Chapter 9
There was a package delivered to my door. I removed a red one-shoulder sparkly dress that should be easy enough to put on. Inside the box lay a black satin splint, red lace lingerie, and black satin shoes. I washed in the bathtub. When I walked back into the room wearing nothing but a towel, two women were waiting on me. One to do my hair, the other to do my makeup and nails. They helped me get dressed, and I felt like a princess afterward. With natural makeup, sparkling nails, and matching toes, you couldn’t tell me anything. I enjoyed being pampered, but mostly, I enjoyed the help since my right hand wasn’t my dominant hand at all.
When I entered the living room, Caesar and Tavi were waiting for me. I couldn’t help but smile at them looking at me.
“I thought you were leaving.” I moved to Tavi, kissing him.
“And missing your big entrance? Never. You’re stunning, Sweetie.”
“You’re handsome.” He dressed for work in black tailored slacks, a black button-up, and a black leather vest. His tie was maroon, and he hadn’t pulled his hair off his shoulders. I kissed him again because the all-black was doing something for me.
Caesar looked delicious enough to eat, but I needed to cool down before I could approach him. Making him wait gave me the satisfaction of payback that I needed from last night.
“Have fun. I’ll see you at about four or five in the morning.” He kissed me again, drawing my tongue into his mouth. I didn’t miss the taste of smoke. He’s already had a little fun before he left.
“How often do you smoke?” I asked him straightforwardly.
“Two to three times a day.” He shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”
I giggled and kissed him again. “I’ll miss you, Tavi.”
“Same, Sweet girl. I’ll miss you.”
Backing away from him, I turned to Caesar. “Still no answer?”
“After our date. Not before.” He raised his eyebrow.
“Hmm… I’m ready when you are.”
“No kiss for me?” He pouted a little, and it was cute. I just couldn’t tell him that.
“No. I need to see what you’re up to.”
He pulled roses from behind him, and my eyes lit up. “Just old-fashioned courting. No tricks.”
I took them from him and sniffed them. Red, white, and black, with baby’s breath sprinkled in. It was beautiful.
“Thank you, Caesar. Do we have time to put them in water before we go?”
“Yes.” He took them from me and walked toward the kitchen. When he returned, they were inside a vase with water.
He sat them behind the couch on the table, and then we left. A car was sitting outside waiting on us, and he helped me inside. He was silent during the drive, but his hand caressed my thigh. It was light, and the strokes were lazy as he gazed out the window, but it only made me want him more. Because though his mind was a million miles away, he still knew that I was right here beside him.
We arrived at an art gallery where a new exhibit was being shown. Inside, they immediately drew me to the art displayed. I stood in front of the portrait of a boy sitting in the middle of a field looking out at the horizon. Only the sky was in color. The rest was black and white.
“I wonder what he sees.” I continued looking at the photo, looking for the hidden meaning. Caesar stayed with me until I was ready to move on.
We stopped by every piece and took it in. I could picture some of these in my bookstore and wondered how much they were going for. Others I could see back at my grandmother’s place. I wanted to turn it into a place for dinners, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. Almost like a VIP place that allowed a certain number of seats per night. Yet, I couldn’t see it clearly enough to act on it.
Caesar put his arm around my waist and stood directly behind me as we stood observing the last piece.
“You like this one.” He whispered in my ear.
“I do.” I turned toward his face, and he kissed my cheek and held me tighter.
Caesar had been all over me tonight. Highly affectionate, making me feel bad for not giving him that kiss earlier. I flourished in all the attention, wishing he was more like this all the time. This is what I needed to thrive in a relationship. Not all the time, but it needed to count when we spent time together. This is what I wanted to miss when we were apart. There were no arguments or moments where he was cold because it was all I had. I didn’t like that at all.
“I could buy it for you.”
“You could and should for all the crap you’ve given me. I won’t allow it, though. If I get that photo, it’ll be because I purchased it. Not you.”
“Keep turning down my money like that, and I’ll fuck you in this room with everybody watching.”
I froze. “Your money? You think…”
“Stay with me, Baby girl.”
I sighed, trying not to let my mind run a million miles per hour. “O… kay. You better not mean that you think I’m here for that, though. I want nothing to do with your problems. And that’s all money is.”
“Hungry?” He nibbled my neck while waiting for my response.
“Very,” I admitted. I’d been nervous all day and skipped lunch.
“Good.”
The restaurant he took me to was very upscale. I saw nothing on the menu for less than a hundred bucks. They sat us in the back in a secluded booth. I put the menu down and sighed.
“Caesar, I appreciate all this, but I just want a burger and fries. I know that it’s probably off-putting. But it’s what I want.”
Caesar smiled. “Anything else you want?”
“Grilled shrimp.”
When the server came over, he ordered me what I’d requested. Then he ordered a porterhouse, cheddar potatoes, corn, and broccoli for himself. He insisted we try the cajun alligator for the appetizer, and when he fed it to me. I was glad he had.
“What’s this all about, Caesar?” I asked.
He swallowed and leaned over to kiss my lips. “This is me. The museum, fancy dinner, car rides when I can. I enjoy being able to do this for myself. However, this isn’t my everyday life. Special occasions warrant this. I’ll spoil you as much as I want, but I can’t have you expecting to live like this all the time.”
“Understandable. And this was fun, different. I could see how someone would get used to this. However, it’s not me. I’ll do it with you, but I could never expect all of this daily.”
“This is exactly how women have burned me in the past, though. They try to take advantage because they look at us and see dollar signs. I need to know that you see us as more than that.”
“I yelled about how massive your house is. There’s no way that I’d ever use you for your money. Besides, I have my own. I didn’t even know you had this wealth until you brought me there.”
“I don’t want you to think this was a test. Though, it could feel like one. I needed to see you as you saw me. And you’re right, you’re amused by it, but I can tell it makes you uncomfortable. Is that going to affect how you let me spoil you? Cause if you’re mine, I’ll want to.”
“I’ll spoil you, too. I need to know that you won’t go overboard and that you’ll allow me to return the favor. If you’re mine, and that seems to be where we’re going with all this, I need this level of you all the time. That hurt portion of you will need to fade away so we can become whatever we are meant to be.”
“I think I can agree to that.”
The food arrived, and we ate in comfortable silence. We exchanged smiles as we went, but we were both starving. I propped my legs up over his, needing to touch him. You couldn’t see them because the booth was u-shaped, but we knew. He moved closer, and for the first time, I felt like we were getting somewhere. Completely under his spell, I knew I giggled like a schoolgirl.
Caesar held me on the way home. Making out with him was slow and easy. We didn’t grope or try to rip each other’s clothes off. Instead, we enjoyed just tasting one another. And when we arrived, he insisted I spend the night with him. He needed to handle something in his office, and he’d be back. I removed my shoes and dress, then laid back. The sound of waves played from the speakers in the room, pulling me under before I knew it.
There was one problem. I’d agreed to meet the man I was to marry. Now, that posed an issue since I was falling for these two men, and there was a third somewhere. How was I supposed to explain my situation to either of them?
I sighed, feeling like I was being pulled between two undeniable forces in opposite directions. Once we met, it would be official. No more fun with the guys. Chances were that I’d never experience the third person because tonight could be our very last night together.