Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ELENA
“My turn.” He rolled over me and nuzzled my neck, giving me a hickey.
A series of giggles burst from me and him. I loved this version of him. Tonight changed everything for us.
I escaped from his attack to lie beside him. “When did you follow my blog?”
“Two years ago.”
“Really? How did you find out about it? I didn’t advertise or anything. That blog was something I did for fun.”
He kissed my nose, then my mouth. It was a slow and seductive kiss that made me want to stay in bed with him forever. His cock hardened under my thigh. “Someone’s perky again.”
“He’s always perky around you. Horny bastard.” He kissed my forehead.
Laughing, I wondered about us. Where would this relationship be next week? A month from now? What exactly were these feelings blossoming between us?
Though I enjoyed being with him, I had to know if this relationship was going anywhere. My life has been one obstacle after another. I needed something hopeful. I supposed a causal relationship could work. We could meet up for amazing sex and that would be it.
But I knew myself. I couldn’t be casual with Orion. I’d get attached to him emotionally. That was already happening. He was constantly in my thoughts. The attraction between us was indescribable. It ran deeper than what I could explain. There was something special here, and I wanted to find out.
Sitting up, I reached for a sheet to cover myself. I couldn’t have a serious conversation with him staring at my bare chest.
“Can you confirm something for me?” I tightened the sheet around me as though it could protect me. “What’s going to happen tomorrow?”
“What do you mean?”
I rolled my eyes. Here was this intelligent man who managed a successful empire, and yet he was clueless about what I was hinting at.
He smirked. “You know, your eye roll was one of the irresistible traits I noticed about you. It’s sexy.”
I rolled my eyes again, but a small smile formed on my lips.
I loved his facial expression when he looked at me. The warmth in his eyes was sunlight, giving me life, a reminder of the wonderful things that existed around me. The world didn’t seem so dangerous anymore, and the burden didn’t seem so heavy. Anything was possible.
When I was a kid, it was easy to believe that anything was possible. But adult responsibilities made that difficult. The cruelty I’d seen in the world as a reporter jaded me. Despite that, I remembered that spark again because of him.
“I was in a hotel lobby in New York for a conference and heard a woman raving about your blog. She said the writer answers odd questions.” He pushed himself up, tossed a pillow behind him for support. “I was curious and had time to kill while waiting for a colleague to show up.”
“Are you ever late?”
“Not if I can help it. The day you hit my car I was five minutes late.”
“Maybe the Universe wanted you to be late so I could hit your car.” I grinned.
“Then I have to thank him for that.” He pointed to the ceiling. “I’d been following your blog and reading the strange submissions you received. There are some weirdos out there. I loved how you replied to them. With sarcasm and sass.” He pulled me close. “It was fun for me. So that’s what I did after a rough day or when I needed a break from something.”
He didn’t know what that comment did to me. The blog had been my heart, and to know that it had connected us years ago made it more special.
“It was fun for me too.”
“Why did you stop? I was disappointed.”
“When my show started, it took up a lot of time. I also started Musepaper and began a new relationship. I didn’t have time for the blog.”
“What happened to your relationship?” he asked.
I shrugged. “It ended a year ago. He was a reporter too. More popular now that he’s in New York.”
“What’s his name?”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“He’s not important,” I said.
He looked at me for a moment. “I enjoyed reading your articles on Musepaper too.”
“Sounds like you’ve been stalking me.” I smirked.
“Aren’t you stalking me? Isn’t that what people do when they’re interested in someone?”
“In my book, it’s called research .”
His smile widened. “Tell me about Musepaper. Why don’t you have more articles? From the comments I’ve read, people love what you’ve done.”
Liam was never interested in my work. Elliot had listened to me, but he was my best friend. Still, it was different to have Orion ask me.
“I enjoy sharing stories that inspire and motivate people. Right now, it’s just local stuff. I hope to expand on it someday.”
“Musepaper.” He repeated to himself. “I love the sound of it. It’s so you.”
“I’m covering a few events for Vivian and Audri.”
“You should bring Madame Sarcasm back.” His eyes sparked. “I have a crush on her.”
“I should be jealous.” I pinched his cheek playfully. “That idea has crossed my mind, but I’m already struggling to keep Musepaper afloat. I have two interns helping me part time. It’s a lot of work. I don’t have the team or the funds?—”
“I’ll invest in Musepaper. But the catch is you have to bring back Madame Sarcasm. Her comeback should be extravagant.”
I laughed. “Why? Don’t you have other things to work on?”
“Part of being successful is having the eye to spot a precious opportunity. You’ve got to grasp it before it disappears. It’s like seeing a shooting star. You have one second to make a wish before it’s gone.” He gripped my chin with his fingers, looking at me with those intense eyes that sent a flurry of nerves dancing in my stomach. “I invest in things with potential for growth. Madame Sarcasm helped me at a time when even therapists couldn’t. She deserves a second chance.”
I’d never had a man believe in me this much. My internal recycling bin tipped over, and all the self-doubts, fears, and negative thoughts I’d collected over the years poured out, leaving me empty. In that emptiness, I could see how they had weighed me down, blocking my joy and self-worth.
“You can incorporate her into Musepaper. A weekly column for Madame Sarcasm. All her followers will flood to Musepaper, which will become your one stop for all the things you’ve ever wanted. I also enjoy Random Riddles. You can expand on that. Reach out to get sponsors to tag along with the riddles. It has the potential to make you a lot of money.”
Excitement whirled through me as several ideas popped into my head.
“I saw the passion in you from your show, Uncover the Truth. The truth matters, and Musepaper could be the place where people come for the truth.” He reached for a lock of my hair and wrapped it around his finger, twirling. “There are several media companies in the world, but they’re all owned by a few communication giants. These giants have agendas, and those agendas sometimes require them to twist the truth.”
“Why?”
He tapped my forehead. “Control. Money. Power. You know, all those things that have created wars in history.”
“You could be a very interesting villain.”
“What makes you think I’m not? I’m a thief, after all.”
“But a different thief.” I retorted. “I think you find it more fun playing against the bad guys. You’re a hot and dangerous vigilante.”
He smiled. “You’re not wrong. The WaterFyre Rising boys and I are part of a group called VATV—Vigilantes Against the Villains.”
“We girls have our SSG—Super Spy Girls.”
“Oh yeah? What do you do?”
I couldn’t tell him about my mission, The Thief Who Loved Me. I didn’t want him to be influenced by it. He needed to show me that on his own accord. It was the only way I knew it was true.
The mission had morphed from its original purpose. I didn’t want to know if he liked me. He’d opened my heart, and now I wanted more. Could he love me? I might reach too far there. I might fall off the cliff, but I wanted to know anyway.
The more I talked to him, the more I fell for him. It scared and thrilled me. I had to be careful though because this thief could steal my heart and run away with it, leaving me shattered—heartless.
“We all have our missions,” I said. “I’ll tell you about mine later.”
He eyed me suspiciously but didn’t press on. “Okay.”
Changing the subject, I said, “I’ll do it. I’ll bring Madame Sarcasm back with your help.”
“Good girl. We can work out the details later. I’ll have my financial and tech teams help you with whatever you need. I’ll look at Musepaper and give you my feedback on where improvements are necessary. You’ll get paid weekly too. Separate from the contract job.”
“Are you sure?” My heart raced because he’d just solved my financial predicament.
“Of course. The contract job is just temporary. Musepaper is your dream job.” His eyes leveled on me. “Quit FoodHub and Let’s Ketchup. I want you to focus on your dream.”
I’d already planned on giving my notice but knowing he thought about it sent joy soaring through me. My heart bloomed as I looked at him, amazed at how he formulated a successful action plan in seconds. I supposed when you had limitless money, there was nothing holding you back. For someone like me with restrictions, my thought process had been limited.
“So you want to be my business partner with Musepaper?” I asked, needing a clear answer.
“Absolutely,” he said.
“Draft up a contract for me to review, and I’ll take a look.”
“One more thing.” He kissed me gently. “You’re my girlfriend now. We’re dating.”
“Is that how you always ask women on dates?”
“You had hinted at it earlier. I’m just providing you with an answer.” He rolled over, pinning me to the bed. “But if you need more clarification, I’m willing to provide it.” His hard cock pressed into me, rubbing against my skin.
My phone rang, startling me. The bird song ringtone belonged to my mother.
“Sorry, it’s my mom.”
“No worries.” He shifted his body from mine, and I yearned for his heat. “This horny bastard will always wait for you.”
Smiling, I shook my head and refrained from rolling my eyes.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, sitting up, but this time I didn’t bother pulling the sheets up to cover myself. An extra layer of comfort had developed between me and him.
“Elena! I love the massage chair.”
“I’m so happy to hear that, Mamá . The delivery was supposed to arrive today. I guess it came early. How did you get it in the house?” I imagined an enormous box and my mom trying to push it with her knees. She shouldn’t be putting weight on her weak knees.
“No, Reid stopped by to help. He called to see how the trip was, and I mentioned there was a big box on my porch.”
Relief settled. “Reid is a good man.”
“Which is why I won’t stop volunteering there. What are you doing?”
I looked at Orion, who wore a smirk and pointed at his hard cock.
“Just hanging out with a friend.”
Orion narrowed his eyes at me, placed a hand on his chest, pretending to look hurt.
“My boyfriend .”
“Oh, you have a boyfriend?” Excitement filled her voice. “Since when? Why didn’t you tell me? What’s his name?”
“Orion.” I met his gleeful eyes.
“That’s an interesting name. When do I get to meet him?” Mom asked.
“I’ll bring him by in a few days. I have some work to get done first.” I hadn’t told my mom about my unemployment. She’d be worried. Technically, I was employed, but not by Channel 7 News.
“Great. That gives me time to make a traditional meal. Bring him to dinner. See if he passes the test.”
My heart warmed at the thought. Liam didn’t like my mom’s Peruvian meals, and he made it known gently. According to my mother, Liam lacked decency and the ability to be open-minded. She didn’t like him. Maybe she saw something in him I didn’t.
I was nervous about her opinion about Orion.
“ Mamá , I can just pick up dinner. You don’t have to go through all the work.”
“My baby is dating again. It’s an important occasion, and I need to know.”
“It’s nothing serious,” I said, then realized how that must have sounded.
A grunt sounded from Orion, and I covered the phone with a hand, mouthing, S orry. Not what I meant. But it was too late.
I shrieked when Orion grabbed me, pushing me onto my back, sinking into the bed.
“You okay there, honey? What’s going on?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just dropped something,” I said, trying my best not to laugh.
Orion narrowed his eyes at me, probably punishing me for the comment. He scooted down, nudged my thighs wide apart, and buried his face against me, licking and sucking.
“Do you think the relationship has the potential to grow?” Mom asked. “I hope he’s not materialistic like Liam. I don’t want you to get hurt, sweetie.”
Orion swiped at me with slow, seductive strokes. I clamped a hand over my mouth to prevent a moan.
“Yes,” I said in my best voice.
Arousal surged in me. His wicked mouth was too much. I didn’t want to come while my mom was on the phone. That was just too weird.
“Good. I’m going to make a list of ingredients to fill the refrigerator and ask Betty to go on a grocery trip with me.”
“Okay. See you on Wednesday evening.” The phone dropped on the bed, and I moaned. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“No?” He opened my legs wider, sucking on my bud harder.
The orgasm burst, blinding and beautiful. My body absorbed the powerful bliss, and the quivering ebbed. He kissed my thighs, making his way up to my mouth. “Remember this: when you’re with me, it’s serious .” Then he kissed me deeply.
Now it was my turn. I pushed him back onto the bed.
“Let me show you how serious I am.” I gripped his pulsing cock, stroking its glorious length. Things had happened quickly tonight, and I didn’t get a chance to thoroughly examine him.
A masterpiece. An extraordinary weapon that throbbed for me. I pressed kisses up and down, tasting him. He was so male and so perfect.
My lips hovered over his crown. Then I licked around him. “Am I being serious enough?”
“Not yet.” He growled, daring me with his eyes.
Pleasure strained his face, and I loved that I had the power to do that to him.
He bent an arm behind his back, watching me with darkened eyes. “Show me the power of that seductive mouth and curious tongue.” He swallowed. “I’ve dreamed about them too many times.”
Knowing he’d envisioned me pleasuring him made me want to give him everything.
I took him into my mouth, his flavor overwhelming me. Dark, dangerous, and delicious.
He let out a loud curse, followed by a growl and heavy breathing.
“My Madame Sarcasm and Sunshine all in one.” His eyes rolled back, and I quickened my pace.
After round six of our sexcapade, we finally drifted off to sleep . . .