I was there for her—in a heartbeat.
But my desire for her was clouding my judgment. I couldn’t think clearly because I hadn’t had sex in three weeks. Maybe that wasn’t long for some people—but that was an eternity for me.
I needed her.
I’d been drinking all night when I opened my top drawer and spotted the black thong she’d left behind. It was right on top of my socks, an erotic piece of fabric that had been soaked with her arousal more times than I could count.
I pulled it out of the drawer and brought it to my face, taking a deep breath to smell her scent. I couldn’t make anything out because it was clean and had been stuffed inside my drawer with my own clothes. Unfortunately, it smelled like me more than it smelled like her.
But that didn’t stop me from getting rock-hard.
I carried her panties to the bed and got undressed. I lay back on the mattress, squirted lube in my hand, and then went to town on myself. I wrapped her thong around my dick and used it to jerk off, feeling the fabric rub against my skin with every pump of my hand.
It wasn’t as good as her pussy—but it was good enough.
I pictured her bent over my bed, her hands tied together behind her back with my tie. Her ankles were secured together in chains so she couldn’t run away from me. I placed my hand on the steep curve of her back and pushed her down, squishing her into the mattress. My hips worked furiously to fuck her harder, driving into that warm pussy that I owned.
“Fuck.”
I came in record time, shooting toward the sky then splashing across my chest. Her panties still rubbed against my cock and my hand, soaked in a mixture of lube and come. It was a powerful orgasm despite the fact that she wasn’t really there with me. But her thong was strong enough to do the trick.
Now I felt a little better.
I didn’t see her for the rest of the week.
Days came and went, and she didn’t contact me again. Hopefully, her nightmares stopped altogether. Christopher was right across the hall from her, and I knew where Hank was every second of the day, so she had no reason to be scared.
Maybe she didn’t have a nightmare at all. Maybe it was just an excuse to see me.
I wished that were true. If it were, I wouldn’t have slept with her all night. I would have done a lot more than that.
The gala was the following night, but I hadn’t spoken to Rome about it. She and I avoided each other like we hadn’t shared an affectionate night together. Fortunately, we didn’t have any conference calls or meetings, so there was no reason for us to interact. The only sign of her presence was a short email she sent me the other day, which was so professional it annoyed me.
At the end of the day, I wanted to walk down to her office and talk to her about our plans for the following night. But coming face-to-face with her seemed too intimate. Last time we were close to each other, I almost pushed her up against the wall and crushed her mouth with mine.
When I headed to the elevator, I texted her. I’ll pick you up at 7.
The three dots appeared on the screen. Okay.
Do you need help picking out a dress?
I’ll manage.
I don’t mind getting you something. She had a nice salary but not enough to pick out something fancy. I didn’t mind buying her anything she wanted—even the Hope Diamond.
Calloway, I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.
I got inside the elevator and watched the doors close. When her dots faded and she went radio silent, I suddenly felt lonely. When I walked through my front door, I would step inside an empty house. She wouldn’t make dinner while I showered upstairs. We wouldn’t share a bottle of wine over our meal. We wouldn’t relax on the couch and read while we stared at the fire.
The thought was so depressing that I decided not to go there.
I decided to go to Ruin instead.
The bass from the music thudded against my ears. To a novice, the beat would be uncomfortable against the eardrum. But I enjoyed the loudness. It was much better than the silence of my empty house.
I moved through the crowd and watched the couples dance under the strobe lights. Flashes of blue and green moved across the dance floor and the walls. Men wore dark masks, while the woman adorned themselves in chains. Some women didn’t wear tops at all, showing off their nipple piercings.
I moved farther into the club and approached the bar. The bartender noticed my presence immediately and ignored the customers who were there before me. He poured me a scotch then tended to the others, treating me like royalty.