Chapter 11
Ihad called Steph to tell her I would be late, but she didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure if she was mad or genuinely missed my call. Since last night was our first time together in a while, I didn’t want her to think I had already stopped trying.
The meeting with Greg’s client was so simple an associate could have handled it, but I didn’t want to be bitter. I had to prove myself, especially to Greg, because he didn’t think I deserved to be where I was. I wasn’t sure why he felt that way, but he obviously did. I always busted my ass in everything I did. That was why I finished top of my law school class and became my firms youngest senior partner. But none of that mattered if I didn’t continue to show up.
I had to do that in all aspects of my life, which was a new realization. I had always put school and work at the top of my list, but I now had Steph in the picture, and I needed to show up for her, too. This was all new to me, but I would do it.
Once I got all the notes updated in the system for Greg, I headed out. It was later than I wanted, but Steph still wasn’t answering her phone. I was beginning to worry, so I picked up some of her favorite Chinese food as quickly as possible and went home.
When I unlocked the door and shouted for Steph, the only answer I heard was sniffling.
I set the food down and rushed to the couch. “Hey, babe. What’s wrong?” I asked, wrapping my arm around her shoulder while she sobbed. “Are you okay? I’ve been trying to call you.” I pulled her into me, and she buried her face into my neck.
“You can talk to me. I’m sure it will all be okay.” I lightly caressed her back, hoping it was providing her comfort. I didn’t have a good role model to show me how to be sympathetic, but I wanted to be here for her. “Can you tell me what happened?”
She sniffed uncontrollably before pulling back to look at me. “I… got… fired,” she breathed out, which wasn’t what I expected.
“Oh, babe. I’m so sorry.” I genuinely was, too. Even though she changed jobs frequently, she did seem more excited about this one than others. “How’d that happen? You were so happy there. Why don’t we sit at the dinner table, eat some Chinese, and you can tell me all about it?” I pulled her back into my chest as she soaked my shirt with what I hoped were only tears, but I was almost certain I wasn’t that lucky.
“They said they didn’t need my services anymore.”
Wow. That seemed sudden and harsh, and I wondered if there was more to the story. But I guess it doesn’t matter now, though.
“I understand. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but when a door closes, you can always jump out a window.” Case in point. That advice sounded awful, but hopefully, she would understand what I meant.
She pulled away from my embrace and stared at me, confused, and I couldn’t blame her—I was doing shit at this. “Did you tell me to jump out of a window?”
“No! I meant that if a door closes, you could always save yourself by climbing out the window. Like if the house was on fire, going out the window would be good. See? Nobody is jumping from anywhere. That could be dangerous, silly.” At least her being perplexed by my superb counsel had stopped her tears for now.
“What are you even talking about?” She shook her head, exasperated.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I was trying to reassure you, but I didn’t do well. I’m sorry.”
She studied me, but her face was softer, and a slight smirk crossed her lips. “You did better than you think. This is the first time I stopped crying since I found out.”
I took my thumbs and wiped the stray tears off her cheeks. “I wish you would have told me sooner.” I wasn’t sure why I had said that. It wasnt possible for me to leave work early, but I could have at least had a conversation with her.
“I was so upset. I couldn’t talk.” Her blue eyes glistened, and I couldn’t tell if it was from prior tears or if hope was shining through. “But you have made things better.” She leaned in and brushed her lips against mine.
It took me by surprise, but it was nice. The gesture was sweet—at first. But before I could fully respond, she was deepening the kiss.
I wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but I’d let her take the lead. I placed my hands on her hips but didn’t urge her to move. She freely straddled one of my legs before pressing her thigh against my center.
“Whoa,” I whispered. “Do you want to eat and talk some more? I care about you, and I want you to be okay.”
She inhaled deeply and then slowly released it. “I want you to make me feel better than okay.” She stared at me with an intensity that caused my insides to heat.
“Now?” I wasn’t sure if she wanted to forego dinner for a second night in a row, but she stood and reached out to me.
“Yes. Right now.” She pulled me up to her, and her eyes appeared an almost midnight blue.
“How about I run you a bath and grab you a glass of wine?” That sounded like a stress reliever.
“How about you take me to the bedroom and do that thing with your tongue where I can lose myself in the moment and forget everything else?”
“Your wish is my command.” I smiled, lacing our fingers together before leading her to the bedroom.
When we walked inside, she immediately pulled her shirt over her head. My gaze started at her round and supple breasts, which were slightly bigger than a handful but perfect for a mouthful. She wasn’t wearing a bra, so I could see the excitement in her nipples. Then my eyes traversed her body down to her long, lean torso. She had lines going down her sides as if she worked out daily. Once she removed her yoga pants, my entire body responded.
She was flawless, and sometimes I wondered how she saw me. I worked out and ate right, but I was also a few years older than her, and no matter what I did, my physique would never look like hers. Before I could get too far in my head, I unbuttoned my shirt and tossed it next to hers.
Wearing only my bra and skirt, I glided toward her. It took no time for her to help me into my birthday suit. Once I was naked, I picked Steph up and tossed her down on the bed. She peered up at me, and it was like nothing else in the day had mattered.
I immediately climbed on top of her, my legs on either side of her hips. I grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head as I sucked her earlobe into my mouth. She loved it when I did that, and I whispered, “Are you ready for a night to remember?”
“More than anything.” She rocked against me, and her wet heat rubbed against mine, and I was ready to taste her.
But before I made my way down her body, she bucked her hips and flipped our position.
She had never pulled that move before, and she was stronger than I realized.
Now, topping me, she said, “But I want to do you first.”
I hadn’t seen that coming, but I wouldn’t fight it. I loved that she wanted to take the reins.
She kissed me firmly while her hands toyed with my fully erect nipples. I closed my eyes as pleasure and expectation consumed me. She lowered her mouth to my breast, and I arched my back in encouragement, then… I was suddenly no longer in my bed?—
Reality shifted. Foreign music was pouring through the air. The place was full of people, yet their faces remained unseen. My feet moved across the dance floor like a puppet on a string. This was very familiar to me, but I wasn’t sure why until I saw her moving her hips in that mesmerizing way.
This was the woman from my dream, and it was like I was being pulled to her by a force stronger than myself. Before I even realized it, I was standing behind her, holding her hips tightly.
My eyes scanned the tattoos that covered part of her neck and her whole right arm. She had short, messy hair, and I wanted to grab hold of it. As I held her against me, my heart was in overdrive, and it wouldn’t slow down. I needed to see her, to know who she was. As I was about to turn her around?—
“Blake. Blake. What the fuck is going on? Are you sleeping right now?” Steph was furious and shaking me like a rag doll.
“No! No, I’m not sleeping. I swear. I think I blacked out. Babe, I’m not sure what happened.”
“Blacked out? That’s what you’re going with?”
I was flustered, but I couldnt find the words to describe it. “It’s like I’m not here but in another place. And there’s this person who keeps drawing me in.” Oh shit. That didnt sound good.
Her eyes turned to slits, and I tried to keep her with me.
“Wait. Please.”
But she, not so kindly, slapped my arm away and climbed off. She jumped out of bed and picked up her clothes on her way to the bathroom. She didn’t say one word before slamming the door.
I smothered my face in a pillow and screamed, “Fuck!”
It seemed like hours, but in actuality, only five minutes had passed before Steph emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed and still one hundred percent pissed.
“Steph, let me try to?—”
She cut me off with a see-you-never look, grabbed her pillow, and stormed out of our bedroom, shutting the door with enough force to shake the pictures on the wall.
I wasn’t sure where she was going, the spare room or the couch, but I wasn’t about to follow her. This was something that would have to wait until morning. I hoped she’d calm down by tomorrow and I could make it up to her, but I wasn’t sure if this could be fixed.