Chapter Twenty-Five
Julia
Dinner was awesome. And that was something I didn’t say often. Not until meeting Artimus Wolfe, that was. If nothing else, the man had been able to introduce me to some pretty great foods.
To start the meal we had a small salad full of fresh veggies, some thinly sliced strawberries, and toasted pecans, drizzled with raspberry-balsamic vinaigrette. They served white wine with that. When the filet mignon was served next, we were given a glass of red wine to accompany it. And when the tiny lemon custard was served, we were given a stout coffee with sugar and cream. It got rid of the little buzz the wine had given me.
Bidding everyone a good night, Artimus and I got into the backseat of his car. His smile was bright as he looked at me. “It’s too early to go home. And we look too good to end this night now. How about we hit a club, Julia? I’d love to do some more dancing with you.”
I wasn’t about to go out on a work night, and I shook my head no. “We’ve got to get up early for work tomorrow. I’m not up for a night out then work tomorrow. Sorry, Artimus.”
Slipping his arms around me, he leaned in. The masculine scent of him cologne made my heart speed up. “You’re with the boss. I think I can arrange a sick day for you and me both. So, what do you say? Wanna go out dancing with me?”
“A sick day?” I asked. My body was already heating up as I thought about spending a night in his arms, swaying to the music or dancing to a hard beat.
He nodded, making his dark waves move around his face. “A paid sick day.”
No loss of income. No loss of sleep. No reason to say no.
“Okay.” I had to smile as I watched his grin grow even bigger.
“Okay.” He pushed a button to lower the glass between the driver and us. “We’ll be going to Output tonight.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver said, then Artimus rolled the tinted window back up.
Artimus looked at me with a wry grin on his handsome face. One hand moved up my arm, the other went to my hair. “How about we let your hair down, Julia?” With a few swift moves, he let my up-do down, my hair falling around my shoulders. “Yes, that’s better. The other way was nice for dinner. This way is better for dancing, free and a bit wild.”
Wild was how I imagined Artimus in all of my fantasies about him. And it seemed he wanted to show me a bit of the animal I was sure lay just beneath his manicured surface.
When we pulled up to the club, I saw people standing in a long line that went all the way around the corner. “We’ll never get in.”
He laughed as he pulled me out of the car with him after his driver opened the door. We skipped the line, going straight to the front. The doorman gave us the once-over then let us in without asking a thing.
I assumed Artimus was easily recognizable and known as a man of great wealth, a man who would spend lots of money in the place. That was the only thing that made sense to me.
The vibrations filled my body before we even got into the main area where a DJ was playing music for a crowd of undulating bodies. Artimus had taken my hand when we got out of the car, and he didn’t show any signs of letting it go. He pulled me along with him to the nearest bar. Holding up two fingers as the bartender looked our way, he said, “Two zombies.”
Moments later two tall glasses filled with some yummy looking yellow concoction were pushed to Artimus, and he handed one to me first. The pineapple wedge and cherries told me to expect something fruity. Taking a sip, I found I was right, and the drink was delicious. “Yum.”
The way Artimus’s lips pulled up to one side made me laugh. He picked up his drink then took my hand again, leading me out to dance. The multitude of bodies forced ours close together, moving to the music’s steady beat.
This wasn’t the kind of dancing we’d done at the charity function. This was the type of dancing where people would grind their bodies against each other. The type of dancing that led to other things.
I’d had no idea what I’d signed myself up for when I’d taken him up on this invitation. The drink was too good, and I couldn’t taste a bit of alcohol in it. That made it easy to drink, and I did so a bit too fast.
When my glass was empty, I found a table nearby and left it there. Artimus put his down too, even though it wasn’t finished. He took me into his arms, moving his body against mine.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting the music move me the way it wanted to. A few flashes of light caught our attention and we looked toward the source. Some man was taking pictures, and took a few more of us before moving on.
Normally, I’d be kind of mad that someone would have the nerve to do something so rude. But I wasn’t acting like my normal self. No, I was acting like a woman who didn’t have a care in the world.
Artimus’s lips touched the shell of my ear. “We’ll probably make the papers and be all over social media again tomorrow.”
I nodded in agreement but just couldn’t find it in me to care. Our faces were so close. His breath was warm on my skin as he held me with a loose grip, looking into my eyes.
Just do it.
At that moment I wanted Artimus to let his animal side out. I wanted him to take me and make me his. I didn’t care who saw him do it, either.
“Are you feeling okay, Julia?” His dark brows furrowed, his eyes concerned.
“I’m just fine, Artimus.” My words slurred together.
Why’s that happening?
“We have to go.” He released me from his embrace to take my hand, leading me out of the crowd.
“No,” I protested.
It didn’t stop him though. He led me all the way out of the club and straight into his waiting car.
“Hey, how did this get here so fast?” I mumbled as Artimus put me into the car.
I watched as he rolled his eyes. “The same way as always. I texted the driver that we were leaving and he came to pick us up. I can’t believe that one drink has hit you so hard.”
I ran my hands through my hair. “So soft. So silky.”
Artimus put my seatbelt on for me, and I grabbed his face as his body moved back by me. “Julia, what are you doing?”
“Why don’t you just kiss me, Arty?” I hiccupped. “Ha! Arty. Has anyone ever called you that?”
“Yes, my old assistant called me that. I can’t say I like it coming from you.” He pulled away from me. “Now let’s get you home.”
“Home?” I shook my head, and the movement made me dizzy. I held out my arms to steady myself because I felt as if I might fall right off the seat. “Whoa!”
Artimus put one arm around me then pushed my head to rest on his big shoulder. “Here, just rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
“I feel better now, Arty.” I hiccupped again. “Do you know what word rhymes with Arty?” I put my finger to my lips. “Shh. Don’t say it. Let me. Farty. Ha! Arty Farty, Farty Arty. Ha!” Even in my inebriated state, I wished that my laughter could have come out in sweeter, more feminine giggles, instead of the obnoxious squawks that I didn’t seem able to control.
“You’re a real riot, Julia.” He stroked my hair, putting an end to my laughter at my clever joke. “You just rest that funny little brain of yours now.”
I threw one leg over his leg and moved my hand up and down his chest, which was covered with a black button-down shirt. For some reason, I didn’t like that those buttons were buttoned up. I began to fix that, but only got one undone before he took me by the wrist.
“No, no, Julia.” He kissed my hand then held it against his chest. “Rest now.”
I didn’t want to rest. I wanted to play.
I didn’t understand him. I was ready. Why wasn’t he ready?
Pulling my head off his shoulder, which I didn’t realize would make my head feel so heavy, I slurred, “Okay, Arty. I’m ready for you now. I am. I don’t care that you won’t tell me what I want to hear.”
He placed his finger to my lips. “Julia, just stop.”
I didn’t stop though. I kept on talking even with his finger on my lips. “No … I want you … I. Want. You. Now.”
Pulling his finger away from my lips, he looked closely at me then rolled down the window to talk to the driver. “Take us back to my penthouse.”
“Yes, sir,” came the driver’s reply. “Home it is.”
Wet heat pooled between my legs. Artimus was going to let his animal take control of both of us. Just like in my fantasies. And I was ready for that to happen.
As the window went back up, I struggled to climb onto his lap and get the first kiss out of the way. But something was pinning me to the seat. Then Artimus put a halt to my struggling as he held me tightly to his side. He kept shushing me as he ran his hand through my hair. “You just relax. We’ll be home soon, Julia.”
It was useless to struggle. My energy was running low anyway, and I didn’t want to burn it all up before I got to experience Artimus in all his glory.
There wasn’t any need to do anything anyway. We would go home, he would take my clothes off, then his, and I’d get to see him naked.
The thought thrilled me, sending a shiver through me. “Artimus, don’t be gentle with me just because it’s my first time. I want you to be how you always are. Take me like an animal.”
“Hush now.” He began to hum now as he continued to stroke my hair.
His body vibrated with the tune he was humming, and I began to feel sleepy. When a yawn came out of me, I whimpered, “I might fall asleep. You wake me up when we get to your place. Promise me.”
“Hush,” came his one-word reply.
What happened after that was a little hazy. When I opened my eyes, the sun streamed through the windows of a bedroom. A bedroom I was all alone in.
Pushing the blanket back, I saw that I still had on the red silk bra and panty set I’d put on underneath the black dress, but nothing else.
Sitting up, my head pounded, and I quickly lay back down as a groan escaped me. “What the hell happened to me?”
Flashes of Artimus and me sitting in the back of his car began to flash through my mind. He and I were sitting close together. He was stroking my hair. I was telling him that I wanted him to take me like an animal.
I pulled the blanket up to cover my head. “Don’t tell me that I really said that to him.”
Moving my ass a bit, I noticed there wasn’t any stiffness or pain in my lower region at all. “Thank God. He didn’t do what I asked him to.”
But even as I said that, a thought hit me.
He didn’t do what I had asked him to!
Did he not want me? Had my little adventure into accidental drunkenness turned him off? Was it that easy for him to flip the switch on how he felt about me?