18 #2
“What did you think of him?” Jerome’s voice was hoarse and Arsenio knew from his expression he was feeling guilty for doing this.
“He was very efficient and matter of fact. He’s done this a hundred times.
He didn’t seem fazed by the task and was confident that he’d have the information we needed.
That is, if there is anything for us to find out.
” He added the last sentence purely as a courtesy to make Jerome feel better.
But he knew he’d find out what they all already knew to be true, and probably then some.
“It’ll just be him doing the surveillance, unless we – I mean you – see fit to expand it. ”
Jerome leaned back in his chair and nodded. “So, next week, then?”
“Well yes, that’s the plan. After the weekend, to be specific.”
Jerome stared out of the window, mulling over what Arsenio had said.
So this was it. He was investigating Liz, his own wife.
He sighed inwardly. He really wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the details.
He wasn’t sure if he could stomach them.
He wasn’t sure if he could carry on not knowing either.
Jerome huffed to himself. He just wasn’t sure of anything anymore. “Thanks for doing this, Seni.”
Arsenio smiled stiffly at him. “Look, I won’t read the report. It’s really none of my business. I won’t get involved, unless you want me to. You decide, one way or the other. You know I’ll support you.”
Jerome nodded, then got up. Arsenio realised it was his cue to leave, or at least change the subject.
“Well I’ll leave.” Arsenio stood up and looked out of the window. “The rain hasn’t let up since last night and you ran in this?”
“Yes,” Jerome smirked.
“You’re insane.”
“Yeah something like that,” he chuntered.
JONATHAN PACED UP AND down, clearly agitated as Liz continued to explain.
“I have to make an effort with him, Jonathan. Look at me.” She was perched on the end of his bed.
They’d spent the first two hours of her visit making love, but now it was time for Liz to make him understand that she had to lie low for a while.
She didn’t want to rock the boat at home – well, not until she had secured herself a good modelling contract.
Secured her future. Her meeting with her agent had gone well this morning.
There were still some areas to be ironed out for the fashion show, but the holiday brochure shoot in Spain was officially signed today.
There was a possibility of another magazine fashion shoot and Graham had suggested she put herself forward for different projects that could prove to have more longevity, hence her unscheduled visit to see Jonathan and celebrate.
Jonathan stopped pacing and looked up at her.
She’d slipped on one of his T-shirts that barely covered her.
He was besotted with her. It killed him whenever she left him to go back to her other life.
Their affair had been going on for almost seven months now.
Jonathan remembered the first day he saw her, his first day at Level One, January the second.
Jonathan had applied for the position of manager at Level One.
He’d been a personal trainer for over ten years, working in various health and sports clubs, but had been ready to take on more responsibility.
Ultimately, he wanted his own gym but he knew that was out of his grasp.
Financially, he wasn’t able to fund such a business venture.
He’d been interviewed by Jerome and liked him, knowing they could work well together.
Jonathan furrowed his brow at that thought.
He certainly didn’t feel that way now. Now his feelings for Jerome bordered on envy and resentment.
Envious that Jerome had Liz when he couldn’t, and resentment for Jerome standing in his way of them being together.
Liz had sauntered into Level One at around ten.
He remembered it as if it was yesterday.
She was cool and distant and when Jerome introduced them, her handshake was weak.
Apart from the fact she was stunning, tall, blonde, with ice blue eyes and delicate features, she had an aloofness about her that only made her more attractive to Jonathan.
Untouchable. He instantly wanted to break through her cool exterior and unleash whatever she was trying hard to hide.
Jerome had left them alone to get acquainted, his other business needing his urgent attention. Jonathan couldn’t understand how Jerome wouldn’t want to work alongside Liz and find managers for his other businesses. If she were his wife, he’d never let her out of his sight.
It was on that morning Jonathan knew Liz was going to mean a lot more to him than just being his boss.
They spent all day together as Liz went through the workings of Level One.
He watched her begin to warm up to him. Her cool blue eyes sparkled when he made a joke, her stiffness and distance softened as they sat and drank their tea in her office.
The time had literally flown by and when five o’clock came around, when it was time for her to leave, Jonathan couldn’t wait for the following morning.
In those few hours, they’d built a subtle rapport.
A rapport that you would expect from a couple of colleagues who’d worked together closely for a lot longer than just seven hours.
Jonathan realised on that same day he had to have Liz and no one was going to stand in his way.
“What do you mean, make an effort? I hope you’re not thinking of sleeping with him again.” He stepped closer to her, his hands fisted at his sides.
Liz lifted her hand up and gently touched his arm, warmed by his possessiveness.
“No. I told you it’s been over six months.
Not since you and I…” Jonathan took a deep breath.
The thought of another man touching her made him positively violent.
“He thinks you and I are over. And I want him to think that. He has to think that, Jonathan. You understand that, don’t you?
I need to get everything in place. My career.
So we can eventually be together. The fact that he found out has made this harder, so you’re going to have to be a bit more patient.
You know I only want to be with you, and going back to that house kills me too, but we have to be smart. No phone calls.”
“What?”
“He may check my phone. He’s not convinced we’re over.”
“Well, get another phone. Another number. I can’t not speak to you!”
“Okay. I will. But I won’t be able to come here. Not for a while.”
Jonathan moved closer clenching his jaw. “No way. I have to see you, be with you. You have to find a way.”
“It’s just until he stops doubting me,” Liz pleaded.
Jonathan leant down and slipped his hand around the back of her neck, then firmly pushed her back against the mattress.
His dark eyes bored into hers, his full lips crushed against hers and he laid his big, hard, dark body over her.
He ravished her mouth, holding her head still.
He couldn’t get enough of her and these stolen hours were what he lived for.
He’d go insane if she denied him of these, even for a short time.
Liz’s hands instantly grasped at his bare back, feeling every taught muscle as it rippled under her soft hands. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. His body was a well-oiled machine that never tired, and every slab of muscle Liz touched was rock hard, encased in his dark velvet skin.
“Fuck this, Liz. Just leave him. We don’t need his money, we don’t need anything of his. I can ask my cousin Gabe. He can finance us. We can borrow from him and set up a gym. He’s got a bit of money. I can’t bear not seeing you.”
“I can’t either, but it’ll be worth it. I don’t want to owe anyone, Jonathan.
I want to do it on our own,” groaned Liz, feeling his hands hastily leave her head and roam down her sides.
She loved the way he never hid his raw desire for her.
He wasn’t controlled like Jerome; he took from her and was rough and Liz revelled in it.
Craved it. She needed her man to be insane about her, to be jealous of her.
She needed that full and undivided attention, and Jonathan gave her that, in heaps.
Jonathan shoved up the T-shirt she was wearing and lowered his lips to her nipple, tender from their previous celebratory sex, and sucked hard.
“Ah!”
“That’s right, you scream for me,” he mumbled against her delicate skin.
His hands ran over her behind and he yanked her close to him.
“Can you be without this?” He circled his hips and pushed his throbbing erection against her.
“How long can you last?” He thrust against her.
Liz whimpered as he continued to suckle her.
She grappled with his briefs to release what she needed.
“One day? Two? A week?” He punctuated with a thrust. “Tell me?” he demanded.
“Can you do without this?” He plunged his now-released erection into her and she gasped.
“No. No, I can’t. Fuck me, Jonathan. Fuck me hard.”