Book1: Finding You

 

Chantelle

I still felt sketchy, even after three whole months of starting my new life, I still felt like I had to hide. I jumped at every noise, flinched when someone got too close, and covered my face as much as possible every time I went out in public. I still wasn’t me, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I ever would be again.

It was as if my mind hadn’t fully registered that I’d left that life behind now and that I was free to do as I chose. I still felt like that scared little mouse, and there was nothing that I could do to change that.

And there was only one person to blame for all of it.

Jon Richards – the ex from hell. A nightmare in real life. The man I wasted four and a half good years of my life with.

When I first met Jon, it was a dream come true. He was kind, loving, really romantic, and I was quickly swept along by it all. Having only dated bums and lowlifes in the past, I thought I’d really found a good man at last, and I didn’t ever want to let him go. He was gorgeous too – in a blond-haired, brown-eyed, surfer type look. He used to melt my heart. He seemed too good to be true, and as it turned out, he was.

Things were great until the day I moved into his large, stunning home. A time that should have been the happiest of my life rapidly went sour as I realized Jon wasn’t quite the man I thought he was after all.

It started with emotional abuse – comments about my weight and my appearance, digs for ‘flirting’ every time I spoke to a man – everything he said chipped away more and more of my confidence until I was nothing more than a shell of my former self; a state that I still found myself in. Before Jon, I was a fairly carefree, happy, confident kind of woman – and I really hoped that one day, once I’d fully recovered from all of this – I could find that version of myself once more.

It wasn’t long before the first slap came. I could easily recall it, as if it had only just happened, and when I did, the skin on my face prickled with the memory. The first time he slapped me was because I wore something that he deemed too revealing. After that, he seemed to hit me for even more minor things than that. It quickly became that I could do nothing right. Worst, I was too afraid to leave him. I even started to blame myself. He had me fully under his spell, and there seemed to be nothing that I could do about it.

Well, looking back, I could have and I should have, but I didn’t. I remained cowardly – a personality trait that I had been trying to overcome for a long time.

It was only when I overheard Jon discussing his money laundering scheme with a girl half his age – a girl he’d clearly been sleeping with – that I finally worked up the courage to go. I already assumed that he was cheating on me – and to be honest I didn’t care because it seemed to make him happy, and when he was happy he was less likely to lash out – but to find out that he would so willingly discuss what seemed like criminal activities with these bimbos meant that I could be implicated, too, even though I knew nothing and had no involvement. After all, if he told his mistress, who would believe that he would not also tell me?

The threat of prison is what finally pushed me into action. I refused to go to prison for that man. Not after all his abuse.

Until then, I never really knew where Jon’s money came from, and I never wanted to find out. But as soon as I did discover the truth, I left with the clothes on my back and I didn’t look back. I never wanted to be in the same city as him again, never mind house. I had barely anything, and no idea where to go, but for the first time in a very long time I felt a sense of relief.

I had a little bit of money squirreled away that I’d been stashing for a long time, just in case I ever needed it. That got me the bus ticket to Minnesota, far away from Jon and his dealings. There, I was lucky to land a job in a country town. I thought it was safer to be away from a big city. I was employed in a café, and it had cheap board too. It was the perfect solution for someone like me who needed to remain anonymous and in the background.

I might not have had much in my life, but it was much better than before, and I was so pleased about that. For anyone else, this existence might have seemed silly and meaningless, but to me it was mine and I couldn’t have been prouder of it.

“Can I get you anything?” I asked the suited man who clearly had all kinds of money at his disposal. We got all sorts in here, so nothing surprised me, but there was something about this man that had me intrigued.

There was something different about him, and I couldn’t work out what it was, but for some reason I wanted to know more – and that was a feeling that I hadn’t experienced for a very long time.

But of course I couldn’t. Not until I was fully repaired inside. I would just have to admire this tall, dark and very handsome man from afar. He might have been muscular and very smartly dressed for this small time café, but that wouldn’t be enough to draw me in. Not until I was ready.

“Yes, please.” He smiled warmly back. “I would like a black coffee and a continental breakfast please.”

“Coming right up,” I said with a smile as I wrote down his order.

As I walked back to the kitchen, I help smiling. There was no denying that my body was flying all over the place with what he’d made me feel.

 

***

Aaron

 

As I glanced up at the beautiful, pale skinned, red-haired waitress who had bangs so thick that they practically covered her eyes, I felt a stirring inside of me – one that hadn’t been there for a very long time.

I felt intrigue, interest, and desire.

I shuffled in my seat, wondering what to do about that. The waitress looked shy, quiet and very sweet, and for some reason that drew me in more. It was as though she were my opposite, and I was very attracted to that.

I normally kept women at arm’s length because I always found that they were only ever after one thing. As soon as they learned that I was a billionaire, all they wanted was my money and the things that I could buy for them, and it had just about put me off for life.

There was one woman, Emma, whom I had fallen for when I was much younger. Emma was a stunning older woman that set my world alight, but she turned out to be a manipulative moneygrubber. She ditched me the day after our wedding, absolutely crushing me. She left me bereft, but that was only the start of it. Her divorce settlement paid her handsomely, thanks to clever lawyers, but ended up almost destroying the business that I’d built up from scratch, and costing me a fortune.

But I worked hard to restore my company and my wealth, and I wouldn’t ever do anything to risk it again.

After Emma, I vowed that I would wait until I found someone that was truly worthy of my affections before giving anything back again, and for some reason, it felt like this woman, this small-town waitress with the shy, smiling eyes, was her. I wasn’t sure what had me so convinced, it was just an instinct deep inside, an instinct that somehow overcame all the doubts and fears I had about women after Emma.

As she brought my order over to my table, I couldn’t help but wonder why she seemed so shrunken in on herself. Why did she hold herself as though she did not want people to see her? It was as if she was trying to hide away from the world. She was gorgeous and lovely to boot, so why didn’t she want anyone to see her?

It made me like her even more.

“Thank you, Chantelle,” I smiled, reading the name from her badge. “That’s wonderful, it all looks amazing.”

“Oh erm, you’re welcome.” The way her face flushed bright red had my heart melting for her. She was adorable, and I couldn’t help wanting to know more. She was about to leave my table, but I couldn’t let her go just yet.

“So, have you lived here long?” I asked. Her eyes widened at my interest in her, and she quickly shook her head no. “So, you probably don’t know the place very well then?” Again she shook her head no, so I asked, “Would you like me to show you about sometime?” I figured a woman this shy wouldn’t respond too well to be asked out on a date outright, so I thought that doing it in a roundabout way would be the best way to break down those walls.

“Oh, I… I…” she stammered, looking increasingly anxious with each passing second. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

She was saying no? That took me aback. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Sure she wasn’t like anyone else I’d ever met, but I’d become so convinced that we were meant to be that it felt weird to be rejected.

“Thank you though, that’s really kind,” she continued, too diplomatically or my liking.

As she walked off, leaving me behind, totally speechless, I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to let her go. I knew that I probably should let her go, as she was clearly dealing with something heavy to be so subdued, but I liked her enough to persist. I hadn’t felt like this for such a long time that it felt like a shame just to ignore it and let it pass me by.

I decided that I would return to this café every day until she agreed to a date. I was so confident that there was something between us that I was certain she would eventually give in to me.

 

***

Chantelle

 

The rich man, the one that I now knew was called Aaron, started coming into my workplace every single day, and every time it ended in the same way – he would ask me out on some form of date, and I would refuse yet again.

I didn’t like rejecting him one bit because he was so sweet and lovely, and I could tell that he really liked me. I liked him too. He was gorgeous, lovely and well-to-do – every woman’s dream – but I couldn’t go out with him, not yet. It was too soon after Jon. It just didn’t feel right. I knew for a fact that my head wasn’t in the right place. Now wasn’t the time. I didn’t want to mess something up that could be amazing.

I didn’t want Jon to take yet another thing from me. I needed the control that he had over my life gone forever.

“I’m going to ask you again, sweetheart,” said Aaron. He gave me that heart stopping grin, and it took all that I had not to completely fall apart. I was never going to be able to keep this up forever, he was utterly irresistible. “Will you go to dinner with me tonight?” he said.

I bit my lip, gazing at him for just a little too long, and I felt the answer on my lips – the ‘no’ that I always gave – but somehow, this time it didn’t quite come.

Could I?

Was I really considering this?

How much would I hate it if he actually gave up asking me out?

My heart pounded as my mind span. I kept telling myself to just get my rejection out there before his hopes got too high, but it was too late. He was already looking at me with a wide eyed mixture of plea and happiness. I couldn’t crush that now, but I couldn’t break my promise to myself either. Could I?

Could I?

“Yes,” I heard myself answering before I’d fully thought it through. “I would love to go out with you, thank you.”

What? What was I doing? Why was I saying that?

But the way that his face shone with happiness made me feel a sense of pride. Maybe it was time to stop letting the past rule my present, maybe it was time to move on after all.

Oh God, was I really doing this? Was I actually starting to move forward?

 

***

Aaron

 

“Yes, I would love to go out with you, thank you.”

As she finally said the words that I’d been longing to hear, I felt my heart skip a beat. It had only taken a few weeks since I started to visit Chantelle in the café, and those weeks had been the best time of my life. Life was just better with her in my day. Nothing that came before had ever compared. Spending precious moments with this sweet self-deprecating girl had opened my eyes to a world that I’d long shut off. I’d spent far too much time around gold diggers and airheads that I forget there were decent women in the world.

“Okay, great,” I said, smiling brightly, feeling more anxious than I let on. Now that I’d gotten the ‘yes’ I almost didn’t know what to do with it. “Shall I pick you up at eight?”

“Erm…” her pale face suggested that she didn’t like my plan at all. “Can I meet you somewhere? I just feel a little…”

“Okay sure,” I jumped in quickly. Not wanting anything to put her off. I didn’t want her to back down now – that would be awful. “Shall I meet you outside here at eight?” I prayed that she would agree. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if she turned me down again.

“Okay,” she said. She looked visibly relieved at my new suggestion, which allowed a sense of relief to flood over me. “That sounds great.”

As she turned around to walk away, I felt a sense of happiness overcome me. I vowed that I would give this girl the date of her life. I could see that she really deserved it, and that she needed it. 

I thought over everything that I’d ever done on dates in the past, but none of it felt good enough for Chantelle. I’d been out for the fanciest dinners, seen the best theater shows, spent nights in the most exclusive nightclubs. But none of that felt good enough for her. She wasn’t the materialistic type, which meant that I was going to have to go for something different.

And then an idea hit me, and I raced from the café, excited to get it all organized.

This was going to be amazing!

 

***

Chantelle

 

As I stood outside the café, nervously tapping my feet against the cold, concrete ground, I felt like I wanted to give up on more than one occasion. I hated everything about the way I looked and the things I was wearing, and I didn’t know what to do about it. I hadn’t brought any nice clothes with me when I ran away from Jon, and I hadn’t had a lot to spend since, so I only had one fairly decent plain black dress that I’d purchased for my job interview. Then I didn’t have anything to make my hair look good, so it was just hanging loosely down my back, and I didn’t have any makeup with me so my face was scrubbed clean. I was sure that I looked all wrong, but it was too late to do anything about that now.

It wasn’t ever going to be enough. I was sure that Aaron normally went out with rich supermodel types, and I had no idea why I’d agreed to this date. I really should have stuck to my original plan of saying no.

Ugh, my insecurities were going to be the death of me!

“Hi,” that familiar, manly voice called out from behind me, shaking me from my negative thought spiral, and causing me to spin around in surprise. I half-expected him to do something ridiculously flashy like turn up in a limousine or something, so I was glad that he hadn’t. I don’t think I would have been able to cope with that. But he had arrived on foot, which meant that we would be walking to our destination – perfect. “Are you okay Chantelle?” he asked, looking genuinely concerned, which proved that my emotions must have been all over my face.

“Yeah,” I gasped, trying to sound more confident than I felt. I needed him to think that I at least sort of had it together! I didn’t want him to see any of my vulnerabilities – I just wasn’t ready for that just yet. “I’m fine.”

“Let’s go,” he replied, brushing over my awkwardness. Then he took my arm in his and he swept me along. I was glad for the sudden switch of activity – it took my mind off things.

As soon as he started to talk, everything else melted away. All of my fears, worries, and insecurities just vanished. Aaron had this way of putting me at ease, even when I was feeling my worst, which made me glad that I’d agreed to this date. No one had ever made me feel that way before, and it was exactly what I needed at this point in my life.

I had butterflies floating all over my body, which I knew were dangerous because they could lead to feelings, but I couldn’t stop them from flapping. Aaron had me feeling like I never had before, and that terrified and excited me in equal measures. This wasn’t like the way that things were with Jon – even in the beginning. This felt different, but in a really good way.

“Now, I have a choice for you,” he offered as we walked along the river bank, in what felt like the most romantic setting ever. “We can either go to the French restaurant at the edge of town…” My heart sank at his words – that was an extremely ritzy place, the sort of building I would never fit in at. But then he continued, managing to lift my spirits all over again. “Or, we could go to the library café that’s just opened.”

“Library café?” I asked curiously, unsure as to what he was referring to. “I’ve only just moved here quite recently, so I’m not sure where that is.”

He smiled to himself, before continuing to speak. “It’s this new, themed café which is filled with library books. It’s decorated like an old fashioned library.”

“Like in Beauty and the Beast?” I asked excitedly, forgetting myself for a moment. I just revealed a very dorky side of myself, and I panicked that it might just put him off.

Luckily, he seemed to understand my reference and he laughed loudly and kindly. “Something like that. I take it that’s where you would prefer to go then? You’d rather that over the French place?”

“Oh my God, yes!” I gasped, not even needing the time to think about it. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. “That sounds amazing.”

“Well that’s good,” he shot me a heart-stopping grin. “Because I already went ahead and booked the whole place out for us tonight.”

“What?” I gasped in shock. “How did you know?”

“I could just tell.”

Those words had me flying high. Somehow Aaron seemed to see right into me, even though I was trying to keep myself hidden, and that made me feel incredibly special. 

***

The night that followed was easily one of the best of my entire life – if not the best. I felt like I was living in a real life fairy tale, a dream, but it was real. The library was amazing, the books were wonderful, and so was the food. But what made it best of all was Aaron. He was sweet, charming, and I was enjoying being with him so much.

As he told me his life story, I was really interested and listened intently. He was absolutely fascinating. Then when I told him mine, leaving out only the bleak parts, he asked all the right questions showing. He seemed genuinely interested in me.

The more time I spent in his presence, the more my desire grew for him too. It wasn’t just his amazing body that had me going, it was him. His personality, his nature, him. I’d never felt anything as strong before, and I couldn’t block it out no matter what.

So when he turned to me and he asked if I wanted to see his home, I didn’t hesitate for even a second. I might have been unsure when the night started, but now the desire that was coursing through my body was ruling me. I wanted this guy, and not even my shitty past was going to get in the way of that.

“Yes, thank you,” I panted as a response. “I’d love that.”

He held my hand in his, giving me a look that suggested he might just kiss me, but instead he tugged my arm and pulled me upwards instead.

“Okay, come on. Let’s go.”

 

***

Aaron

 

I couldn’t believe it when Chantelle agreed to come back with me. I hadn’t planned to ask her. I’d only asked on a whim, but I couldn’t deny how happy I was when she said yes. She liked me and she wanted to spend more time with me. This date had been a roaring success.

Not that I had any expectations, all I knew was that I wasn’t ready for the night to end. We could do whatever she wanted – I would be happy no matter what.

I had to hail a cab to take us from the library café to my home because I lived so far out. As we drove, I couldn’t help but keep glancing over towards Chantelle nervously, to check that she hadn’t changed her mind. But she seemed to look just as keen as before.

I just panicked about what she was going to think of my home. It was a huge, flashy mansion that I’d purchased a very long time ago, and it tended to bring out a whole range of emotions in the rare few people that I brought to visit. 

“Woah,” she gasped as she stepped outside onto my grounds. “This is… something else.” But she didn’t seem too impressed – a certain warning sign of a gold digger – she just seemed a little bewildered. Good. The ones that instantly grabbed onto my arms looking like the cat who had the cream – those were the ones to watch out for.

“Yeah,” I laughed nervously, wanting to change the subject before things got too weird. It was too much, I knew that, but now that I was living there I couldn’t be bothered to move. “It’s okay. Shall we go inside?” I placed my hand on the small of her back and I guided her towards the front door. I didn’t want to discuss how many rooms there were, or how expensive it had been, I just wanted to resume the best date of my entire damn life!

I ushered her quickly through the reception room, wanting to get her to the kitchen which was the most normal-looking room of the house. When I brought the place with the money I made from setting up my finance management business at a very young age, I hadn’t cared what it looked like too much. I left far too much of the design up to the interior designer, who seemed to think that I wanted the house to resemble a palace. Some of the luxuries included were absolutely ridiculous, but it was too late to change them now. Besides, I was used to them.

“Do you want a drink?” I asked, reaching into the cupboard to grab a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine. She nodded, so I poured her one quickly, wanting her to feel relaxed again. I felt nervous myself, so there was no telling how anxious Chantelle must have been! Maybe this was a bad idea after all, maybe we should have left it at the café.

“Are you okay?” I couldn’t help but ask, desperately needing her reassurance that she wanted to be there. We were like two cats, skirting around one another, neither of us knowing how to make the first move.

“I am. It’s just…” Charlotte took in a deep sigh and stared right at me, giving me an intense look with her warm and inviting eyes. “I guess that I’m a little scared by how much I like you.”

Woah, for someone who had been so shy up until now, that sure was forward. I didn’t know what to make of it.

“I, erm…” I stuttered. I found myself speechless at her revelation. How did she expect me to respond to that? My mind whirred, trying desperately to think of the best thing to say, but I was drawing a frustrating blank.

Say something, I willed myself. Reassure her, make her feel better!

“It’s okay,” she quickly jumped in before I could tie myself into knots. “I know this might be a bit much for a first date, but I want to tell you the truth now. Just in case we ever… become anything.” Her tone was wary now, which had me worried. She was about to tell me something that I didn’t like, and I needed to respond in the right way if I didn’t want to push her away forever. I straightened out my face, and tried my best to calm my racing heart. “Not so long ago, I escaped an abusive relationship. I ran away and started my own life, but I do still feel like I need to constantly look over my shoulder.”

Okay, well that was her uncertainly explained! The reason she spent so much of her life hunched over and hiding her face from the rest of the world, was because she had run away from someone who abused her in one way or another. Did he hit her? Mentally abuse her? Or something else? I wanted to ask, but it didn’t feel like the right moment to do so, so I clamped my lips tightly shut, wanting her to open up at her own pace. That felt only right.

“My ex was a horrible man,” she continued, physically shaking as she spoke. I wanted to step forward and comfort her, but something was holding me back. I gave her space and let her continue. “And I guess it’s only fair that you know I’m still suffering the after effects of that. I don’t want…” She blew out some air, as if it was hard for her to keep her emotions inside. “I don’t want something to happen between us, only for my past to come back to haunt me.”

I held her hands in mine, looking deeply into her soul, knowing exactly what I wanted to say. “I like you Chantelle. I like you a lot, and I’ve really enjoyed my time getting to know you, and I’d love to do that more. If you’re not ready for anything to happen between us, then I completely understand, but I hope that I can still see you.” Her revelation wasn’t enough to put me off her, not at all. We were in this now. I was hooked by her wonderful personality, and I wasn’t even slightly ready to let her go. I wanted her to tell me more, to open up to me, but she already looked spent from the amount that she’d given me, so I knew that the best thing I could do was to step back and to let her do what she needed to do. I just prayed that she would stick around for long enough to tell me the entire story.

She mused thoughtfully for a second, biting her lip in the most adorable way possible, making my heart tremble with fear and excitement as I waited for her next move. I just had to be patient until she was ready. 

Then she did something that completely shocked me. She leant forward and she kissed me lightly on my lips, causing my heart to flutter wildly as a response. She still wanted me, she was still happy to be here with me, and that made me happier than anything else in the world! I was so afraid that talking about her past would pull her away from me, and I was so glad that it hadn’t.

As my arms wrapped around her, and she pulled me in closer, causing the kiss to deepen, I started to panic. Was this what she wanted? Was I going to be something that she ended up regretting? Were we moving too quickly?

“Are you sure?” I panted against her mouth, praying that she would be honest with me. I stared at her as she nodded, seeing the lust evident in her eyes.

Okay, this was it. She really did want me. I smiled brightly at her, really drinking in her gorgeous appearance for a moment. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have someone so beautiful and so lovely here with me. Sure, she had her baggage, but I knew what it was now, which meant that we could deal with it together.

“You’re amazing,” I whispered, stroking her cheek gently. “I’m so glad that you’re here with me.”

“Me too,” she said, nodding happily. “I’m so glad I finally said yes.”

And that was enough to have me kissing her all over again.

 

***

Chantelle

 

Within the next second, we were making out like horny teenagers, unable to get enough of one another. Now that everything holding us back was gone, and my secret was already out, I felt like I could really give myself to Aaron. I wasn’t sure what made me confess about my past. But I knew I wanted him, and I was really glad that I had tell him. It made this feel so much better.

He knew everything and he still wanted me. He knew that I was fragile and damaged, and it hadn’t been enough to send him running for the hills. That had to mean something… right?

I ran my fingers through his freshly groomed hair, and he started to move his fingers all over my body, exploring my peaks and curves in a way that I’d never experienced before. Of course sex had been difficult for me for a very long time, because my warped relationship with Jon, but even before he ruined me it never managed to feel this good. Aaron’s touch was soft and gentle, yet passionate all at once. It made me feel amazing.

Yep, it was official. I’d never been so sure of anything in my life. It might have seemed unwise, and it might not have been the move that anyone else would make, but I did it, and I couldn’t be happier. I  finally felt free enough to make my own choices, and this was the right one for me.

I knew that I was acting really out of character for myself, but I didn’t care. Aaron had already been so patient with me already, and he’d given me the best night of my life. The date he’d arranged was absolutely perfect for me, and it made me feel like he could see deeply into my soul, and instead of worrying me it felt amazing. I’d spent such a long time walking on eggshells, not doing anything that I wanted, that it felt amazing finally to be able to give in to my body’s desires.

After a few more moments of kissing, Aaron pushed me backwards until I was lying across his dining table, and he stared down at me, smiling at me as if I was making him the happiest man alive. As his eyes travelled over my body, I found myself no longer wanting to hide away from him. I wanted him to see, I wanted him to be able to look at me in that way. It was a feeling that I hadn’t experienced in a very long time, and it made me feel really good about myself.

“You’re beautiful,” he commented, making me blush furiously. I knew that I wasn’t gorgeous enough to deserve that compliment, but it was nice to hear all the same. It made me feel special.

“I… thank you,” I mumbled as my face heated up with embarrassment. “You’re gorgeous too – but I’m sure you already know that.”

He pushed back for a second, giving me a curious look. “Do you think that just because I’m wealthy, that I’m a player too?” He seemed hurt, so I averted my eyes, a little ashamed of my comment. He said, “I always get that, but I’m really not that way at all…”

“No, no,” I shook my head quickly, wanting to distract him before my thoughtless comment really derailed things. I didn’t want this to stop now, not when it was feeling so good. “Just that… you’re very handsome, and you must get people telling you that all the time.” Was I explaining that right? I wasn’t sure, and from the way his face contorted in pain, it felt like everything I’d said was wrong.

“I’ve been hurt too,” he admitted, stepping backwards slightly. I leant up on my elbows, looking at him with concern plastered on my face. “I’m wary of others as well.” This had me thinking. Sure, I hadn’t assumed that he was a player, but I did think that he had the world at his feet, so it was weird to hear otherwise. It was strange to think that he might have similar reservations to me. “I’ve only ever had women interested in my money, and it’s difficult to imagine that anyone would like me for anything other than that.”

It hit me then how much we had in common, despite our very different backgrounds. We both had walls up, and we both had experienced pain from others. I could see now that it wasn’t just me that needed to be healed – it was him too. This made me feel a deeper, stronger bond between us. I wanted to be able to help him as he did me, I wanted us to be the light at the end of each other’s tunnels.

Sure, it might make me crazy to be thinking like that so soon, but there was something between us. I just knew it.

“I like you for you,” I told him, repeating his words back at me. “You’re kind and sweet, and I would like you no matter what. Even if you had nothing, and you lived in a cardboard box, I would still like you.” I smiled brightly at him, hoping that he would see how serious I was, but he didn’t laugh like I expected him to.

Emotions crossed his face. Before it could overcome me, he started to kiss me once more in a way that was much steamier and definitely leading somewhere! Okay that was good, he was still happy to be with me, and that was just what I wanted.

“Do you want to do this?” he whispered to confirm that I was definitely on board, and I nodded confidently as a reply. I was aching for him, my body warm all over, if I didn’t get him soon I might just lose my mind. I needed him now, we’d waited for far too long. I couldn’t wait anymore.

As if to prove my point, I arched my back and reached out for him, tugging him back to my lips, where we kissed some more.

As soon as he confirmed that I wanted him for real, he started to trail his fingers up my legs, which caused an involuntary moan to escape past my lips. I was hornier than I’d ever been before, and that haze of lust had me acting a little like a sex goddess – it was crazy!

As he started rubbing me through my panties with his fingertips, he sent a whole bunch of unexpected, wild sensations bursting right through me. The desire was overflowing now and if I didn’t claim him soon I wasn’t sure what it would do to me.

I began panting wildly against his lips, showing him what he was doing to me. I wanted him to understand just how desperate I was for this to happen, so that he wouldn’t hold back, and eventually because of this I found my fingers unbuttoning his trousers. I wanted to get a feel of him.

Once his thick length was between my fingers, I experimented with movements up and down his shaft, just to see what worked for him, and soon he was trembling with excitement above me. I was driving him wild, and I couldn’t believe it. I had this strong, powerful man a mess at my fingertips, and that made me feel absolutely amazing.

“Stop,” he panted breathlessly. He sounded desperate, which was the only thing that made me comply. “Wait, I need to…”

And then he pulled back and he tugged a condom from his pocket, looking a little awkward as he did. It was obvious that he hadn’t necessarily planned for this, but it was a good job that he had – we were going fast, but a surprise baby at this stage would have been too much!

I ran my eyes all over his body, really seeing him for the very first time. It was clear from his muscular body and sculpted abs that he was a man who really looked after himself. He looked damn good. He was leagues above me, but that didn’t matter. It was me that he was here with, and that was all I focused on.

“I need you naked,” Aaron suddenly growled excitedly into my ear, showing me that he was ready for me once more. He slid my underwear down my legs, leaving me exposed for him. I felt anxious as he looked me up and down, and even more so when he pulled my dress over my head, but the desire-filled look that he was giving me suggested that he still wanted me just as much as I did him. That made me feel sexy and thrilled all at once.

I moaned happily, as his fingers edged closer to me. I was so hot and wet for him, and I couldn’t wait for him to see just what he was doing to me. He was sending my body into flames, and I needed him to know that.

As his slipped his fingers in one by one, I allowed my head to roll back in ecstasy. It felt amazing, and I wanted it to go on and on. It had been such a long time since I’d felt so good that I’d almost forgotten what it felt like.

As I buckled and cried out with his expert touch, he started to place kisses over my breasts and slowly down my body. I didn’t really think about what he was doing, I was just lying there enjoying the sensations, so when his tongue darted inside of my entrance, I almost screamed with the weird and wonderful sensations that he sent flying through my body.

“Does that feel good?” he asked, sounding pleased with himself. “Do you like that?” I couldn’t respond, even if he really needed an answer because he started to claim my clit with his mouth, driving me wild. I was breathless, unable to even think, never mind form a sentence, and that was all because of him.

Just as the hot pool of bliss began to creep from my stomach and around the rest of my body, Aaron moved away leaving me close to exploding with pleasure.

“No,” I whimpered sadly, frustration consuming me. “What are you doing to me?”

I sat up, ready to really have it out with him, but then I saw that he was edging in towards me, ready to give me exactly what I’d been craving all night.

“Lie back,” he commanded, pulling me closer to the edge of the table. “I need you in that position.” Then I felt him tentatively teasing my entrance, trying to see how much I could take. I tried to move towards him, to tell him that I was ready, but I found myself stuck in a position where he had total control over me.

And I actually really liked that.

For someone who had spent such a long period of my life feeling stuck, I shouldn’t have enjoyed it so much, but this was different, this was sexy and I was loving every damn second of it.

After a moment, he edged in slowly, and I gasped his name in surprise. “Oh Aaron, that feels amazing.”

As he thrust against me, the bliss started to spread, started to engulf me, and it wasn’t long before the waves of orgasm were crashing over me in a way that I’d never experienced before.

“Oh my God,” I cried out as my body became his. “Aaron, that feels… it’s too…” but I was too breathless to say a normal sentence. I didn’t even know what I was trying to say which made it even more difficult to verbalize.

Soon, we were both panting, giggling, with a slight awkwardness hanging in the air. Now that the haze of lust had gone, it felt a little weird lying here naked and exposed in front of a man I didn’t know too well.

“Do you want to stay the night?” he asked, and I nodded happily. I wasn’t ready to leave just yet. Not when I finally felt connected to someone for the first time in a very long time. He held his hand out to me. “Come on. I’ll get you something to wear to bed. We can go and watch TV in my room.”

Which sounded like the best offer I’d had in a very long time.

 

***

Aaron

 

I barely slept all night because I couldn’t stop staring at the beauty in my bed. Even as she slept she was the most gorgeous face that I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have her with me. Chantelle was amazing, and I never wanted her to leave.

Sure her revelation about her past had been a bit of a shock, as I was sure mine was to her, but I was pretty certain that we could both work through it. I felt like we could heal each other, to make each other whole once more, and I couldn’t wait to get that opportunity to do that. Last night didn’t feel like a one night stand, I felt like it was going to be the start of something new, something amazing.

As she stirred, eventually waking up, I shot her a bright smile. “Good morning, beautiful.” I placed my hands on both of her cheeks, as if trying to flow my love into her. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Great,” she said, grinning happily. “The best felt in ages. Ever.” She arched her back under my sheets and I felt that familiar stirring inside of me once more. I still wanted her, my body was still craving her touch, so I leant forward and kissed her with an intense passion, and the next thing I knew, she was hovering over me and kissing down my body.

Somehow we’d gone from zero to sixty in a few seconds, but in that moment I didn’t care. She was making me feel phenomenal.

“What are you doing?” I groaned in excitement, as she wrapped her lips around me. “Oh fuck,” I cried out in pleasure. “That feels amazing.”

And then I tossed my head back and I allowed the sensations to consume me.

***

We spent the rest of the morning really getting to know one another’s bodies until I felt like I knew hers better than I knew my own. During that time, we grew closer, chatting and laughing in between our antics, growing a bond that already felt unbreakable.

But eventually she had to go to do her shift at work. It felt like she was tearing a limb from my body, but there was nothing that I could do about it. She had to go… but at least it wouldn’t be forever.

“Can’t you stay?” I begged. “Please?” I just wasn’t ready for her to walk out that door. I felt like as soon as she did, the magic surrounding us would fade, and I wasn’t ready for that at all. It wasn’t like I thought she would vanish forever, but it was still hard to deal with. 

“I’m sorry,” she laughed, sounding pleased that I wanted her around. “I really can’t, I’m sorry. But… I can come back when I finish, if you like?” As the blush filled her cheeks, I couldn’t help but feel a real sense of happiness. This kind, lovely woman was mine – how amazing was that?

“That sounds amazing,” I grinned, before finally releasing her. “I’ll see you then. I’ll be waiting for you.”

And then I watched with a heavy heart as she walked through that door. I was lucky that my business pretty much ran itself by this point, but I guessed that it wouldn’t hurt to put in an appearance while I had nothing else to do…

Then I blinked my eyes and thought clearly for a second. Wow, I must have been in a real haze from that night! Why not at least drive her to work? I ran out of the door after her.

“Chantelle?” I called out, not immediately spotting her. Where was she? She couldn’t have gone that far out of sight already… surely? No one was that fast? But I continued to run regardless.

But as I got to the gates and looked both ways down the road, she really was nowhere. In fact all that I could see was a van racing off into the distance.

“What the fuck?” I muttered to myself. My heart started to pound, sensing danger, and I had no idea what to do about it. My eyes scanned the area, desperately hoping that I would see her, but since she was nowhere to be found, I could only assume one thing.

She was gone, and it was something to do with that van.

I raced back in doors, desperate to get the number plate from my CCTV footage. There was a mystery here, and I was absolutely determined that I would solve it.