moment. He’s beaming all over his face and seems completely in his element. It’s nice to see how enthusiastic he is about his work.

I can't help but let my eyes linger on him. It's not my fault he’s chosen not to wear a t-shirt today, opting instead for another white shirt that looks absolutely fantastic on him. I smile when I notice he’s rolled up his sleeves neatly—anything else just wouldn’t suit him. He’s paired the shirt with dark jeans and boots, which also makes me smile.

He shakes hands with both men before turning away with a wave and walking toward my car. He approaches me with an upright posture and an almost sauntering gait, not taking his eyes off me for a second. The nervous tingling intensifies, and it feels like hundreds of butterflies are doing loops in my stomach. This feeling is strange and exciting all in one.

My mouth almost dries up like I’ve forgotten to breathe and swallow. I just stare at him with my mouth open as he calmly walks over to me and then opens my car door.

“Good evening, Mrs. Shepherd. What a pleasure that you could make it,” he greets me charmingly.

I swallow hard, unable to make a sound as his manner and commanding presence captivate me completely. Damn it, pull yourself together, Cora, I scold myself, even though I know it's pointless. Ezra just has this effect on me—I'm putty in his hands.

“Hello, Ezra,” I croak after a moment because I have to say something.

The corner of his mouth twitches up, so damn sexy and cute at the same time because we both know I’m lost. His smile widens as he holds his hand out, showing that I should get out. I immediately follow his silent invitation, grab his hand, and slide out of my car.

We stand close together until he leans toward me, placing one hand on my cheek and the other on the car’s roof. Everything inside me tingles, and it’s only because he’s touching and close to me again.

“You look handsome,” I whisper in a weak voice, making the corner of his mouth twitch again as he softly kisses me.

“Says the one who always takes my breath away with the sight of her,” he whispers and plants another kiss on me, only this time more intense than gentle.

My heart is pounding in my throat, and I feel like a teenager on her first date with her crush. Even if I’m being completely ridiculous, I choose to ignore it and savor every moment I have left with Ezra.

Despite my desire to stay close, I reluctantly pull away from his kiss when it becomes more insistent. We’re still outside his club, and there’s a risk someone might see us.

“What do you have planned?” I asked him breathlessly, looking up at him.

Ezra is still standing close in front of me but now has both hands on the car’s roof and is looking down at me. A soft smirk graces his lips, which I want to give in to immediately.

“Get in and find out,” he replies with a grin and nods to the passenger side.

But before I can get moving, he steals a quick and stormy kiss from me before letting go of me completely. And Ezra wouldn’t be Ezra if he didn’t follow me, hold the car door open for me, and close it again after I got in. I can’t help but smile at his good manners, which are, unfortunately, very rare among men these days.

“Where did that come from?” I asked him when he had also gotten in and started the engine. “Your good manners?” I complete the sentence as he looks at me with a furrowed brow.

Ezra shrugs as he steers the car onto the road and merges into the slight traffic.

“My dad was strict and put a lot of emphasis on manners and impeccable behavior. He said that if a man doesn’t know how to treat a woman, he’s not a real man.”

“Your father must have done well with the ladies,” I joke.

Ezra just gives me a rakish grin in response but doesn’t answer. As I don’t want to be rude or too nosy, I leave it at that and don’t probe any further. After all, I know about their not-so-easy relationship back in his youth. Ezra doesn’t want to talk about it, but I accept that. Instead, I keep my eyes on the road, trying to guess where he’s taking us. We drive out of the city.

Lost in thought, I look out the window when I suddenly feel his hand on my thigh. Ezra pushes my dress up a little to touch my bare skin before simply letting his large hand rest on my leg. My gaze wanders to him, but he only focuses on the road. It feels good that he needs my closeness as much as I need his.

“June wants to come over tomorrow and show me her first drafts. Is that okay with you?” he interrupts the comfortable silence at some point.

I look at him with irritation.

“Why shouldn’t it be okay with me? You offered her this job, and I’m very grateful because it means a lot to her,” I reply.

Ezra gives me a quick sideways glance before looking back at the road.

“I know. That’s why I offered it to her… And because I need someone to help me. Unfortunately, the lady of my heart can’t help me, but as you know, you can’t have everything,” he jokes, making me smile. “I thought you might not like it, as you didn’t seem too keen on her coming to my place last time either. I just wanted to ask if it was okay with you. That’s all,” he replies, squeezing my thigh lightly at the end, which gives me a pleasant shiver as his words make my heart beat faster.

I’m always impressed by how sensitive and attentive Ezra is. I’ve never experienced that before, and it feels unusual, but also, it’s very nice, as it shows that he sees and is serious about me.

“Thank you,” is all I say in response. But I know he knows what I mean.

He grabs my hand with a sincere smile and kisses the back of it before intertwining our hands in my lap. The familiar tingling sensation that always hits me when Ezra is near rushes through my body again, but it’s even more intense now. I realize how my feelings and desire for him are getting stronger and stronger. I can hardly think straight because my entire body craves his touch. It's as if my hormones are in control, with a wild thought taking root in my mind that I just can't shake. So instead of fighting it, I surrender to my crazy idea. Fuck it!

I undo my seatbelt, which my car immediately acknowledges with a warning beep, drawing Ezra’s attention. He turns his head toward me and looks at me questioningly.

“What are you doing, Beauty?” he asks me with a mischievous grin as I lean further toward him.

When my hands finally reach his belt, and I undo it, his grin widens a little more.

“I think I have some making up to do since I came without your permission the other day,” I reply.

“That’s right. Be a good girl and make it up to me,” he grumbles, helping me pull his pants down a little as he continues to focus on the road.

I reach into his pants and boxers to find that he is once again ready for me. Ezra is so full of passion and desire that he can do it anytime and anywhere, and that excites me so much. Frantically, I lick my lips because I’ve never done what I’m about to do here before, but I want to do it. I want to drive him crazy at least once like he always does to me. So I lean over a little more until my lips are hovering over his soft tip, my hot breath already making his length twitch in my hand.

When I lower my lips to him, he lets out a rough groan and immediately reaches a hand into my curls, which I’ve left down for him today. I feel him wrap my mane around his hand so that he can control me and my actions. And even though I intended on keeping control of him for once, it excites me that Ezra still dominates this.

My tongue licks over his tip, causing him to let out a hiss of air, and his grip tightens in my hair for a moment.

“Fuck, Beauty! You’re driving me crazy!” he growls and pushes his pelvis toward me, begging me to finally take him in my mouth.

So he doesn’t have complete control over this game after all. A subtle smirk spreads across my lips before I kiss his length delicately, causing his cock to pulsate violently as Ezra moans. I decide to take this game further and drive him even more out of his mind.

My tongue licks over his entire hardness, but I still haven’t taken him in my mouth. Ezra keeps panting and moaning in frustration, thrusting his pelvis toward me as his grip on my hair tightens, but I still don’t let him get the better of me.

“Beauty,” Ezra growls so darkly yet sexily that I look up at him with an innocent twinkle, unable to understand what’s upset him so much. “Oh, you little minx, believe me, you’ll get that back later. So go on with your little game. I’m going to enjoy getting back at you.” His voice is raspy, and I can hear that he’s not as relaxed as he’s acting right now.

Ezra is on the verge of losing his patience with me, yet he lets me have my way. It’s a game, and he thinks he’ll win it later when it’s his turn. Curiosity, like excitement, takes hold of me and makes me sigh at his words. And even though I’m playing so hard with his control, he stays focused as he continues to drive us to our destination.

Since I don’t know how much longer we’ll be driving and want to give him some relief before we get there, I decide that I’ve had enough of driving him crazy. So I grasp his length and jerk him off lightly as I put my lips over his tip.

“Fuck!” Ezra moans harshly as he pushes himself deeper into my mouth, and his grip on my curls increases.

His taste intoxicates me, and I like the way he reacts to me and my actions, so I quickly take him into my mouth, which only makes him moan even deeper. My core is already on fire the more I suck on him.

I taste the first salty drops, and the desire for him to come in my mouth grows ever greater. So I increase the pressure, moved my head faster and faster, and adjust my hand movements to make him even crazier. I want to make him come. Please come for me now , I beg him in my mind as I suck on his cock more and more greedily.

“God!” he gasps, and in the next second, he spills himself onto my tongue as he pushes himself deep into my throat.

I gag slightly but still swallow everything he gives me and then free his length from his juice before I let it escape between my lips, sit upright again, and buckle. I carefully wipe my makeup-stained lips and check my appearance in the small mirror in the sun visor to see if anything is smudged.

“Fuck, Beauty… that was… wow !” Ezra replies, still slightly breathless, as he redresses with one hand.

I grin and look over at him with a cheeky look. I like the fact that he’s not the only one who can throw me off my game like that.

“And perfect timing because we’re here.”

I look out the window as Ezra steers the car into the parking lot of a really classy-looking restaurant before parking in a space. He switches off the engine and quickly fastens his belt before reopening the door for me. I let him help me out of the car and bring me into his arms.

“I want an actual date with you, with everything that goes with it,” he murmurs and kisses my cheek.

A smile spreads across my lips, and the butterflies are busy flying loops again. I’m looking forward to spending a nice evening with him, even if I’m worried that people will give us strange looks when they see us together. Ezra could be my daughter’s boyfriend.

My smile collapses, and I feel myself stiffen the closer we get to the restaurant.

Suddenly, Ezra stops, turns me to face him, and looks at me urgently. He puts a hand on my cheek.

“Are you okay? Why are you so tense?” he asks anxiously, his eyes scanning my entire face to see what might be wrong.

I’m briefly worried that he might see the bruises shimmering under my makeup, but that can’t be the case, as I’ve covered them up generously. After all, I have experience hiding my painful bruises from the world, and especially from my daughter.

My thoughts quickly clear again when I realize how sensitive Ezra always is toward me. So utterly different from Thomas. Though, to be honest, his sensitivity is a bit inconvenient right now, as it makes me feel foolish voicing my concerns out loud.

“Nothing. It’s fine,” I reply, flashing my usual smile—the one that shields me from anything unpleasant because people always believe it and never ask further questions.

But instead of Ezra smiling warmly and leading me in, his brows furrow sternly, and he looks at me with an intensity that makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong. Confused, I glance up at him, trying my fake smile again—this time a bit brighter, hoping he'll just move on and let it go.

“Stop that!” he growls, his voice unusually harsh, almost scaring me away with the unfamiliar edge in his tone. He's never spoken to me like this before.

“Ezra?” I say meekly, taken aback.

“No! I want you to leave that act behind with me. You’re welcome to give your husband all the shit you always pull. But I want you to be real with me—to be you. And if something makes you uncomfortable or uneasy, I want you to tell me, not bury it under a fake smile because it’s what everyone else expects from you. Do you understand that, Beauty?” he demands, his usually gentle eyes blazing with determination.

I nod gently, surprised by this unexpected side of him. He can be just as bossy and demanding as my husband, yet his words give me pause. When I think about it, no one, except Kelly, has ever seen through my fake smile. Everyone else either buys it or doesn’t care, accepting it or looking away. But Ezra… he sees right through me. He sees me. Understands me.

“So… what’s on your mind, and what’s made you feel so insecure?” he asks, his tone softening, returning to the Ezra I know, though his stern expression remains.

It’s clear that it’s vital to him that I feel completely at ease with him. The thought of that, combined with his caring demeanor, fills me with a warm, comforting sensation that instantly quickens my heartbeat and sends the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy. Words escape me, so I simply wrap my arms around his strong neck, pull him close, and kiss him with more desire and passion than I’ve ever felt for anyone before.

He doesn’t immediately return the kiss, but when he does, a deep growl escapes him. He presses me against a nearby parked car, and we tumble into a fervent make-out session. After a while, when we’re both gasping for air, he pulls away, breathing heavily. He looks down at me with a smoldering gaze, his hands braced on either side of the car roof, pushing me firmly against the strange vehicle. My breath comes fast, my heart pounding so wildly against my ribs that I fear it might leap from my chest.

“I want everything from you, Beauty. Don’t pretend, and don’t do anything you don’t want just to please me. I’m crazy about you, no matter what you do,” he murmurs, pressing a delicate kiss on me before pulling away again and looking down at me.

“Tell me what you want, Beauty.”