18. Maggie
18
Maggie
T he next week passes in a blur as we settle into a routine of sorts. I get up early to work every morning, and Archer goes into the bar each night, only to slip into my bed in the wee hours of the morning.
Our schedules only allow us a few stolen moments here and there, which is why I’m counting down the minutes until my shift ends.
Archer invited me as his date to the annual charity benefit tonight.
As soon as Jane finds out, she shoos me out the door, sending me home early so I can get ready. Though I hated to leave before my shift ended, I have been stressing over what to wear. I don’t know if any of the dresses I already own would be appropriate for an event like this. I saw how some of those women dress, and I don’t think I have anything that fancy.
Now that I have the time off, I plan to spend it shopping for something new. Although, I’m not sure how I’m going to pay for it. I may have to move some money around to cover the cost, but it will be alright. I will make it up with some extra shifts.
I walk into my apartment to change when I spot a bag on my bed.
“What the hell?” I mutter to myself, going over to investigate.
At the foot of my bed is a black garment bag and what looks like a shoe box. On top is a handwritten note and a single scarlet rose:
For you to wear tonight. I know you’ll look stunning. Pick you up at 8.
Archer
I gasp as I unzip the bag.
Inside is the most beautiful green dress. Taking it out of the bag, I hang it on the back of the bathroom door. It’s a floor-length satin gown in a deep emerald green. When the light hits it just right, you can see there’s a delicate rose pattern embossed across the fabric.
It’s gorgeous.
With the low cut of the neckline and the high slit on the thigh, I’m not sure if it’s something I would have ever picked out for myself, but since being with Archer, I have noticed my self-confidence improve.
Not because I need a man’s approval to validate my self-worth, but because he has allowed me a safe space to openly explore my sexuality, something I’ve never had before.
As the time draws nearer, a nervous anticipation builds, causing butterflies to erupt in my belly every time I think of what might happen tonight. What I’m hoping will happen tonight.
Archer has been so patient with me. He has never once pressured me or pushed me beyond my boundaries.
It’s crazy to know someone for such a short amount of time but be able to trust him in ways I haven’t with anyone else.
We have been taking our time learning and exploring each other in almost every way imaginable, but we still haven’t gone all the way. I’m hoping that tonight, though, that will all change.
For the first time ever, I feel excited about the possibility of having sex—something I have never found enjoyable before—and I know Archer is the biggest reason for that.
He likes to try and convince me he’s some evil monster, but I don’t believe that. I don’t know why he thinks that way about himself or what sins he’s committed that makes him feel unworthy of being loved, but it doesn’t matter anyway. It’s too late for that. I have fallen so fast and so hard for him, I’m afraid there’s no coming back for me .
I have come alive under his touch, and he has helped heal things inside me I never even realized were broken.
My fingers trail across the custom bookcases he had built as a surprise for me, bookcases that he filled with new books he bought to replace the ones that were destroyed or damaged in the break-in.
Would a bad man do that?
We haven’t addressed his past. He hasn’t brought it up and I haven’t pushed, figuring he will talk to me when he’s ready, but I can’t imagine there’s anything he could say that would change the way I feel about him.
I put the last pin in my hair, securing my curls in place, and remove the dress from the hanger. The silky material glides up over my skin like a gentle caress. It fits my body perfectly, hugging every line and curve in a way that is extremely flattering and makes me feel incredibly sexy.
I hear the click of the door as it closes behind me.
When I look into the mirror, the breath gets trapped in my lungs.
Archer stands in a dark navy suit that clings to his muscular frame. He looks like pure sin as he stalks across the room to where I stand. I try to turn around, but he holds me in place with a firm hand on the curve of my waist.
“What…?” I start to ask, but I trail off when I look up, meeting his molten gaze in the mirror. He has this wild look in his eyes that has my breaths coming faster.
“I significantly underestimated how good that dress would look on you,” he rasps in my ear as his hungry eyes roam over body, eating up my reflection.
The hand at my waist smooths over the front of my hip down to my exposed thigh before disappearing under the high slit in the skirt.
His rough fingertips trail up my inner thigh higher and higher, hissing through his teeth when he finds my bare center, already wet and aching for his touch.
He leans into me, and I can feel his hardening erection against my backside.
“Remind me to apologize to Jayce, ‘cause I’m afraid we are going to be very, very late,” he whispers before slowly sliding one long thick finger inside me, pumping in and out a few times before pulling out and bringing it to his mouth to suck it clean.
My cheeks flame, and I fight the urge to squirm at the intensity of such an intimate action, but it’s not shame or embarrassment I feel. Instead, I find myself turned on and a tiny bit curious.
Archer tilts his head as he watches my reaction.
“You like that,” he states. I nod.
He sinks his finger back inside me, coating it with my arousal before bringing it to my mouth, smearing it across my bottom lip.
“You want to taste?” I don’t know why, but for some reason I do.
My tongue darts out as I open my mouth, and he slips his middle finger between my parted lips. I twirl my tongue around his finger before sucking on it hard. The taste is not at all what I expected but not unpleasant either.
“I told you, you taste delicious,” he purrs low in my ear.
He removes his finger with a pop, trailing it across my collar bone to the thin strap on my shoulder.
“Look at you,” he says, dragging it down before doing the same with the other strap. The silky fabric puddles at my waist before gliding smoothly to the floor.
I stare into the mirror at my reflection, taking in the woman before me. My green eyes are bright, almost feverish, cheeks flushed. A few stray curls have fallen from my updo to frame my face.
As I stand there in nothing but my strappy gold heels, I feel pretty, but it’s the way Archer is looking at me right now that truly makes me feel like a goddess.
Bending down, he picks the dress up off the floor, draping it over the back of a chair. I watch with rapt attention as he removes his suit jacket, unbuttoning his shirt, sliding it over his thick shoulders before resuming his position behind me. With my back to his front, he slides one arm around my waist, the other coming up to gently wrap around my throat in a possessive hold.
“Now tell me, when you got dressed tonight, did you simply forget to put on underwear, or was my Little Rose looking to get fucked?” he growls in my ear, squeezing slightly on the sides of my throat, and I whimper, feeling my arousal grow.
“Th—the second one,” I finally manage to get out .
“So that was your plan then, to tempt me into fucking that sweet little pussy tonight?”
I nod, blushing furiously at his words, all while loving the rough dominance in his voice.
“I need to hear you say it, to know you want this as badly as I do,” he says, nipping at my ear. “Do you want me to fuck you, baby?”
He uses the hand at my waist to run smooth circles over my lower belly, getting closer and closer but never quite touching me where I want him to.
“Yes.” The word comes out quiet and breathy.
“Yes what? Tell me, Maggie—I need your words.”
He continues his assault on my senses with his light, teasing touches, and I feel like I’m going to combust if he doesn’t do something soon.
“Yes. P-please—touch me. Fuck me. Just do something,” I finally grit out, and he doesn’t waste any time before spinning me around, slamming his lips to mine, and kissing me long and deep.
Resting his forehead against mine, he strokes my cheek softly. “You don’t have to beg. I’ll give you what you need. All you have to do is ask, and it’s yours.” Placing one last kiss on my lips, he turns me back around so that I face the mirror once again.
“Now…I want you to watch yourself in the mirror. See how stunning you look when I make you come all over my hand.”
His warm palms come around and cup my breasts, pinching and pulling on my nipples, and when my knees threaten to buckle, he tightens his hold. Leaning back against his chest, I watch as one hand slips down between my legs.
He thrusts one finger inside me, pumping a few times before adding a second, using the heel of his palm to grind against my clit. As he continues to fuck me with his fingers, I can feel my orgasm rapidly start to build.
Overwhelmed by pleasure, I must close my eyes at some point, because I hear his sharp command in my ear to open them.
I watch as he works me over, entranced by the contrast of his tan, inked skin against my pale flesh. It’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen, and it’s our reflection that ultimately tips me over the edge, making me come so hard, my legs collapse out from under me.
Archer moves fast, reaching down to scoop me up into his arms and carrying me over to the bed before he lays me out on the cool, crisp sheets.
I watch with rapt attention as he strips off the rest of his clothes, slipping a condom out of his pocket and giving himself a few quick strokes, before rolling it on. He crawls up the bed, covering my body with his own and pressing a tender kiss against my lips.
“Are you sure?” he asks me one final time, lining his cock up at my entrance.
“Yes,” I say with absolute certainty.
His eyes fall closed, his head tipping back in pleasure as he enters me on one long glide. Overcome with emotion, my eyes prick with tears unshed, and I know without a doubt that I have fallen head over heels for this man.