*Lily*After meeting guests and selling some of my paintings, I invited William to my apartment. I wanted us to talk without distraction and share more of my feelings with him, and we needed to rekindle the flames within our relationship. He tried to plan a romantic evening for us, but I didn’t care where we were. I just wanted to be with him. "Please excuse the mess. I haven't had a chance to redecorate yet." I had tubes of paint, canvas, and paintbrushes everywhere. "Wow! You have been busy." Willam looked around the room, taking in all the half-painted canvases. "I started a few more projects but wanted to complete the ones I had worked on in my last collection." I stood behind him as he stared at an uncompleted painting of the Eiffel Tower. "William, the care you show for me is beyond what I could have ever fathomed. I don't know what I would do without you…what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for breaking up with you and want nothing more than to be in your life. I ca
*Lily*God, what a night. My mind was still in disbelief from the ruined painting selling for one million dollars. It's funny how the things some deem unworthy can be considered worthy by others; truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I couldn't believe it. My, how the tables have turned. I didn't have a place to stay last week and was living with friends. Now, I was dating a billionaire with one million dollars in my bank account; it was like a dream come true. I stood in the shower watching the red paint stream down my body from last night's hot and steamy sexual encounter with William. He had taken a shower last night after I had fallen asleep.I was so overcome with excitement between rekindling the flames with him and my artwork selling that I stayed up half the night and crashed a few hours ago.I finished blow-drying my hair, grabbed my towel hanging from the rack, and dried my body. I had yet to unpack all my belongings but managed to find a pair of red leggin
*William*I arrived at my office prepared for the emergency meeting with our stakeholders. Grace provided me with the company's reports for the last quarter, and the numbers were not good. As I entered the meeting room, John wasted no time. "William, what the hell is going on? The stock has fallen by twenty percent." He flung his report across the desk in anger. John had invested the most money out of all the stakeholders. He is a few years older than me, and his tall stature often intimidated the rest of the group, but I was determined to stand firm by my decisions. "Please calm down, John. We are going through a growth period, and I assure you this is normal," I replied, hoping to ease his anxiety. The only thing he cared about was money. "Normal. I've lost fifty thousand dollars," Bob angrily leaned forward. He was one of the first people to invest in LIVO Technologies, and I was shocked to see him so upset. This wasn't our first rodeo of experiencing some financial lo
*Lily*‘Hey beautiful, you up for a date tonight?’ William texted. ‘Yes, I would love to! I was working on a few new art pieces, but I'll shower and be ready in thirty minutes.’‘Great. I'll see you soon.’I rinsed my paintbrush and placed the paint back in my art supplies storage bag before walking to my closet and skimming through different outfits. 'Hmm, I wonder what William has in store for us tonight. Should I go with something sexy, classy, or elegant?' I grabbed my sleeveless tie-back halter mini dress. I opened my jewelry box and searched for the perfect accessories. After shuffling through multiple pairs of earrings, I decided to choose my pink pearls with the matching pink bracelet. I laid my outfit and accessories on the bed and rushed to the bathroom. I didn't want to keep William waiting, as he was always punctual. So, I turned on the shower and let the hot water flow over my body. Tonight would be the first night William and I would be together without
*Lily*I invited William back to my apartment. After our night on the town and dancing underneath the stars, I wanted to top the night off with a special sexual ritual. I grabbed my keys and proceeded to unlock the door when William slid his hands underneath my dress. "I can't wait to be inside you; feel your warmth," he pressed his body against mine, and I could already feel his erection. "Trust me, my love. You’ve got no idea what I have in store for you tonight." William bit his bottom lip as he let out a laugh. I grabbed his hand, led him to my art studio, and lit a few candles placed on the window sill.William had already started unbuttoning his shirt when I stopped him. "NO! I want you to follow my lead tonight. Let me undress you." I slowly approached him, slid my fingers underneath his shirt, and clawed his chest. He bit his bottom lip as he let out a loud hissing sound. "Tonight, I want us to explore each other. Slowly," I gazed into his eyes, ripped his
*Lily*I woke up this morning thinking about how excited I was for this new chapter. It hadn't come without its challenges, but I was proud to say that I had also experienced significant growth. I was constantly finding inspiration for my paintings in various settings, and it's incredible to see how far I've come. As a girl from Minnesota, it may have seemed unlikely that I would thrive in New York and pursue my dream of making it as a painter. However, despite the doubts of others–including my parents, who thought I couldn't make a living painting and urged me to focus on getting a "real" job–I was happy to see them slowly but surely coming around to my way of thinking.At times, I find myself struggling with feelings of fear and uncertainty. I often question whether the current state of my life was too good to be true and whether I was truly deserving of the many blessings and benefits that come with it. It can be a difficult and unsettling feeling, but I try to remind myself
*William*Today had been a hectic day at work. Everyone dreams of being a billionaire and living the lavish lifestyle that comes with it. But few are willing to take on the challenges that come with it. Meanwhile, my stakeholders are trying to scheme against me, bills must be paid, and I must remain mindful of securing my wealth for future generations.My phone began buzzing, interrupting my mindless chatter, and to my surprise, it was Eva calling me. Given her behavior at my meeting, I contemplated whether I should answer her call. It was embarrassing, and now I'm sure my stakeholders are thinking I can't control my daughter. Despite my reservations, I was curious to know what she wanted and picked up the phone. "Hey, Daddy. How's it going? "Umm, it's going well. Why are you calling Eva? I'm not reinstating your allowance." "I'm not calling you for money, Dad. I wanted to talk and wondered if you'd meet me at Dave's Cafe, our old brunch spot."I hesitated, skepti
*Lily*I have been completely absorbed in my art studio within the past few days, devoting myself to my latest collection titled "Divine Energy." The recent circumstances of my experiences have instilled in me an unwavering sense of determination, which I have channeled into my artistry. The result is a series of bold and dynamic pieces, exuding a raw power that I am sure will resonate with anyone who views them. I feel this collection truly represents my artistic vision, and I am excited to share it with the world.As I delved deeper into my artistic process, I was completely consumed by the inspiration flowing through me. Even though I received messages from Rachel, Patrick, and Adam, I made the conscious decision not to respond to any of them at the moment, as I didn't want to disrupt my focus. The only person I briefly conversed with was William, and I must say, I truly appreciated his understanding and respect for knowing I needed to complete my new projects.I was feeling i
*Lily*With the wedding day already here, I felt jittery as I prepared to walk down the aisle toward my beloved, William. It had been a busy morning filled with preparations for hair and makeup and I was more than ready to get the show on the road. I could feel the excitement in the air surrounded by our friends and family. My excitement was apparent too, with adrenaline pumping throughout my entire being.My heart had been pumping fast as I stepped into the foyer, waiting for the doors to open so I could make my debut. My heart was also overflowing with love for William and the joy he brought me. As tradition usually went, we hadn't seen each other that day yet and I missed seeing his face. I couldn't wait to embrace him and marry him. I heard the organ start its tune, the music carrying to the foyer where I was waiting. We had picked out our songs together and I recognized it immediately. The doors opened slowly and I saw the audience members stand and turn to face me. Holy sh
*Lily*Sometimes life just needed a welcome distraction. I knew my life had been a roller coaster lately, and I gladly jumped at the chance for a change in routine. My mission today was to find a wedding dress.This was all surreal to me. Little old me marrying a handsome and amazing man like William. I needed to find the perfect dress!I couldn't keep our engagement a secret with the tabloids already running many heated articles about us. I had called friends and family to tell them of our engagement, hoping that I’d reach them before the news articles had. I would have rather them hear from me or William directly. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get used to this much publicity.Having run to a nearby coffee shop to meet my dear friend, Farrah, I awaited her arrival sipping on a caramel latte. I had been apprehensive to look up on Google what the current fashion wedding dress trends were. I wasn't the most fashionable person in the world, and Farrah had helped me often in this realm
*William*After spending the night together making love, I found myself at work the next day still somewhat happily in shock. On Lily's finger rested the ring that I had given her when I asked her to marry her. I was lucky to find a woman like her at my age. She was everything I wanted and more. The second my foot stepped over the office threshold, Grace Kim smiled over at me with a knowing look. She had known about the dinner plans, but she must have found out either from Lily or Jim about our engagement with the way she grinned at me. She licked her lips and had just finished up a phone call placing the receiver back in its holder.She stood and greeted me, smoothing her dress. "Mr. Shaw, congratulations are in order! I've heard the wonderful news about your engagement to Ms. Lily Matthews. I hope you both are happy and spend many long years together. I had a feeling she was the one the minute I heard about her.""Well, thank you very much, Grace. Your kind words mean a lot
*Lily*As we walked into our front foyer, we kicked our shoes off and William eagerly watched me as I took my jacket off. He seemed to groan out loud watching me stretch out of the fabric and before I could hang it, he pushed me up against the wall groaning against me. His erection was thrust hard against my soft thigh as he breathed in my ear.Whispering softly he said, "I have to worship you, my love, stay right here. My new little fiance.""But William, I want to make you happy too," I whined but he shushed me holding a finger to my lips.I gasped as he encouraged me to flatten against the wall behind me and then seized my lips with his own, roughly kissing me. I kissed him back feverishly, placing my hands on his pecs, starting to feel his muscles and massage him. He felt amazing with his sexy, hard body against my own. I wanted him badly and wondered what plans he had in store for me.William pulled my dress over my head and continued kissing me. He kissed down my neck a
*Lily*Looking into William's eyes I could hear his voice trembling with anticipation. No wonder he had been so distracted today. He slowly brought a velvet-covered box out of his suit pocket and my eyes widened in shock. This was it, it was really happening. It had to be exactly what I thought it was, a marriage proposal.I couldn’t believe my eyes. He wanted to marry me? Little old me?William smiled at me as he spoke, "I've often wondered what our future would hold. And then I realized we have power over our future, and I took control of it. Lily, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want your love, support, and time. I want to be with you forever."My heart seemed to jump in my throat as I eyed the box and looked back at him. My mouth opened incredulously. I was at a loss for words, the joy exploding in my chest."Lily Matthews, will you do the honor of marrying me? Would you be my wife? Would you spend the rest of your days with me?" William asked as his voice
*Lily*The fall of my footsteps clicked on the pavement as the sidewalk lay before me. I was on my way to meet William and was excited to share the news. The interview I had with the magazine was finally published! It had been released today and potential client inquiries had come pouring in through my phone. It was an amazing day, I couldn't help but feel thrilled that my work inspired others and caused them to reach out.I clutched a copy of the magazine in my hand proudly. I felt like I was on top of the world, or rather on cloud nine. I couldn't wait to show William the magazine article.I stared into the tall windows of the Italian food restaurant where William said he'd meet me. It was extremely elegant with long tall blue curtains swept off to the side. I could hear the typical Italian music playing and it sounded so romantic. The wait staff bustled around inside with pressed white and black uniforms with a professional air about them. This was a stunning and fancy restaur
*William*After arriving back in New York, Lily wanted to focus on her paintings. I could do nothing but oblige because it must have come as a welcome distraction. Paris had been a dream until Jean Laurent ruined our visit. That mother fucker got what was coming to him. I was glad to put even more distance between him and Lily. I'd protect her with my life if I had to, I wouldn't lose her again.Pretty much the second we were back in the States, my friend Jim asked me to go golfing with him. Jim and I had been longtime friends, practically since young teenage boys. We had been through some interesting times together pranking classmates, causing mayhem for our parents, and throwing some wild parties. Now that we were older we mainly smoked cigars or played golf. We weren't as wild as we had been once upon a time.I owed him after the favor I called in while I was in Paris. I knew he’d risked a lot by sharing information with me but it was what helped me confirm Jean Laurent’s iden
*Lily*I fully submerged myself in the warm water to wash the slime out of my hair. Having no shower or real toilet for those hours I was with Jean had taken its toll on me. I squirted a large amount of shampoo and conditioner into my hair, scrubbing hard. William swatted my hands away as he began to massage my scalp and temples.."I said I want to help, I'm not leaving you alone another second," he said sitting on the edge of the tub focused entirely on me.I blinked with surprise and dropped my arms back into the warm, bubble-filled water. I hadn't taken him seriously but I chastised myself now knowing when William said something he meant it. I felt spoiled knowing most men just said whatever women wanted to hear, while William always followed through with his words and put them into action. I sighed feeling his fingers scrub away, and I could finally rest comfortably."I'm so happy you are back with me," he said, plunging his hands into the water to wash away the suds. "You
*Lily*I sighed with relief hearing Jean Laurent being placed into the cop car. I didn't register what all of the voices were saying around us. Only William. His hands hadn't left my body, touching me everywhere as if to make sure I was actually there. We hadn't said a word about our previous fight, it had been forgotten.I still couldn't believe I was out of the basement. I had been rescued by the exact person I had wanted to see. William and I were finally reunited, our embrace had offered me a sense of safety and solace in the midst of the chaos. His arms had felt so large as they tucked me closer into his body. I was safe again.I frowned trying to remember what had happened, like the trauma was already being blotted from my memory. From what I could recall, William had thrown Jean off of me in a fit of pure rage. I had never seen William like that and if it had been a different circumstance I would have been shocked. I realized now how much William cared for me the more time