Chapter 10 - Selene
Ever since the night that Simon held me in his arms and showed me what it felt like to feel safe again… I can’t stop obsessing about him.
It’s gotten to the point where I barely think of anything else.
And it gets ten times worse if he moves near me or brushes past me. My body is on fire with the need to be wrapped up in him. It’s impossible to focus. It’s impossible to have a conversation with him where I don’t trail off fantasizing about him mid-sentence.
It’s becoming a really big problem. Tonight is another example of how much I’m struggling because I can’t sleep.
I’ve been tossing and turning in bed for hours.
I reach over to the bedside table and lift my phone, glancing at the screen. Three in the morning. If I don’t at least get a few hours of sleep, it’s going to be a nightmare trying to entertain the twins tomorrow. They are the sweetest little gremlins, but when I’m tired, it’s a huge challenge.
I need a reset.
Throwing the blankets off myself, I slip my legs over the side of the bed and decide a glass of water and a little walk to the kitchen might clear my head enough so that I can come back here and go to sleep afterward.
My bare feet make no sound on the tiled hallway floors as I walk through the dark penthouse. Ahead of me from the kitchen, I can see a warm glow piercing the night. We usually leave the under-cabinet lighting on, so this isn’t a surprise.
I slip into the kitchen and freeze in place.
Simon is standing by the counter, a glass of water in hand, about to take a sip. He’s wearing sweatpants, nothing else. The soft lighting catches the curves and bulges of his muscles in the most sensual way.
My eyes are already exploring him while my mind is slipping into mischievous places.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asks, snapping me out of my stupor.
“I, um, no, I was tossing around for a while and getting all knotted in the blankets,” I sigh. I tear my eyes off him and walk towards the cabinet. I stand on my tiptoes reaching for a glass.
“Let me get that for you,” he says, reaching over me to get a glass.
His body towers over mine, pinning me to the counter for a moment.
His chest is pressed into my back, and as I lean forward, his cock pushes against my ass, and my entire body sparks like a wildfire.
I gasp, then press my lips together in horror.
But I am not the only one who seems to have noticed, as Simon, tripling my horror, has not moved.
His breathing has become heavier, deeper.
He pulls the glass from the shelf and sets it on the counter in front of me, his arm wrapping around me. I take a quiet breath, begging myself to find control as I fight the urge to arch my ass against him.
Then he steps back, and my cheeks flush neon red, and my face heats with embarrassment. I grab the glass and hurry to the tap, not daring to look at him but painfully aware that all I am wearing is a t-shirt that is not long enough to cover what it needs to cover.
I hear a low growl from Simon and steal a glance over my shoulder. He has his hand pressed over his eyes, rubbing them as his jaw clenches tightly.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
“Yes,” he says, his voice deep and husky, as though he’s struggling for control.
“I, um, I am going to try and get some sleep. Good night,” I blurt out, practically running out of the kitchen with the water in my hand.
Of course I don’t get any sleep. Going to the kitchen was a terrible idea and only made the situation a hundred times worse than it already was.
In the morning, I can barely look him in the eyes. I work around him, hating how good he smells, trying to keep a distance, but finding it impossible as my impulses keep moving me towards him. Just a brush. A soft touch. A hand on my hip. My hand on his arm as I reach for something.
This is bad.
And I need to breathe air that doesn’t smell like him.
When my phone chimes with a message, I dive for it like a lifeline.
Raya: Hey girl, we’re going shopping this morning. Do you want to come with us?
I look up at Simon. Yes. I one hundred percent want to go shopping so I can escape for a moment from this torture.
“Simon, Raya, and the girls invited me to go shopping with them,” I say.
“Fantastic, you were just saying you wanted to get some colorful items instead of all the boring beige and brows,” he winks.
“Oh, was I saying that?” I muse, grinning at him, instantly caught by the twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, I remember it clearly.” He nods with severity.
“Are you okay with the twins then?” I ask. It feels so weird to ask. It feels weird to have someone I trust to leave them with. It feels weird to have someone on my team.
“Of course, you don’t even need to ask!” he scoffs. “I’ll grab my laptop and come work in the living room while they play.
“You won’t get that much work done, they are a handful at…”
“I promise you, we will all be fine,” he smiles. “Go have some fun.”
I reply to Raya and rush upstairs to put on my sneakers. In front of the mirror, I brush my hair into a high, messy bun and can’t help but smile when I take in the dreary colors of my clothes. A pale grey t-shirt. Tan sneakers. Pale blue jeans. It’s like I was trying to fade away.
The mall is bubbling with people and conversation, and since we arrived, I haven’t been able to stop smiling. Raya and Sofie are both with me, and I swear I have never seen two girls shop as they do.
I happened to mention that I wanted to see if I could find a few more colorful things, and they have made it their life’s mission to achieve this goal.
I have handfuls of shopping bags filled with gorgeous tops, bright and loud, beautiful dresses, red jeans, and a beautiful bright green jacket.
I cannot wait to go out in my new clothes. Just having them in my hands already makes me feel more like the person I used to be… or maybe just like the person I want to be. A new person. A person who walks tall and isn’t afraid.
“Ok, but this one matches your eyes perfectly!” Raya says, holding up a green dress that glitters from every angle. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
“I have nowhere to wear something like that,” I protest.
“Oh, please. You can wear this while walking the dog or making dinner! Who cares where you wear it? Wear it everywhere.” She is already carrying the dress towards the change rooms. I laugh and follow her.
The trying-on part is fun. I don’t have to get it.
But there’s no reason why I shouldn’t see what it looks like.
It looks incredible. I look incredible. I turn again and again, taking in the girl standing in front of the mirror. She isn’t me. She’s this superhero version of me that is quite literally shining.
“Ok. We need that in green and in red. Both. Definitely,” Sofie says, staring at me with her mouth open and her eyes wide. “You look so fucking gorgeous.”
I giggle, knowing there is no way I am going to protest buying the dresses. I’ve never felt more beautiful.
We have lunch at a cute little bistro with pink teacups and plates covered in flowers.
It’s so girly and cute. We talk about everything from brothers to children to shopping to dreams. My heart is so full and happy being around them.
I think to myself, this is what it’s like to have sisters. It’s something I always longed for.
After lunch, I gather my shopping bags, ready to head home, but Sofie scoffs. “We’re not done yet. We still need to stop at the lingerie shop.”
My cheeks glow pink instantly. “Oh, of course, are you getting something?” I ask.
“Not me,” she smirks. “You.”
“Absolutely not. What in the world am I going to do with lingerie?” I blurt out.
Raya slips her arm through mine. “You wear it, silly. Imagine wearing black lace underneath that green dress. No one even has to know it’s there. But you’ll know and trust me… you’ll feel powerful.”
I bite my lip, considering her words. Maybe I’ll get one set. All I’ve ever owned are cotton bras and panties. Practical. Boring. Comfortable. Safe. Bland.
The lingerie shop is overwhelming. I don’t know where to look, and I’m too shy to touch anything. Raya and Sofie are breezing around like they own the place.
Raya hands me a set of black lace bra and panties. “This is for day-to-day wear,” she explains. “And this is for when you want to feel like a goddess,” she says, pushing a red set into my hands, complete with suspenders and everything.
“Ray…” I stammer.
“Oh, shush and try it on,” she laughs.
“And the emerald set,” Sofie says, handing me lingerie that isn’t lace, but rather sheer fabric that wouldn’t hide a damn thing and serves practically no purpose other than to look pretty.
The lady in the store doesn’t even offer to help because Raya and Sofie clearly know what they are doing. They help me get the right size, swap the red set for a softer pink color, and boss me around, making me feel like I’m their dress-up doll.
And I love it. I love being fussed over, and I love the girl in the mirror whenever I turn to see how I look.
“Imagine that under your green dress,” Raya says with a grin.
“You’re right. I will feel like a goddess.”
I walk out of the store barely able to hold all of my shopping bags.
Then I realize how late it is and that I’ve been gone for almost the entire day.
“Girls, this has been absolutely amazing, but I really need to get back to the twins. Poor Simon has been looking after them all day.”
Raya scoffs and waves her hand in dismissal. “It’s his turn, isn’t it? You’ve been on duty for five years,” she winks at me.
So, we have a cocktail, and only then do they let me call the driver and head home.
Simon is waiting in the living room. It’s already dark outside when I walk in, and as soon as I see him waiting there, drink in hand, I freeze with guilt.
“I’m so sorry I took all day. I didn’t plan to it just happened. I got so caught up in it, and I was having so much fun and …” I look down to follow his eyes that are brushing over the multitude of bags in my hands.
“I um, I um…” I stammer, my cheeks heating as I wish I could duck behind the sofa and hide.
“You look like you had a blast,” he grins.
I tilt my head to the side, shocked at his response. There isn’t even a flicker of anger in his voice.
“You’re not mad?” I stammer.
“Why in the world would I be mad? Show me what you got. Did you find colorful things?”
I grin with excitement, eager to show someone all my new things.
I sit down on the sofa next to him, surrounded by the shopping bags.
The first thing I take out is my favorite item. The green dress.
His eyes grow wide as he runs his fingers over the glittering sequins. “Wow,” he murmurs. “I am going to have to book us for dinner at Le’Frangelique so I can show you off in this,” he says quietly.
I bite my lip, noticing the growl in his voice.
“What else?” He straightens, pulling himself together. I take my time showing him each top, each pair of pants, each dress… until all that is left are the two bags of lingerie, which I don’t dare open.
“What about those?” he asks.
“Oh, um, it’s, um…”
He is already leaning over to pull them closer to himself. He dups his hand into the bag and pulls out the black lace. Something so small and skimpy and so fucking sexy that seeing it in his hand makes my body flood with heat and pussy throb instantly.
I swallow hard, biting my lip and not saying anything.
His fingers rub together with the lace between them. His jaw sets firmly, and his eyes slowly drift from the lingerie to me.
“Is it too late to ask you to model the items?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper, but so deep and commanding that it makes my heart skip a beat.
My body is screaming because of the way he is looking at me. Every fiber of my being wants to crawl onto his lap and straddle him. He cocks his head to the side, a dark smile spreading over his lips.
“Who is this for, Selene?” he asks.
“It’s um, it’s for me. So, I can feel pretty,” I stammer, barely able to speak.
“Just… for you?” he says slowly, still toying with the delicate piece in his hand.
I nod, but even as I do, I can see it’s without conviction.
He growls, low and dangerous as he drops the lace item onto his lap and lifts his hand. I don’t even try to stop him as he wraps his fingers around my jaw and pulls me closer to him. His lips are on mine before I process anything.
The kiss is intense. It’s powerful and deep and passionate, and it completely steals my breath and my thoughts away.
I gasp against his lips, and he wraps his hand around the back of my head to pull me even closer, wrapping his other arm around my waist to drag me across the sofa towards him.
My heart is beating a million miles an hour as I lift myself to crawl onto his lap.