29

 

Elliot was pouting.

He wore an expression that I would have never expected to have seen on a six foot four giant of a man. All because I’d insisted that he wear a Christmas sweater.

We had gone to Walmart to pick out the ugliest Christmas sweaters that we could find. Mine was pink with white pom-poms all over and seemed to shed glitter every time I moved. I had found a matching set of scrunchies and fashioned my hair into braids.

Elliot wore a patchwork sweater that seemed to be themed around the concept of gingerbread elf hybrids. It was a combination of every colour of the rainbow. We were a shoe-in for the ugly sweater contest.

Mistletoe Day at the Gold estate had come quickly. It wasn’t an intimate dinner and for that I was thankful. I didn’t want to be under the microscope again. I could deal with an outdoor event. Plus eggnog. Always a win.

We'd kissed under the mistletoe and eaten peppermint sugar cookies. That weird feeling that came with Christmas excitement mingled with the warmth that I felt for Elliot inside.

The day was long but in the best way.

“I can't wait to spend Christmas with you.” Elliot told me as we walked down Goldryn Row together. He tucked me under his arm.

“You don’t even have a tree yet.” I griped.

“We’ll decorate it together on my day off.” Elliot promised as he kissed the end of my nose. My lips pulled into a full smile, with all the teeth included.

“You're already thinking of a colour scheme.” He accused with narrowed eyes.

I shrugged but my smile never left my face. “Green and red is a Christmas classic.” I replied.

We walked around the side of Elliot's house after the security guard let us in at the gate. He'd changed all of his key codes since Sarah had broken in and hired extra staff until the court date was finalised.

As soon as we stepped into the kitchen, I turned away and hooked my coat on the pantry door. I began to unwind my scarf when I felt his lips on my newly bared throat.

With a giggle, I shuddered in anticipation as Elliot pushed my hair to one side and pressed fleeting kisses on every inch of bared skin. From the seam of my jaw to the beginning of my shoulder.

I made a move to turn around but Elliot growled, his body boxed mine in. I was pressed against the door, his hands gripped my waist and held me in place.

“I’ve been thinking about this all day.” He breathed into my ear. His hands moved from my waist and dipped under my bra. He pushed the cups up until they rested on my collarbone and brushed the pads of his fingers across my taut nipples.

I rocked backwards and found his cock pressed against the small of my back, through his trousers. I could feel how hard he was. I rolled my hips to find friction and Elliot dipped his hands down. Travelling down the skin of my stomach, he dipped his hand into the waistband of my jeans. It felt so elicit as he touched me through my clothes. My moans escaped my lips and every part of my body tingled in anticipation of his touch.

Elliot Gold smelt like wood spice and expensive cologne. Peppermint and pine soap. I closed my eyes and my head rolled back and rested between his pectoral muscles. He undid my jeans. One button at a time.

“You’re so wet for me. Always. I fucking love it.” Elliot growled as he brushed the outside of my lace underwear with a teasing finger. He used the other hand to shuck my jeans over my hips. He knelt behind me. I tried to turn around so that I could look into his eyes. Watch his face as he took me. Elliot put his hand on the small of my back and stopped me.

He cupped the flesh of my buttocks and spread my cheeks apart. He placed tender kisses on the inside of my thighs.

“Place your hands against the door. Open your legs.” He commanded.

Whilst Elliot definitely ran the show in the bedroom. A man that knew what he wanted and took it. He'd never issued commands before. Every syllable of his low and gruff voice sent a bolt directly to my clit.

I did as he asked and closed my eyes. I was as taut as a guitar string, waiting to be plucked.

Elliot did not disappoint. He peeled my underwear over the globes of my ass so slowly that it felt like he was teasing me. His fingers splayed out as he ran them up my leg, from knee to thigh. He bypassed my pussy completely. Massaging the inside of my leg but never quite brushing against my core.

I found myself trusting my hips backwards and tilting my butt out, closer to his face. I wanted more.

Elliot leant forward and blew a hot breath of my exposed lips. Wet. Sodden. As I felt the warm air hit my pussy, everything inside of me clenched.

“Please,” I begged.

“What do you want, Pepperberry?” Elliot replied.

I moaned as he slipped his hand between my legs and used a single finger to pry my outer lips apart. My clit was exposed but untouched. “Touch me.” I begged.

“Here?” He ran his finger from the top of my pussy and hooked his finger inside. My entire body jolted. “Yesssss.” I hissed as I rocked my hips to push him deeper.

He pulled his lone finger from inside and I felt the protest my body made as he did so. My pussy latched onto him, tight, as he tried to hold onto his finger.

Elliot took his wet finger and I felt his hands as they spread my ass cheeks again. The soaked digit teased the ribbed skin of my asshole. I flinched at the new, but exciting touch.

“Has anyone ever...?” He didn't say the dirty words out loud but I felt them as his finger put pressure on my rosebud but didn’t go inside. I shook my head and his free hand slapped my butt.

I jolted.

“I need words, Pepperberry.” Elliot admonished.

“No.” I whispered.

“Do you want me to touch you there?”

“I d-don't know.”

Instead of pressing forward and pushing his finger inside, I felt its absence. I didn’t have time to mourn it as Elliot’s tongue darted out and circled my clit. Never quite brushing the nub. With his other fingers, he spread my pussy open, as he knelt between my legs and worshipped me with his tongue.

He sucked my clit into his mouth and I felt the light brush of my teeth as he nipped and played. I rode his face, heady and drunk on the wet sounds of my pussy as he licked me like a man dying of starvation.

His fingers dipped inside but didn’t move. Teasing but adding pressure. I rocked my hips. Riding his mouth and he gave me another finger. Thrusting inside. His hand moved like a madman as he plunged his fingers inside of me.

I coiled like a spring. The pressure built in my spine and low in my belly. My clit was a pulsating heartbeat, engorged and begging for contact.

I felt my body go higher and higher and my muscles clenched as I prepared myself. I was going to cum. Hard. Elliot hummed against my pussy as treated me like an open feast. His sounds pushed me over the edge. My orgasm ripped through me, waves upon waves of pleasure. Elliot plunged his finger inside of my ass, lubricated with my own juices. The strange sensation made me spiral in a different direction. Unable to recognise the new type of pleasure that rolled through my body like an earthquake.

Stars flashed behind my eyelids. My voice sounded hoarse and needy. When I came down from Elliot's ministrations I was limp. Boneless. My lips tilted in a smile.

He hooked his arms under my knees and swung me into a princess hold. I gripped the side of his face, and stared into his eyes. Shards of ice. Blue like the summer sky on a clear day. Bright but hooded with lust. I leant forward and pressed my lips against his. Our kiss grew deeper as he walked us to his bedroom. I could taste myself on his lips. Musky. Sweet.

He placed my body on the bed, but our eyes never broke contact.

When he thrust inside of me, without a word, sheathed with his eyes burrowing into mine. I knew that his love for me was deeper than I could comprehend. That the strong and stoic man above me burned for me. Brightly. Intensely.

We made love into the early hours of the morning. And when the sun rose, we did it all again.

 

 

Elliot cooked breakfast as I sat on the kitchen island. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, his suit jacket hung on the back of the chair. He'd rolled up his sleeves as he cooked dinner.

I had booked some time off of work, but I wanted to meet Rina so we could talk through what she wanted for her wedding. I'd managed to buy a telephoto lens (which meant I could shoot at long range) and I wanted to go to the Langley McMansion at some point to scope out the grounds and check out the lighting.

“What do you have on at work today?” I asked before taking a sip of my bitter coffee. Elliot made it just the way I liked it.

“Penn is coming over and we've got a meeting with Scizo about hosting one of their flagship stores.”

I whistled. “Scizo? The makeup company? That'll be good publicity.”

“They’re based in New Orleans, so it'll be a good fit for the Goldryn Mall,” Elliot said as he placed an omelette in front of me.

“This looks so good.” I moaned in appreciation and took a bite.

“I’m not just a pretty face.”

“No... Your butt is pretty amazing too.” I sighed and Elliot swatted me with a potholder. “I have a question.”

“Shoot.” Elliot said as he cracked an egg on the skillet.

“Gold and Penn. Come on. It sounds like a stationary company.” I snickered.

Elliot looked over his shoulders. “Haven’t you heard of the Penn’s?”

“No? Should I have?”

“He’s a blueblood. Came over on the Mayflower. I think he's related to the Kennedys in some obscure way.”

I nodded in awe. “The Golds are new money compared to the Penn’s then?”

Elliot nodded as he flipped his omelette with a spatula. “We met at Princeton. He's a good guy.”

“It sounds like you have a busy day today.” I said. “Do you still want me to come over for dinner? Won't you be tired?”

“Trying to get out of meeting Marshall?”

“That obvious?” I winced.

“You don’t have to cook.” Elliot said. “I can always cater?”

“And miss out on the chance to use this kitchen to burn toast?” I smirked. “No way. Plus I’m at Rina's for most of the day. It'll be easier to come straight over.”

“I can’t wait until you see.” Elliot said smugly.

“See what?” I blinked.

“How fucking amazing you are.”

 

 

Rina handed me a glass of white wine. We sat on the patio and watched the sun as it crested the trees. The immaculately tended lawn was bathed in an orange glow.

“This.” Rina said, pointing at where the sun sparked on the horizon. “This is why I’m getting married in the afternoon.”

I sipped my glass of wine. “Are you excited?”

“This is all so weird.” Rina admitted. “I’m marrying someone because my daddy told me to.”

“He didn’t specify Julian.” I pointed out.

“If daddy found out that Julian was still dipping his wick in anything that moved...”

“And you?” I asked delicately. “Do you plan to be faithful?”

Rina shrugged. “I’m such a mess, Harry.”

I shook my head to disagree but she held her hand up.

“I know about Scarlett.” Rina told me. “God. I found her panties in his car.”

“Ew.” I scrunched my nose in disgust.

“Do you know what he said when I pulled them out from behind the seat?” Rina let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Sorry, love.” Rina said in a perfect imitation of Julian's casual tone. “She gets so horny when she knows I’m going home to my fiancée.”

I shivered. “You don’t need to do this.”

“Everything is so good with Julian. He's so funny. Attentive. I just want to be close to him. He makes the world sparkly, Harry.” Rina said wistfully. “I just wish that he could focus that sparkle on me.”

Rina shrugged but her smile was sad. “Maybe I just need to go out and fuck someone else, y'know?”

“Agree. 10/10 idea. Do that.” I winked over the rim of my glass.

Rina's tense brow relaxed and she let out a bark of a laugh when I started to wiggle my eyebrows suggestively.

“You open to it?” Rina grabbed the foot I had rested on the empty chair in front of me. She began to tickle the sole and I tried to twist away.

“Stop tickling me!” I shrieked. “No sex for you if you keep doing that!”

Rina put her hands up as if she was showing me that she wasn’t armed. Her wide-eyed expression caused me to burst into a fit of giggles and my best friend soon joined me.

 

 

Rina offered to walk me back to Elliot's, but she'd polished off the rest of the bottle of wine and couldn’t seem to walk in a straight line. I tucked her into bed and put a glass of water and some Advil on her bedside cabinet for when she woke up.

The walk down Goldryn Row was short and I let myself in through the side door.

Elliot had left a note on the fridge, and when I opened the fridge, I saw a few dishes with cellophane covering them. I couldn’t help but smile to myself. He'd prepped all of the ingredients for the meal that I said I would cook.

Diced onions. Perfectly cut. So Elliot. I shut the fridge and placed the dish on the counter.

There was an ominous click of a door shutting.

The sharp press of metal against my neck. A knife.

I felt a sharp sting against my throat and a drop of blood as it travelled down my collarbone. I froze in fear.

“You’re going to fucking pay.” A high-pitched voice snarled in my ear. So full of venom that it made me flinch.

“Sarah.” I whispered.

“I told you he was mine.”

I closed my eyes. I felt my body begin to shake. My stomach turned to lead. She was going to kill me. What could I say to someone that had a knife pressed to my neck?

Vivid flashes of blood on the wall played out in front of my eyes. I felt sick. Dizzy.

“You don’t have to do this.” My voice was weak and cracked as I pushed the sentence around my dry mouth.

I was going to die.

The knife dug in deeper. Pressing against my gullet and making it difficult to breathe. She was going to slice my throat and let me bleed. Sarah was a head shorter than I was and the angle was uncomfortable.

“You took him from me.” She repeated. “Turn around.”

The pressure on my throat abated and I raised my trembling hands out in front of me so that she could see them. Sarah took a step back; her arms were extended out and the blade was aimed in between my breasts.

Her eyes were glazed. Manic.

“You took him and my baby.” Sarah brandished the knife as she spoke.

Far be it from me to explain that she wasn’t pregnant, and that I held no responsibility for her lies. I concentrated on taking deep breathes. In through the nose and out through the mouth. My eyes were wide as they fixed on the blonde in front of me.

I refused to blink and my eyes burned with it. I took in her appearance. Her hair stuck up in tufts and her lips were chapped. Her green eyes were bloodshot. Her skin was dry and her pupils were so wide that they almost swallowed her irises whole.

I wanted to close my eyes and just wish her away. I didn’t do well with confrontation. Blood oozed from the wound on my neck and I felt dizzy.

Mama had beaten it out of me long ago.

Curl up in a ball and she'll get tired of kicking. She'll scream herself hoarse. You can survive it.

But I couldn’t survive a blade to the heart.

I dropped my hands slowly and kept eye contact.

“Elliot will be home in a minute.” I said softly. My voice was barely above a whisper. “You don’t want him to see you with a knife, do you?”

“You turned him against me.” She spat. “He filed a report full of lies—all because of you!”

I reached behind me, keeping my movements slow and my eyes fixed on the manic woman with a weapon at my chest.

“Any last words before I stab your whore heart to pieces?” Her words were saccharine sweet.

“I'm sorry.” I said.

Sarah's eyes narrowed in confusion and I gripped the dish on the counter and swung it at her head.

She went down like a sack of potatoes.

Pain ricocheted through my body. Burning. Aching. Twisting.

It hurt so much.

I was so tired.

I'll just sleep for a while...