Chapter 18
Marissa had heard about people being shell-shocked after a personal misfortune. Families being torn apart from floods, fires, and other disasters. She’d always assumed she’d be able to handle something like that if it crept up in her life. Maybe she would have been able to deal with a home flood if it wasn’t one more in a string of disasters that had infected her life.
Lights and shadows passed over Vince’s face as he drove. She wasn’t exactly certain she knew where they were going—a hotel or something she assumed—but she knew wherever it was, he’d be sure she was good for the night. She wasn’t even certain why he’d called her tonight. She didn’t think she’d hear from him again, let alone see him walk up the broken driveway to come to her rescue.
“Why did you call me?” Her voice sounded rough, even to her own ears. “You normally text.”
“I’m glad I didn’t.” His fingers flexed on the steering wheel. “I was checking to see if you wanted to go to another event with me.” His tone was clipped, his annoyance clear.
Why would she think he’d be happy to be in this situation? He’d wanted to set up another date, such as they were. The last thing he’d want to involve himself in was in the disaster that was her life. He was rich and successful. She was a business arrangement. That’s all they would ever be to one another.
“I promise I’ll be out of your hair by morning. I would have called my mom tonight, but she usually turns into a pumpkin around nine thirty and she doesn’t drive, so she’d only end up worrying about me until I showed up. I don’t think I have that in me tonight.”
“Marissa.” He stopped at a red light, turned and looked at her. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop. It’s fine.”
Her life was currently the furthest thing from fine that it could possibly be. Most of her meager possessions were now water damaged, and her apartment wasn’t exactly livable. Despite her best efforts, she was going to have to move back in with her mom, which meant getting to and from school was going to be a nightmare. Not to mention needing to catch super early transit so she could make the open shift at the Pear Tree. Chances were, she would have to find a different job, one closer to her mom’s.
Her brain screeched to a halt when Vince reached over and took her hand in his. He gave it a squeeze, causing her to look over at him. Rather than the annoyed look she’d expected, Vince appeared concerned. She squeezed back and swallowed down her unshed tears.
The light turned green, but he didn’t immediately move the car. “I promise I’ll help you.” The car behind them honked, and Vince returned his attention to driving.
Marissa looked out the window, not focusing on any one thing as they drove past buildings, houses, and stores. It wasn’t until they pulled into a gated driveway that she realized he hadn’t brought her to a hotel. “Where are we?”
“My place.” He turned the engine off, but didn’t get out of the car. “I wanted to make sure that you were going to be okay tonight.”
“I would have been fine at a hotel.” She didn’t exactly have spare money to cover the cost, but seeing as she wouldn’t be paying rent for the foreseeable future, she could have managed something for a night or two.
Vince’s face was half shrouded in a long, black shadow. Light wouldn’t have helped her determine what he was thinking. The same cool mask he’d worn the first night they’d met on the yacht was firmly in place. “I’ll take you to one if that’s what you want.”
The offer was made and the choice was hers.
She held his gaze, barely seeing him. Her mind tore through all the possibilities of what could happen if she got out of the car and went into his home. What would that mean for their strange and varied relationship, if anything? A room in a nice, basic hotel would be the smart decision, the move that would make the most sense given how she was going to need to move forward with her life.
Vince wouldn’t give her any grief. He wouldn’t even question her decision. He’d simply turn the car back on and take her to the nearest hotel.
Marissa reached for the handle and opened her door. “I hope you have a spare room, because I don’t know if I could handle a couch tonight.”
She heard him snort before the door shut behind her.
Vince didn’t say much of anything as he got her bag and led her toward the back door. A few security-button presses later, and she walked into the most amazing kitchen she’d ever seen in her life. “Wow.”
He set her bag down by the wall. “Make yourself at home. I have a well-stocked fridge and pantry. If there’s something you want that I don’t have, let me know and I’ll have the service drop it off tomorrow.”
“I won’t be here any longer than tonight. I’ll give my mom a call tomorrow and I’ll head over there later.” Which was a shame, because she really could have a lot of fun in this place. “Thanks though.”
Vince had his back to her, so she couldn’t tell what he was feeling. “Let me show you where the spare room is. You’ll probably want a shower and to go to sleep.”
Marissa did her best not to stare as he led her through the house, upstairs to a bedroom that was larger than her apartment living room. No wonder he stayed at penthouses when he traveled, if this was the standard of living he was used to. The bedroom had a full-sized bathroom attached, fresh towels folded and placed as though the room had been staged for a photoshoot.
“Do you live here alone?” It seemed strange that a bachelor would live in a huge house and not some upscale condo. “Don’t you get lonely here?”
Vince hadn’t followed her into the bedroom, but he loomed large in the doorway. “I have lots of things to keep me busy.”
She didn’t have a clue what any of those things would be, but no doubt they were important. “That’s good.”
“I’m going to leave you alone. Sleep and I’ll see you when you wake up. Okay?”
“Yup.”
He shut the door as he left, the click of the latch snicking into place echoed in the quite of the house.
Marissa stood in the middle of this beautiful room, everything she could possibly want at her fingertips and sighed. This past week, she’d dreamed about seeing Vince again. She’d woken up horny, her mind replaying every bit of pleasure he’d given her while they’d been away. In a short time, he’d obliterated all thoughts of Andrew, of what her life could have been with him, and replaced it with thoughts of what it could be with Vince.
Vince, the man who had no desire to have a relationship.
She looked over to the bed, knowing she should strip down and climb between those sheets. It was nearly midnight, and after the day she’d had, sleep was the perfect cure to help her. Vince would stay true to his word, letting her rest. That was the thing about him, not once had she ever doubted his word, doubted that he genuinely cared for her well-being. It wasn’t the big things, like tonight, coming to get her. It was more the tiny gestures that had been seriously lacking in her relationship with Andrew in the past few years. The steadying hand to her back on the ship. The gentle teasing when he knew she needed cheering up. The unexpected gifts—their trip to The Met, the dinners, the clothing, the spa day, his present—that had nothing to do with their arrangement, and everything to do with him wanting to make her happy just because.
She’d rescued his present for her when she’d walked into her apartment and saw the disaster. It had been sitting on the dehumidifier, which was ironically the only thing that had remained dry in the place. The sparkling wrapping paper was damp, but undamaged, giving her no idea what was hidden inside. Marissa moved to the bed and sat down on the edge, knowing if there was ever a time she needed a pick-me-up, it was tonight.
Starting at the edge, she slowly picked at the paper, taking care not to rip even a corner as she pulled the tab free. Her heart began to race and her fingers shook—whether from excitement, or from the shock of the evening’s events, she wasn’t certain—as she peeled the paper back to see what was hidden beneath.
Darth Vader’s face looked up at her, announcing that she was now the proud owner of a new Star Wars Blu-ray. A sob exploded from her loudly before both her hands could fly to her mouth to keep it from escaping. It was the exact version she’d had before, though there was no way Vince would have known that. She continued to stare at it, though it took a surprising amount of time for her to realize that there was a note card sticking out from beneath the case.
Marissa was less careful ripping into the envelope, and pulled the card free. She’d half expected feminine handwriting when she looking inside, but wasn’t at all surprised when she saw typically masculine pen scratchings filling the white card.
Marissa.
I get why these movies mean the world to you. But I’ll be honest, had anyone but you told me to watch it, I probably wouldn’t have given it the attention it deserved. The passion and joy you generated when you spoke about it ignited a curiosity in me that I hadn’t felt in ages.
You do that to me. Make me look at the little details.
When you have the world at your feet, it’s easy to forget about the small things. The kindness of speaking to a waiter. Of smiling to a coworker as you pass in the hallway. You made me stop and look.
So thank you for reminding me. Maybe we can watch the next one together?
V
Oh.
There was no stopping the tears now. No way to put a finger in the bursting dam of emotions that now consumed her. She let them fall, let them wash away every horrible thing that had happened to her. She’d given him something that money couldn’t buy, something she never would have been able to plan for. Marissa needed him, needed to touch and feel the warmth of his body.
Setting the movie and note on the bed, she got to her feet and wiped away her tears. She turned and walked to the door, not exactly certain of what she was going to do, but knowing she had to do something. The knob was cold in her grasp, a last little jolt to try and shake her from her ill-conceived plan. Turn around, go to bed. You’ll regret this in the morning.
Fuck it.
The knob turned easily and the door slid open.
The hallway was long, but while the house was large, it wasn’t exactly difficult to know where Vince would have disappeared to. The only other light in the house came from a room down the hall and on the right. She could hear Vince move around inside, could picture him getting undressed and ready for bed. Each step she took closer to him sent her heart pounding. There was a chance that he wouldn’t want her, that he’d send her back to her room the moment his eyes landed on her. She’d have to respect his desires as much as he’d respected hers.
She’d nearly made it to his room when the unmistakable sound of a shower starting up reached her. That nearly made her turn around and race back to her room. She didn’t know what kind of day he’d had. Maybe her little crisis was the final nail in the coffin of a day from hell. They hadn’t exactly spoken much since he’d showed up in her driveway. Instead of listening to her better instincts, she took a breath before pushing open the door to his bedroom and stepped inside.
The room suited him. It was large, with a large wooden bedframe along the middle of the far wall. An electric fireplace filled most of the opposite wall. The flames danced hypnotically as heat rolled off it in waves, warming the space. Marissa stood in front of it for a moment, remembering their night in New York, the warmth from a fire long extinguished and a passion she hoped to feel again.
The sound of water splashing in the shower jerked her back to the moment. Vince wouldn’t be long in there. Her shirt came off easily, as did her jeans. Her bra and panties took a few seconds longer, as her fingers shook from the unexpected nerves that hit her. She left her clothing on the floor in a small pile, just in case she needed to grab them as she made a hasty escape.
Naked, she made her way to the bathroom and pushed the door open.
Vince had his hands leaning against the shower wall, the full spray of the water hitting his head and upper shoulders. The shower was stone, the floor slanted so no door was needed as the water made its way to the long drain along the side. There was nothing between them, not even their clothing, and yet she felt as though they were worlds apart.
They probably were.
The sight of him wet, his defenses down, had guilt run through her. She should leave, give him his privacy and let him rest. Marissa started to move, when he turned his head and looked at her. He didn’t say a word, didn’t move or give her any indication of what he wanted. His gaze had locked onto hers, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking, despite the torrent of emotions that flitted across his face.
She took a step back, suddenly very conscious of her nakedness. Vince straightened, water rolling down his body in small rivers, splashing across his thickening cock. With his gaze still on hers, he held out his hand. Relief so strong it nearly sent her into tears washed through her. Carefully, she walked into the shower and into his arms.
The water was too hot for her, and she gasped at the sting of it against her skin. He reached past her and turned it down. “Sorry.”
She kissed the middle of his wet chest. “It’s not like you knew I was coming.”
The idea of having sex with him there and then was beyond tempting. It was what she’d intended to do the moment she’d heard the shower in the first place. She should have known Vince would have had other ideas. “Turn around.”
He maneuvered her so she was looking up at him as he backed her into the water. Her hair was soaked in seconds, as her skin soaked up the moisture. The must and mold from her apartment was flushed away in moments, leaving her feeling clean. Vince reached over and took a squirt of shampoo from the bottle on the side, and proceeded to wash her hair.
Oh, what a glorious thing.
His fingers scratched circles against her scalp, sending shivers through her body as he scrubbed away the dirt. A moan slipped from her, earning a chuckle from him as he then backed her into the water once more.
She was treated to a second scalp massage when he repeated the motions with conditioner, leaving her body electrified. Her nipples had hardened from the contact, and her pussy heated from lack of attention. Forcing her eyes open, she looked up at him. “You’re way too good at that.”
“I’m better at this.”
Bracing his hand on the wall behind her, he reached between her thighs with his free hand and pressed against her wet clit. Marissa moaned, her hands flying to his arms, seeking stability. “Shit.”
“Relax.”
No way in hell that was happening.
Her head fell forward against his chest, as he teased her clit with her fingers. She sucked in the smell of him and soap deep into her lungs as she panted, trying to hold back the orgasm she knew would be coming soon enough.
Vince leaned his mouth to her ear and sucked on the lobe. “I was thinking about you while I stood here. I was picturing you standing naked in your shower and wondered what you’d do if I came in. Then I opened my eyes and you were standing there.” He pressed harder against her clit, the circles coming smaller and faster. “I keep remembering the sounds you made while I fucked you. I wanted to hear that moan again. Moan for me, Marissa.”
She bit on her bottom lip, trying to keep the sounds he desperately wanted trapped inside. Then he slipped a finger into her pussy at the same time he pressed down on her clit with his thumb, and there was no way she could stop it. Digging her nails into his arms, she moaned and began to buck her hips in time to his fingers.
“Yes, just like that.” He nipped at her earlobe again. “I want to feel you come on my hand. I want to hear and taste you. I want you to come so hard you scream my name.”
She resigned herself to inevitability of her orgasm, and instead of trying to hold back, took what little remained of her ability to think and relaxed into the pleasure. The moment she did so, she became intensely aware of every ripple, every touch of his body against hers. She pressed her forehead to his chest, and breathed him in.
Her eyes squeezed shut and her body shook moments before her orgasm came. One moment there was everything, and in the next all she could focus on was the pleasure that whipped from her core. The scream dripped from her, low and slow, only to build to a crescendo that echoed loudly in the shower. Through it all, Vince held her up, kept her steady with a strong arm and firm body.
Once the onslaught of her pleasure subsided, all she was aware of was her own panting and the hardened cock jutting between them. She wanted nothing more than to reach down and stroke him, feel the veins and soft skin as she slid his hand up and down the length of him. Before she could put her plan into action, Vince reached past her and snapped off the water with a quick twist of the handle.
Without breaking contact, he reached around the corner and grabbed one of the thick, blue towels that had been hanging there. The soft cotton felt good against her skin as he wrapped it around her shoulders. He rubbed her skin gently, and even made a passing attempt to dry her hair.
She laughed as some of the strands fell into her face. “I must look like a banshee.”
He smiled, his eyes sparkling. “You’re gorgeous.”
“And you’re horny.” She did reach down and ran her thumb across the head of his cock.
He groaned, but instead of letting her have her way with him, he reached down and scooped her into his arms. “Behave.”
Marissa clung to him, the towel hanging precariously from her shoulder. “God, I’m heavy. Put me down.”
Ignoring her protests and still dripping wet, he stepped out of the shower and carried her over to his bed. He somehow managed to hold her to his chest as he reached down and yanked the duvet cover back. “You’re exhausted and need sleep.”
Protesting seemed pointless as she yawned. Instead, she let him tuck her into his bed. “You’re going to join me, right?”
She could tell he was debating doing that. No doubt, the chivalrous part of him had some noble plan to go off and sleep somewhere else. The last thing Marissa wanted was for that plan to become the winner. Reaching over she flicked the opposite side of the duvet down and patted the empty spot.
Vince swallowed as he stared down at her. “Just to sleep.”
“Okay.” That was all she really could manage. Considering everything that had happened and the amazing orgasm he’d just given her, sleep was a given.
He snatched the towel from the floor where it had fallen, and quickly dried himself off. She had to smile at how he avoided his erection, and spent extra time drying behind his knees. When he finally climbed onto the bed, she relished the way the mattress dipped under his weight.
She waited until he was settled, duvet over them both, facing inches apart. Only once he stopped moving, did she lean close enough to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I opened your present.”
He stiffened for a moment. “Did I get the right one?”
“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He touched the side of her face. “Sleep.”
As though her brain was programmed to accept his command, she closed her eyes and did exactly that.