Chapter 22
Beth
When we got back to the city, Jacob asked me to move in with him immediately. He claimed that he didn’t want to waste any time without me and wanted me close to him at all times. Apparently, once you break a man’s single streak and he gets into his first real relationship after getting a divorce from a fake marriage, these are the things that he does.
We had been back only a few days and Jacob was already eager to get back into the office. I took a couple days to myself while Jacob left bright and early this morning like clockwork. I felt that there was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders since coming back from Vegas, but Jacob still seemed clouded and slightly distant. He was present, but he wasn’t. He was his normal caring self with me, but also hesitant. I can’t even make sense of it myself. My assumption is that it has to do with his cousin. He still had no answers and I’m afraid he’s going to do whatever he can to get those answers.
I spent my day at my apartment boxing everything up. I was going to move in with Jacob, purely because it made sense. We were going to move forward. Since we declared our love for another while in Vegas, this is the next step, right?
I hear my phone vibrating on the side table as I was sorting my clothing in my closet. Once I had finished with my task, I retrieve my phone and look at the screen.
TYSON: Meet me for drinks in thirty.
ME: So demanding
TYSON: Meet me for drinks in thirty, please?
MM: That’s better.
Curious as to why Tyson got all alpha on me had me locking up my apartment, and walking to our normal bar.
It takes me twenty-five minutes to get there, so I secure us a booth and order two beers with some fries. Tyson enters the bar moments later, demanding all the attention in the room as he weaves through the patrons and tables to where I was sitting.
“What’s crack-a-lackin, bossman?” I smile.
“Cut the shit. What the fuck is going on with my brother?” he snarls. “Did he fuck up? Are you two still together?”
“Huh?”
“Jacob is on a tirade. He fired two people today, one of them just for handing him a piece of paper.”
“Well, we are two peas in a pod.” I tsk.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“You have the reputation for being a complete asshole. You’ve done the same shit that he’s doing.”
“But nothing is going on with you guys? I don’t need to kick his ass or anything?”
“We’re fine. When you called I was boxing up the apartment. By the way, I’m giving you my notice to move out.” I peer over my pint glass at my friend.
“So then, why is he…?”
“Being a mini Tyson? He might just be pissed about Brad.”
“Fuck. I didn’t even think about that.” He runs his hand over his face.
“He hasn’t outright said anything since we’ve been back, but there’s something going on in his head that he’s been perseverating on.”
“Brad. Those two were thick as thieves or so we thought. Even though Brad was quiet, he and Jacob did a lot together.”
“We still don’t know what happened, how Jacob came to be a part of this whole thing, do we?”
“‘I’m ‘fraid not.”
“No magical PI who can shake it out of him?”
“Do I look like a mobster?”
“I know you like mobster-type things, so that depends. Do you have a Tommy gun and one of those oversized zoot suits? Oh, oh! Can you grow one of those pencil thin mustaches and talk out of the corner of your mouth?”
“You’re ridiculous!” Tyson shakes his head.
“I keep hearing that. By the way, thank you for coming out for the last day of the trial. If Jacob hasn’t mentioned anything already, he really appreciated it.”
“Of course. I’m just glad that it’s over. I can’t handle shit when you’re out of the office.”
“What would you do if I was to quit?”
“Not allow it. Don’t even get that ridiculous motion in your head.” He smiles as he shoves a handful of fries in his mouth.
***
I used my brand new shiny key card to get to the penthouse. I had to beg Mr. Carley, sitting at the front desk in the lobby, to not just buzz me up as he normally does. I flash my card and wiggle my eyebrows showing off like a teenager who got her first car. Although, when the doors open, the penthouse was quiet and dark. Not that I was expecting a grand welcome, but I thought there’d be signs of life. The further I walk inside, I notice a light in the hallway coming from the master bedroom. Our bedroom.
The closer I approach, I hear the shower running and notice the trail of Jacob’s clothes from the bed to the bathroom. I approach the bathroom on tiptoes, as if it mattered if he heard me or not. I peer in and saw him standing in the shower with his head down between his shoulders. His hands were flat against the wall and his back was to the water. I began to undress, my eyes never leaving him. He didn’t notice me until I opened the glass door and stepped inside. He stood straight and turned around, allowing me space to join him. The water cascaded down my body as his hands landed on my hips. He leans in and nestles his face in the crook of my neck and kisses my shoulder. I loop my arms around his neck and pull our bodies flush together.
We’re silent as we stood together in the shower. No words were needed to be spoken, only companionship. We stayed in there together until the water ran cold and our fingers were pruned. I grabbed his towel on the handle of the shower door and began to dry him off slowly. He raised his arms when I needed to dry that area as I made my way around his body. When there was not a drop of water left on him, I wrapped the towel loosely around his waist. He stepped out and grabbed the other towel, he went to reciprocate but I shook my head lightly and took the towel. I quickly dried off, not giving myself the attention that I gave him, then put up my towel and lead him to the bed, naked.
Still silent, he sat on the bed and I straddled him from behind. I slowly massaged his shoulders, making my way down the center of his back. His head rolled with each firm press of my thumbs. He moaned in satisfaction and clenched his hands.
I fought my urge to kiss his neck, or seduce him, knowing that right now that wasn’t what he needed. Instead we stayed on the bed in silence, with my hands on his body.
Jacob
Now that I was finally not married to Candy, the only thing that I wanted to do is to ask Beth to marry me. As fundamentally wrong as that sounds, having just gotten out of some weird marriage, I think that it’s the only logical thing to do. I know that we’re not there yet, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get there, and ideally soon. I’d asked her to move in as soon as we got back home, and she did. So I’m working up to it. While I went back to work to keep my mind off crap as much as possible, she was packing up her apartment. I had made sure that some movers did all the hard work once she was ready and soon the penthouse became our penthouse.
There was just one measly little thing that needed to occur before I took that crazy leap, and that was coming face to face with Brad after what he did. Since his testimony during the court proceedings, I haven’t seen or heard from him. No one from the family has, not even my mother. While he sat on the stand and blatantly lied about everything, he didn’t even look at me. He didn’t seem to be human either, more so like a puppet, taking cues from someone else, with someone else pulling the strings. With my family in the courtroom with me on the final day, everyone saw Brad lying through his teeth. We all knew it and he knew that we knew. He focused on something like the table or Candy’s lawyer, but refused to meet any of our eyes which was off from his normal personality. Even if he was purposely fucking with you, he’d look you in the eye.
Mother was so angry that Tyson had to hold her back from storming towards Brad once he stood up from the stand and went to exit to courtroom. I stared him down, willing him to look at me, but his eyes stayed forward as he left. He was denounced from the Maddox name and removed from any Maddox and Mad Designs account holdings and titles immediately. As soon as we learned that Brad was taking the stand on Candy’s behalf, our company lawyers were scrambling to begin the process so that by the time I was officially not married, Brad was no longer a Maddox.
I still wanted to find him and ask him why, just why?
What did he have to gain from this whole thing?
Was whatever worth losing his family and name over?
And it was eating me alive.
I had confided in him several times over the years, we’ve painted several towns red with our shenanigans, and we’ve covered for each other on several occasions.
Since being back at the office, people have pissed me off left and right. I’ve fired a couple people blindly while I was flipping out about shit that was supposed to happen while I was gone. Tyson had to pull me aside a few times to calm me down. He tried to send me home, but I flipped him off instead and slammed the door to my office.
Last night when I got home, I went directly into the shower to wash away my feelings, and then when Beth came into the shower, she wordlessly took care of me.
She didn’t probe about my day, she didn’t ask me what was wrong and above all she gave me a massage.
I woke up and, while I didn’t need to take a shower, I turned the water on steaming hot and stepped in. Beth was still sleeping, so I tried to rush through to wake Beth up in a special way.
She was still asleep once I dried off and came back into the bedroom. I watched her for a few moments prior to approaching her, appreciating the view and the beauty that is her.
What the fuck was I thinking all those months ago? Why was I such a dick, and how by some miracle did she give me a second chance?
She was laying on her back, taking up the entire bed. She looks like a snow angel surrounded by the white duvet on the bed, her chestnut hair fanned out on the pillow and her pink lips barely parted as she breathed in and out. I could stand here with my dick hanging for hours, but the slight throb telling me that I’m enjoying the view is reminding me of what I set out to do.
I crept to the end of the bed and slowly began to draw the covers off Beth’s body. Goosebumps pop up on her legs, but she didn’t stir. My hand gently spread her open a little more so my frame could fit and my knee landed in the space so I could settle in between. I gently kissed up her leg to the apex of her body. I inhaled, loving her lemony scent, and rubbed my nose against the panel of her underwear. I want to remove them but instead, with my finger, I pull the panel aside and, with the tip of my tongue, run the length of her from clit to taint.
The need to fully consume her was great as I flattened my tongue and insert a finger into her. She squirms a little and then quietly moans, in turn making me moan a little into her pussy. First thing in the morning, her pussy is so tight that it’s grasping onto my finger. Her hand comes to my hair and I feel her run her fingers through. I look up at her and see a lopsided and sleepy smile on her face.
“I vote for this kind of wake up at least six days of the week.” she says.
“I’ll have you for breakfast every day if that makes a difference.” I smile and then resume lapping up her wetness, devouring her and pushing her to see lights. I thrust as much of my tongue into her and swirl it in tandem with my fingers penetrating her. Her pussy is grinding against my face as she seeks out her release. Her hand comes up and starts stroking her clit and I push it away and take over for her. A sudden intake of breath and the feel of her walls clenching my digits tell me that she’s coming. She hits her orgasmic peak at the time that I suck on her clit with the speedy insertion of two of my fingers into her core and the drag of my fingers being sucked in by her orgasm. She finally starts to breathe and is practically panting when I give her pussy one last lick and a kiss on her mound before I make my way up her body. I wipe my chin and smile as I take her lips once I reach her face.
Her hands rope around my neck and tighten into my nape as my dick finds its way to her entrance, I slowly rock into her pussy. Her back arches with each pull. My end goal this morning is to use as much of my body to fully satisfy her: my mouth, my fingers, my dick. Hell, if she wants my toes, she can fucking have them. I quicken my thrusts, chasing my own release with our bodies coated in sweat. Her head is pushed deeper into the pillow, her mouth is agape, noises of ecstasy pouring out, as I move within her while grunting out my own expletives.
Incoherent words spill from her mouth. There are only three little words I can make out and I hold onto them as the rest of the world, all the other shit clouding my mind, goes away.