25 #4
“Here, you open this while I get the glasses.” Liz thrust the bottle towards Jerome for him to take and then she went over to the glass cabinet retrieving two champagne flutes. “That was the last bottle by the way. You’ll need to stock up for Christmas,” she said over her shoulder.
“Yes I will. Let’s hope we need to open many more of these in celebration eh?”
Liz turned around and grinned, nodding. Jerome expertly opened the champagne with a soft pop and poured it into the flutes. He passed one to Liz and lifted his.
“Salute, here’s to the new face of I-Gea protein shakes and products.”
“Cheers.” Liz smiled coyly as they clinked glasses.
“Shall I make you something to eat before I get in the shower?” Jerome coaxed. He was acutely aware that she’d eaten nothing other than a power bar all day.
Liz shook her head gazing at him through her lashes, taking another sip from her glass. “I’ll eat something once you’ve gone,” she lied. Those tablets Jonathan had given her were working wonders. She just wasn’t hungry and dropped four pounds over the last week.
“Okay.” Jerome drained his glass and placed it on the counter. “Well, I really need to get myself ready.”
“Of course. Thank you so much for today. I don’t think I’d have made it through without you.”
“I’m glad I was there too.” He reached over and gently stroked her arm.
Their eyes locked and Jerome took in a sharp breath, then swallowed.
She leaned into his touch and Jerome felt that familiar pull.
It had been almost seven months since the last time they’d slept together.
Jerome wanted nothing more than to be able to be with her again but he didn’t know if he could get past her infidelity.
He stepped back and focused on the champagne bottle.
Lifting it he poured some more into her glass and then put it back down. “I’d better get ready.”
Liz smiled softly and nodded. Jerome stepped around her and headed up the stairs.
Liz gulped down the contents of her glass and refilled it.
Taking another deep drink, she then took her glass and the bottle and headed to her room.
She could hear the shower running from down the corridor as she approached her door.
Pushing it open she quickly put down the glass and bottle, then stripped off her clothes.
Slipping on her silk robe she reached over and drained her glass again, then tiptoed down to Jerome’s room.
Jerome rinsed the last of the shampoo out of his hair and turned off the shower.
He grabbed a towel and rubbed his hair vigorously, then wrapped another around his waist. With a swipe of his hand he cleared the large mirror of condensation and was met with the reflection of Liz sitting on the lowered toilet seat behind him.
He swung around clearly surprised that she was there.
Liz had already risen from the seat and closed the short distance between them.
Her robe was loosely tied, exposing her cleavage.
There was no doubt why she was here, her posture undeniably sexual, her eyes wild with lust and for a moment Jerome was stunned at her ardour.
She roughly took hold of his face and crushed her lips to his.
Jerome hesitated for a second then responded to her urgent mouth.
Liz’s hands pulled away the towel around his waist and pressed against him, kissing him fiercely, hardly taking a breath.
She knew if she let him think too much he’d push her away and she needed this.
Today, after everything they’d been through she needed to know she could break him.
Her hand slid down and took hold of him, causing Jerome to jerk at her touch.
But before he could protest she swept down and took him in her mouth, kneeling at his feet.
“Ah, Christ Liz.” She moved over him, licking, sucking, taking him as deep as she could.
Jerome gripped onto the vanity unit for support unable to stop her, not wanting to.
He gazed down at her momentarily when reality hit him.
He took hold of her shoulders and pushed her gently.
Her eyes flew up to his and he could see the hurt of his rejection flicker across her face.
He clenched his eyes shut. Jerome’s gut twisted, knowing his reaction was painful to her.
He was going to have to forgive her at some point, he was going to have to try and accept her back.
“Jerome please let me show you how much I want you. Stop shutting me out, pushing me away. Please,” she said, making him feel even worse.
He released her shoulders without a word, his throat constricted by the lump that had lodged itself there.
He closed his eyes and leaned back as she pushed her lips over him again.
It was totally base, carnal but he didn’t know if it was enough.
Jerome’s head filled with unwelcome thoughts and a confusing cocktail of emotions he just wasn’t able to fathom.
He thought that there was no way he’d be able to climax.
But he didn’t want to hurt her, not after today.
He forced himself to relax and empty his mind of disturbing images that had been, until now, haunting him.
Liz continued to pleasure him, determined to win him over.
Her relentless ministrations were rewarded by a stifled moan and she dared to look up at Jerome.
His head had rolled back, his eyes clenched shut.
The strain evident along his neck as his veins stood out, pulsing.
Liz, recognising he was close and sucked just that bit harder.
Jerome stiffened suddenly, then he climaxed loudly, his hands’ vice like grip the only thing keeping him from collapsing on the floor.
Liz rose to her feet, pressing her body against his she curled her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Jerome’s chest heaved as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“Thank you for today. And thank you for now,” she whispered, then she pulled back from him.
“I’ll let you get ready.” Without another word she left Jerome standing naked in his bathroom, stunned and confused.
Stunned because Liz had for the first time ever, selflessly pleasured him, confused because he knew the only reason he’d climaxed was because he’d been imagining it was Dani that was kneeling on his bathroom floor.
JEROME POWERED DOWN THE bank of the river and turned into La Casa’s car park.
He slowed down and took a minute to catch his breath, pulled out his earplugs and turned off the music from his phone.
He’d needed to listen to music today, anything to stop him focusing on what happened last night in his bathroom.
The absence of Dani’s little white Fiat disturbed him.
It was nine thirty, he knew she’d be here any moment with her vibrant smile lighting up her whole face.
Jerome shook his head. He needed to get his head straight and while he kept focusing on Dani he was never going to manage that.
Maybe he should just let Seni date her, he thought.
Date? He huffed to himself, more like screw her!
Then he’d definitely have to get over it.
He shuddered. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.
GRAHAM PICKED UP THE phone and dialled Liz’s number. He’d put it off for as long as he could.
“Hello, Graham.”
“Hi, Liz. I’m not disturbing am I?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Well the guys at I-Gea were very impressed with you. I’ve just finished talking to them. I can’t see how you won’t get this contract. Only if you didn’t want it.”
“Not want it? Are you mad? I’m glad I have the Spain shoot to keep my mind off it. They said they’d know by the end of next week.”
“Yes. That’s right. Um, anyway I’m afraid that even though everything’s going well there, I have some bad news. The fashion show looks like it’s been postponed.” Graham cringed, waiting for her reaction.
“What? Why?”
“The venue pulled out, so the events company is trying to find somewhere and as you can imagine it’s short notice.”
“I was so looking forward to doing a runway, finally,” Liz whined, then proceeded to rant on about how she’d put so much work and time into this show.
Graham sat in his office listening, only adding the odd um and ah.
Liz eventually hung up still clearly upset.
Whoever thought modelling was glamorous needed to listen in on some of the conversations Graham had with some of his temperamental models.
Liz picked up her spare phone and dialled Jonathan.
It rang five times and then she hung up.
She knew he was training and couldn’t break off but she was hoping to catch him when he was in between his sessions.
She then fished out her other phone and dialled Jerome. It rang twice and then he answered.
Before he could even speak she was rattling off what had happened. She spoke so fast he had difficulty keeping up. He grasped most of what she said but what disturbed him the most was how completely out of control she sounded. He swiftly paced out of his office at La Casa and headed to his car.
“I’m coming home, Liz. Just calm down and I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Once Jerome hung up he dialled Peter explaining he’d be out this morning, then he put his foot down and headed home.
Jerome took one look at Liz and knew something was wrong and it wasn’t to do with the cancelled fashion show. She was jumpy and her hands were shaking.
“ Jesus, Liz, what’s wrong?”
She burst into tears burying her face in her hands. He was over to her instantly, sitting beside her on the sofa and pulling her into his arms. As he hugged her tightly he felt her ribcage and he scowled. She’d lost too much weight.
“Hey what is it, come on.”
Liz pulled away from him and he passed her a tissue he’d grabbed from the side table, for her to wipe her eyes.
“They’ve cancelled the fashion show.”
“I thought you said it was just postponed.”