Chapter Twenty-One
ChapterTwenty-One
Brandt
That meeting was one of the harder things I’ve had to endure lately.
Being in the same room as Elissa and not being able to reach out and touch her killed me. My fingers twitched to feel how soft her bronze curls were, to feel if her skin is still as silky as I remember, to feel the plush curves of her breasts and ass. I’ve been sporting a semi-hard-on all day since walking into that boardroom this morning. I was not properly prepared to encounter her again so soon after she dropped me…again. But, let’s be real — I don’t think I’ll ever be properly prepared to deal with Elissa and how she affects my body, my heart. I just wish I affected her the same way she does me.
Throughout the meeting, there was this annoying little burning sensation prickling the side of my face, and without looking, I knew it was Elissa stealing glances my way. It took everything I had not to look at her and give her a moment of my attention, but the truth is, she had all of my attention. Not a single ounce of my attention was spent on the meeting. Every nerve, cell, and atom in my body was hyper-focused on Elissa. My lungs felt like they were screaming for air, for the chance to touch her.
And god-fucking-dammit if she didn’t look like a fucking goddess. She shone so brightly you’d swear there was a halo glowing around her entire body. Her creamy skin glowed, her hair was perfectly curled, her makeup was flawless and elegant. Her lips were stained with a dark rouge that would look fucking amazing ringed around my cock. Her hips were wide, perfect for holding onto. And her ass was round and plump in that tight leather skirt, making me want to hike it up and fuck her from behind. I want to slide my cock into her slowly and watch her take every fucking inch of me.
Fuck. I’m rock hard.
I adjust my cock, tucking it into the waistband of my slacks before heading out of the washroom and down the corridor to the elevator so I can head out for lunch. I catch a glimpse of Elissa walking across the road to the café across the street, disappearing behind the door as it closes. The urge to follow her is too strong, and before I comprehend what I’m doing, my feet carry me across the road and into the café.
A warm, rich aroma of coffee and fresh baked goods laces the air and I breathe deep, letting it fill my lungs, saliva pooling in my mouth. My eyes roam around the room, searching for someone I shouldn’t look for. And then I see her, with her mother of all people. Curiosity stirs inside me, wondering why they’re meeting. I don’t think Elissa has noticed me yet, and I find a spot behind them that’s divided by a half wall, a planter box on top with a bush, so she can’t see me. Tingles and sparks ignite all over my skin; just being within her proximity sets my soul on fire.
Her mother’s smooth and sophisticated voice is just above a hush, but it’s clear, and I can hear what she’s saying until the waiter comes over to take my order. I place it rather hastily so he can take off and I can get back to eavesdropping. My ears prick at my name being spoken.
“So, what’s going on with Brandt? Are you still together?” Collette’s words are low and cold, almost disapproving. Elissa is silent a beat too long. She must be avoiding the question. But why?
“No.” Her tone is clipped. “He broke it off with me.” My brain doesn’t believe what it’s hearing right now. A gradual warm simmer starts in my stomach, slowly percolating. I turn my head as if it will help me hear the conversation better, and my ears flex like I’m a dog.
“Brandt broke it off with you? My, my. Here I thought that man was in love with you, but for him to walk away first is rather surprising. What did you do?”
Elissa sighs. And, although I can’t see her, I know that sigh. It’s defeatism; her shoulders are drooped, she’s slumped in her chair, and she’s probably picking at the cuticles on her nails.
“I didn’t do anything. At least, not that I know of. He all of a sudden started pulling away.”
Yeah, for good damn reason. I knew she was going to walk away again. I had to protect myself.
“I went over to confront him about how he was acting, and he broke it off. I couldn’t even really say what I wanted. He cut me off several times, then he cut me out.” Her voice sounds little and broken, and I want to walk around this wall, scoop her up in my arms and press her to my chest, smooth her hair and tell her everything will be okay. Wait. Did she say I broke it off? No, I didn’t. She did.
My mind races back to the conversation we had a few weeks ago, desperately trying to remember. But then Collette says something that has me swallowing the vomit burning in my throat.
“Well, if you want, I know of a nice young gentleman looking for something serious. And before you say anything, please keep in mind that you’re now in a position of power, and sleeping around is going to get you nowhere but in the board’s bad graces. You need to be thinking about your future.” Elissa groans and I fight back the snarl rumbling in my throat. Who the fuck does Collette think she is? Elissa. Is. Mine. My knuckles turn white as they curl around the edge of the table, and with any more pressure it’d crack in my hands.
“Mother, I’m not looking for anything right now. I’m thinking of just being on my own for a while. This thing with Brandt, I was taking it seriously. I thought we were on the same page…I thought. I don’t know. Can we drop this, please, and just eat our lunch?”
Thought what…thought what? My mind is racing, trying to figure out what she was going to say. The waiter comes back and places my sandwich in front of me. Fingers clack against the table for a few seconds and then stop abruptly.
“Fine. As long as you think about it. Theo is a beautiful, kind man and his mother is on a charity committee with me. He would be thrilled to meet you…” Collette continues to chat for the next few minutes, but I can’t hear any more because the blood is pounding in my ears. I feel like I’m burning from the inside out. There’s an invisible set of claws scratching its way out of my body, gripping my throat, choking me. Bile and acid churn in my stomach. What the fuck is Collette thinking, setting Elissa up with someone else? She knew the deal, that Elissa was supposed to marry me. She’s supposed to be my wife. Fuck!
As my thoughts run wild, I suddenly hear some shuffling from behind me. I hazard a glance over my shoulder and roughly see through the plants that the two women are standing and slipping their coats back on. My thighs and feet tense. They’re wanting to stand up and call Collette out and tell her to fuck off. That Elissa is mine. But something stops me; a nagging voice in the back of my head, compelling me to stay where I am, because revealing I’ve heard their conversation would only make things worse.
I grind my teeth together as I wait for their footsteps to fade and when the bell over the door sounds, I can finally relax, but my body doesn’t get the message. Every fibre inside my body is rigid. The thought of Elissa in someone else’s arms leaves me in a white, fiery rage. And the fact that she thinks I walked away from our relationship fucking kills me. She’s the one who walked away. I may have kept my distance, but she was the one who instigated this breakup. Right?
I wolf down my food, throw some bills down, and push myself away from the table. I stalk out of the café and force myself to not cross the street and go back into the Black Wells tower. I have to stop myself from following Elissa back to her office, slamming the door, bending her over the desk, hiking up her skirt, and fucking her from behind.
I curl my fists and shove them deep into my pockets as I walk a block, cooling off before ordering a car to take me back to Collins Global Collective. I’m all fucking confused about what happened the other week between Elissa and I, and after hearing the conversation between her and her mother? I don’t know what to think anymore.
A pang ricochets in my chest, and it hurts to breathe. Did I just fuck up immensely?