CHAPTER 34
~Reese~
IN THE MIDDLE of Charles de Gaulle airport, I try not to cry and be the ridiculous lovesick woman who can’t manage a proper goodbye without snot-sobbing. It’s silly. I’ll see him soon. But not soon enough. Like in the next ten minutes, or hour, or day like I want. Standing before my past and my forever, I never realized they were one in the same. Until now.
“Don’t forget me,” I say, throwing myself into his arms once more and holding on like Claudia told me to.
“I never have.”
I smile, though it’s small, it still counts because he’s the one who made me smile. After one more kiss, I say, “I love you.”
“Don’t look so sad when you say it. Love should only be spoken from a happy heart.”
“I’m more happy than I appear. I’ll just miss you.”
With his finger under my chin, he lifts my head up. “Always hold your chin high and look on the sunny side.” He grabs me, tightly clinging to me as I did him a minute earlier. “I’ll miss you, baby.”
Purple-encased hands and arms envelop us both. “I’ll miss you too, my favorite dynamic duo.”
Both Danny I stay where we are, but slide one arm each around Vinnie. “Come on, don’t be sad. Reese will be right next to you the whole time.”
Vinnie sniffles. “But what about you? When do I get to be with you, Model Danny?”
Danny’s arms go into the air. “Everybody good? I’m good.”
Vinnie flings himself at him. “Hug me.”
With a shaking head, Danny looks at me. I frown at him, and mouth, “Hug him.”
He does, making me smile. I see his lips tugging upward despite his best efforts to stop them… until Vinnie turns his head to catch my eyes. From wrapped around Danny’s torso, Vinnie spreads his hands apart, and gobsmacked says, “Oh my Mary! Candy, you were so right about him. Lucky girl!”
As soon as he realizes what Vinnie means, he steps back. “Okay. Okay. That’s enough. We all have flights to catch.”
Laughing, I step up, kiss him on the lips, and step back again, keeping it casual like we see each other every day. Putting the vibe out into the universe that this is what I want with him. To kiss him like I’ll see him in an hour and for it come true.
I adjust my bag on my shoulder and give him a little wave goodbye. “See you soon.”
“See you soon,” he says, keeping it casual for me, and maybe for himself.
Turning around, I start walking away because it will gut me to watch him. But I can’t resist and look back, just once. There’s more distance between us than I expected and I realize he walked away at the same time, probably for the same reasons.
I thought it couldn’t get worse. Leaving Danny to go back to New York was plenty painful. Dealing with a lawsuit that cost him millions because of me, is awful. The guilt levels me to the ground.
But when I sit down in first class and ask for a magazine to read, and the flight attendant gives you a selection, one featuring a photo of you mid-orgasm on the cover, suddenly the money even seems minor. Grabbing the tabloid from her hands, I search for the date. Today. That means it’s been on newsstands in America for a few days. My heart sinks, as if it could go any lower, as I stare at the little photo on the top right corner of Danny and me in Marfa.
Desert.
Chair.
Me straddling Danny.
Head back.
Mouth open.
Fuck.
Bryker. The traitor.
“Oh God.” I cover my mouth in horror as I stare at the eye-catching headline—The Model and The Mistress.
Vinnie looks over. “What?”
I point, unable to speak.
“Huh? Ohhhhhh.” He grabs the magazine from me and flips it open to the feature inside. “There are four more photos.”
“Oh God.” I cover my eyes now, mortified.
“Wow, these look great. Have you ever considered going into porn? You really are pretty when you come.”
“We must never speak of this again.” I grab the magazine from him and whack him on the arm.
“That will be hard to do when it’s national news. See how hot he looks. God, his eyes are so intense, so… virile.”
The back of my head hits the seat and I close my eyes. “Danny is going to flip out.”
“Danny should be giving copies to everyone he knows and create a Facebook account for them. Or, even better, make an Instagram account. I’ll stalk you there. These photos are incredible. How much do you want for them? I could sell a million dollars worth of perfume by just Photoshopping a bottle right there in the corner.”
“Vinnie, I’m not kidding.”
“Neither am I. This is nothing. It’s a corner with a leading headline on a trashy rag. Everyone knows these magazines make shit up.”
My phone rings. When I pick it up from my lap, I see Danny’s face, a pic I took of him shirtless back in Marfa and saved as my screensaver. “Hi.”
“Reese, have you been to the newsstand today?”
“No.” I swallow hard. “Why?”
He pauses. “Your flight’s about to leave. Do you have Wi-Fi on your plane?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sending you a photo. A magazine cover. You might want to email your lawyers while you’re in the air. I know you’re about to take off, but contact me if you can. Don’t stress. We’ll handle this together.”
“I’ve just seen the photos. There was a copy of the magazine on my flight. I have to go, but I’ll email you as soon as I’m in the air.”
“Okay. I love you.”
No matter what’s happening in our lives—chaos or peace, I will always smile when he says that to me. “I love you, too. Be safe.”
“I will. We’ll talk soon.”
I pay for the Internet service offered, and we email several times over the course of the flight, but by the time Vinnie and I land back in New York, I’m not stressed, I’m not freaking out. I’m not even worried. I’m filled with a whole lot of I don’t care. Vinnie is right. These photos are hot and make me feel sexy. If that makes me slutty in some people’s eyes, I think I can deal with it.
In the car ride, I look at the magazine again. Vinnie made us stop so he could buy a stack. I stopped arguing with him when I realized he was still going to do it whether I protested or not. They are really sexy and I need to wear that dress more. It’s very flattering through a stalker’s lens. “You really think I’m pretty when I come?”
Vinnie bursts out laughing. “The prettiest.” He pulls an envelope from his satchel and hands it to me. “Speaking of pretty, I have a pretty offer for you. I hope you consider it.”
I open the envelope, pull the Vittori letterhead out, and start reading. Shocked, I stare at the letter. “You’re offering me a job?” It took me years to finally land a large account, and Vittori no less—one of the biggest brands in the world. I love Vinnie. My life is better with him in it. Now I have a chance to make my career better. Klein has beaten me down mentally for years, but I was doing what I was told I had to—serving my time, so to be given this opportunity… My happiness lumps in my throat.
“Not just any job. Marketing Director. I need one. You need a job. It works out.”
“Vinnie,” I say, tears threatening, “I’m so touched. I can’t believe you want to hire me.”
“You’re the best person for the job and I think you’re a creative genius. This campaign has gone so smoothly and I enjoyed it. I haven’t had this much fun in years. My line is inspired by the colors of the desert, the grays of the city, and the blues of Paris. I’ve already started sketching and I think this may be my best line yet. I owe that all to you, Candy girl.”
“You don’t owe me a job and I don’t want to take advantage of our friendship.”
“You’re not. You’re the most qualified candidate I could wish for.”
Wiping the corner of my eye when a tear slips, I tilt my head back to keep any more from falling. I’m not sure Vinnie understands how much his confidence in me means. Vittori. I could be working for Vittori.
The car comes to a stop outside his building and the sadness from our looming goodbye builds in my chest.
“Just read the offer over and get back to me when things calm down with the lawsuit, which by the way, I’m still willing to cover the payout, if you want.”
“No. I can’t take that much money. We’re working it out, but thank you. From the bottom of my heart for the offer, but mostly for your friendship.” We hug just as the door opens. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Remember Leo, the bartender?”
His eyebrows waggle. “Do I ever.”
“We talked when I was in Paris. I have his number and he’s definitely interested in walking the runway for you. He’s new to this, so I said you’d be happy to give him some pointers.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“No, but by looking at the salary you’re offering me, I’d say you love me a lot.”
He laughs. “It’s true. I do.” As he’s getting out of the car, he says, “Thank you for your friendship as well, Reese.” With no over-the-top hand gestures or facial expressions, I can tell he speaks from the heart.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING I talk to Danny when he finally gets home. “The photos are out there. We’ve already decided to pay the settlement, so they won’t work against us now in the case. We’re admitting what we did from the get-go.”
My reasoning makes him pause, needing time to process it. “You’re okay that they printed them?”
“No. I think we should sue the magazine for printing them and Bryker for selling them, but I don’t want to stress about this. I’d rather let our lawyers handle it so we can focus on our future.”
His smile is heard through his words. “I’m liking this new Reese. That’s so easygoing of you. Well, the non-suing part. What changed your mind?”
“You’ve changed my mind, about everything. You’ve been right all along. I’m choosing to look on the sunny side of life. It’s much warmer there.”
“Yes, it is.” I hear him exhale, relieved. “I know we’re supposed to see each other in six days, but how do you feel about coming out here sooner?”
Practically swooning, I ask, “You miss me?”
“All day long and don’t even get me started on the night.”
* * *
“I ALMOST LIKE us being apart just so we can have reunions like this,” Danny says, lying on his back with me lying on top of him.
“Me too.”
His fingers slide into my hair and down my back before they work their way back up. “I like us together more.”
“Me too.” I sit up and carefully maneuver to the side of him on top of the dining room table, snuggling into the nook of his arm. “This table is hard. Wanna move to the couch?”
“How about a shower? The party started an hour ago.”
“It’s LA. Everyone’s fashionably late here.”
He gets off the table and scoops me up into his arms. “Glad you’ve adapted to the local customs.” He attacks my neck with kisses, nips, and licks. While I’m kicking and giggling, he says, “That means we’ve got time for another round in the shower.”
My laughter stops when my eyes meet his. Oh! My heart starts thudding in my chest from the intensity revealed in the caramel centers of his eyes. The man’s insatiable. Fortunately for him, I feel the same.
I kiss his forehead and his temple, lower against the scruff of his jaw, even lower to his neck. His breath deepens as his skin heats beneath my lips.
He carries me into the bathroom and asks, “Against the mirror or in the shower?”
“Shower.”
Setting me down on the rug, he steps into the large shower stall and turns on both showerheads. The body jets start after a push of the button and the water falls from the large panel above that makes me feel as if we’ve gotten caught in the rain.
When the waters warm, he opens the door and invites me in. The glass door fogs behind me as I watch the fog creep up the other glass wall. Danny’s in the middle of it all gloriously wet, his eyes on me, water glistening over his body.
My fingertips glide from his shoulders down over his chest, maneuvering over each hard muscle of his stomach, then lower. I take hold of his erection, the skin smooth over his hardness. Long strokes with both hands, from base to tip, cause him to drop his head back, his eyes closing. A moan is heard from deep within his chest.
“What do you want me to do, Danny? Anything, for you.”
He looks at me with a grin on his face, one that shares what he feels inside—ardor, devotion, respect His hand covers my cheek, and he replies, “You think I’m going to say some crazy position or maybe even come inside your throat. But if you ask me what I want most, my answer will always be the same—you, to be inside you. You’re too temporary to me. You’re a tent that is temporary and can be easily undone.” Taking my face between his hands, he kisses me with such deep affection, that my knees slightly give. “You’re my Taj Mahal. You’re my home built of love and passion. I look at you and see the grandeur.” With a light smile, he says, “You’re the book I read when I want to relive the story of us.”
From his steady confession of feelings, my knees gather strength and I reach up to kiss him. Then with my own impassioned smile, I say, “You’re my Taj Mahal too.”
“How about being Taj Mahal together?”
“I like that. Very much.” One kiss leads to another, and then leads to more. I lower back down and wrap my hand around his length. With a firm hold, I slide against his silken skin.
A rumble in his chest draws my attention and my eyes meet his. “Turn around, baby.”
“God I love when you call me that.” I turn around and stand with my back to him.
And then the seduction begins.
His hands slide down my arms as his lips drag a trail of kisses across my shoulder. Our fingers entwine and his tongue finds the shell of my ear. I tilt my head to the side, my wet hair falling with it. He licks my neck and behind my ear before he presses his lips to it. Danny takes my hands and slowly brings them above my head, palms flat against the glass. My breath stops, caught in the moment, and he whispers, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever kissed. You’re the only woman I ever want to be with again.”
My exhale turns into quickened breaths as his hands leave mine exactly where he wanted. Taking me by the hips, he pulls me back just enough to angle my backside. “You’re so fucking gorgeous, baby.”
I feel his cock as he slides against my ass. Although we’ve never gone there, I’m aroused. I’m not sure if I’m ready for more, like that, but I’m tempted. Pushing back just enough to encourage him for more, his hands tighten over my hipbones and he says, “Patience.”
Patient is the last thing I feel. I feel alive, frenzied, and wanton in the worst of sexual ways. I’m a woman on the verge. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“You’re feeling right now.”
“I’m aching right now.”
“What are you aching for?”
“You.” I struggle to keep my hands in place, my shoulders starting to burn, my body on fire for him. “Please touch me.”
He grabs my breasts and squeezes several times before moving two fingers between my legs and running them over my sensitive clit. My body jerks from the contact before I seek it out again.
But he stops and repositions, the tip of his penis, a fan-fucking-tastic pressure where I want him most. I close my eyes, savoring every inch as he much too slowly fills me.
My head pushes against the glass, my arms stretched above, my body taken by the only man who ever made me want to give it to him. Turning my head, my cheek is cooled by the glass as the steam billows around us. The hot water runs down our bodies as he pulls slowly back out and in again.
Torture. He’s fucking torturing me. “Please. Faster.”
“You sure?”
“God, yes.”
“Well since you put it that way.” Briskly pulling me back until I’m flush against him, my arms fall down and he says, “Brace yourself.”
My hands press to the glass, tension filling my arms just as he moves me forward and slams back in, controlling my body. I come so close to hitting the glass, but he’s careful. Even when he’s not.
Each thrust touches me deeper, touches my heart, my soul, and awakens my every muscle. My nerves raw with anticipation, continuing the sensations sparking across my skin that he ignited earlier in the dining room.
His breath cools my skin that the water heats. Grabbing me by the shoulders, I give him leverage to speed his pace, his breathing joining the race. His large hand covers my body and he’s pressed against me, his mouth at my ear. “I’ll make you feel good, so good, baby.” His fingers spread. He puts gentle pressure on my stomach as he moves over it and parts my legs. So much. My body feeling everything he gives and yet, craving more. It doesn’t take but a few well-calculated circles directly on my clit to have me falling apart beneath him. My moans of pleasure seduce him as he covers my hands, dragging them up the glass until he’s thrusting with our own rhythm and falling apart through his owns moans of ecstasy.
His head rests on my shoulder, our hands together in front of us until our breathing calms. He steps away and the hot water covers me instead. Turning around, Danny is leaning against the wall across from me. His sly grin slipping into place. “You’re gonna be the death of me, woman.”
Cozying up to him, I kiss his chest right over his heart several times. “It will be the sweetest of deaths though.”
His arms come around me and he holds me. Kissing the top of my head, he sighs and I feel his body relax. “The best death I could ever wish for.”
I duck under the rainfall showerhead and push my hair back. Catching him watching me, I say, “Don’t die on me. I’m gonna hit my sexual prime down the road and I want you to be there.”
Chuckling, he joins me. Taking me by the waist, he says, “I wouldn’t miss that for anything. I don’t want to miss anything with you ever again.”
“Love you.”
“Love you more.”