I grin tauntingly. “Would you like to do something a bit … easier?”
He pulls up the sleeves of his sweater and reaches for a knife and I am left just staring after him still wondering if I am dreaming. When did we become lovers who could tease each other? He notes my surprise, and stops over to kiss me. It is a slow, sweet job that shoots a painful ache of pleasure straight to my core.
Poor Brand. Tears pour down his eyes, but he won’t give up. He places a bowl of chopped onions in front of me. “What next?”
I get him to measure out the ingredients for my pancake batter and we settle into an efficient partnership. It is when I’m behind the counter, whisking the bowl of eggs that Brand comes behind me. With his hands on my hips he presses my ass into his groin. He is aroused, painfully so, and so am I. I slowly grind myself against him as his lips drag kisses along the side of my neck.
Vaguely I note that I’m losing the steady rhythm with the whisk, but as he continues I don’t even realize when it falls to the ground. Brand ignores it also. Slipping his hands into my shirt he takes hold of my breasts. By now my breathing is labored. I spread my legs apart and he slips his hand between my thighs and runs his fingers along my already soaking wet slit.
“No underwear?” he asks.
“Uh … I didn’t think it would be necessary.”
“Great call.”
Reaching behind me I undo his slacks and he caresses my pussy in rapid circular motions. I have to say, he gets me off in record time. Before I can recover fully I feel the hard thick head of his cock nudging at the lips of my sex.
A wild giggle escapes my lips as he strokes it against me. My back is already arched and ready so the moment he slams the thick shaft into me my grip on the edge of the counter is the only thing holding me up. With a hand under my thigh, he gently lifts my leg up, then begins to drill into me.
He moves in a fast, hard rhythm I have trouble keeping up with. Hell, he fucks me till I am nearly crippled. We come together. My scream echoes loudly around the still room.
Brand tucks his dick back into his trousers. “Order in?” he asks.
I shrug and nod.
Chapter Forty-Four
Brand
My eyes are supposed to be on my accountant’s reports before me, but the chair is angled just enough that I have a decent view of Liliana lying on the couch lost in a book.
Her presence calms me. I look forward to it. I look at her now and I feel no anger. When I hear her turn a page I am unable to stop myself from turning to watch her. I cannot stop watching her … and wanting her.
But my heart is troubled.
I know it will be war with her father. There is no way he is going to roll over and let me keep her. I don’t know how I will find a solution to this problem. I don’t want to hurt him because I know it will hurt her and I don’t want to hurt her or risk losing her again. But if I don’t destroy him, he will destroy me. I used to hate him so much. I was angry with him.
I’ve been angry for so long. There was so much to be angry at, and for a very long while that pain and anger was all I had. It kept me strong. It motivated me, but for now, just in these few days, I do not want to be angry. I want to enjoy the surprising peace and wholeness that I find with Liliana.
I always wondered why I could never let her go, why I could never get her off my mind. I was sure it was at my need to avenge my parents, but perhaps that was just a tiny bit of it. Perhaps there was more that the world wanted to pull my attention to.
Perhaps it is because she and I share the same soul. We are like two pieces that cannot be parted.
She looks up from her book and it’s too late for me to look away. I am caught red-handed, staring at her like a lovesick fool. But she stares right back. Then softly, kindly, she smiles at me, and I feel my chest tighten so much that it is hard to breathe.
Chapter Forty-Five
Liliana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts
It is our first date together. I stand in front of Brand in my dress and make up. He stares at me as if he can’t believe his eyes.
I smile up at him. He is dressed like a Mafia don, in a black silk shirt and black trousers. I like that he looks so dangerous and dark, but one day, I will throw away all his black silk shirts. One day he will be totally legit, like my father and all my uncles. My father used to say only a fool or a man without choices would be a criminal longer than he needed to because in the end all criminals end up behind bars if they don’t come to a nasty end before that.
“Well what do you think?” I ask, twirling around.
“You look beautiful,” he breathes.
“Are you sure I’ve got enough blusher on?”
“You don’t need any more color.” Amusement makes his eyes twinkle. “But if you do I’ll just finger you under the table. Your entire face will turn pink.”
“Promises, promises.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You think I won’t do it.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m counting on you to do it.”
We get into his SUV. Mark is driving, but it is too quiet between us. I am usually quite talkative, but between us silence usually means that unquiet thoughts have taken control.
I look down to see his hand resting on the seat so I place mine softly on his. Moving closer to him I nibble along his jawline. It has two effects. It makes him smile, and it brings Mark’s surprised gaze through the rearview mirror. He immediately returns his eye to the road while I return mine to Brand who slips his hand around my waist to pull me closer.
I lean up to whisper into his ear. “Will Mark mind if we have a quick rehearsal of what you intend to do to me at the restaurant?”
His laughter fills the car in an instant. Brand places a soft kiss on my forehead and it warms me all over. “He might not, but I very much will.”
The restaurant is in the city and we have to drive out for almost an hour to get to it. It is a private club. Very expensive and very snooty. The walls seem to be carved out in gold moldings and accentuated by cupids and murals and the chairs are a striking electric blue. The entire room is candle lit, and combined with the low chatter of other patrons and with its soft warmth, it is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner.
We are seated opposite each other, but the arrangement is quite regal, so we are not as close to each other as I’d hoped. The moment the waiter takes his leave with our order, I lightly kick Brand’s legs under the table.
“You made me a promise,” I complain.
His smile is torturously suggestive. “Oh, don’t worry. I'll take you somewhere after this.” The glint in his eyes and the promise are more than enough to take me through our dinner.
The waiters bring little teaser foods topped with feather soft cream. I take the liberty of tapping a dot on Brand’s nose. His smile lights up the whole room. Before he can clean it off I stop him and rise to my feet.
It would be too much of a stretch to lean over and take it off the way I want to so I rise with the excuse of going to the Ladies. I circle the table and lean down as though I want to whisper into his ear. My lips cover the tip of his nose for a brief second before I scurry away.
His laughter accompanies me as I make my way towards the bathroom.
Chapter Forty-Six
Brand
There is no one watching Liliana ... and she is fully aware of this.
There is still a smile on my face as I follow her progress towards the toilets, her velvety, high-slit dress hugging every curve of her beautiful body, until she disappears out of sight.
Then I look down at my hand. It is tightly clenched. How much of her heart is truly mine? Why I should feel anxious is beyond me? She could have run away that night with Pierre. She didn’t. I watch the hallway leading to the bathroom, intently, waiting ... and too afraid to think of the possibility that she has made a fool of me. Like she did before.
The seconds tick away and then the minutes.
I await Liliana
with a kind of sick dread ... and every person that emerges from the shadows of the hallways brings hope to my heart until it is revealed that she is not the one.
My gaze turns towards the view beyond of the hills above the Côte d’Azur. I don’t know why I brought her here. It was a stupid idea. All she has to do is get out of the front door and slip into a Metro. The nearest metro is like fifty meters away from this restaurant. I think of her laughing. I think of us in bed. Her skin warm and soft. Suddenly, I can bear it no more. I can’t let her go. I stand and a waiter appears at my side to ask if there is anything wrong. Ignoring him I take a step forward. My mouth feels dry. I miscalculated.
Then I see her coming towards me.
My mouth opens and air rushes out of it. She comes up to me, a frown on her face. “What’s the matter? You look pale.”
I shake my head. “Nothing is the matter.”
I watch as Liliana takes her seat in front of me, a strained smile on her face. “Are you sure you are all right?”
I pick up my glass of Irish whisky and knock it back.
She returned. She returned to me.
The food arrives with a great deal of fuss and fanfare.