ADAN “Let me take you somewhere special,” Adan said. He smiled and stole a glance at Lucy before returning his eyes to the road. She beamed, making her pink lipgloss shimmer in the sunlight.Lucy had her right arm extended out the passenger window. It was cold out, but dry and sunny. Pretty much as pleasant as weather got in this small college town under the shadow of the mountain. “Did you have somewhere specific in mind?” she asked. Adan shrugged playfully. “Maybe. It’s a surprise.” He shifted his weight so he could drive with his left hand and slip the other one over onto Lucy’s thigh. She looked over at him and he knew that she was smiling. He didn’t offer her the satisfaction of eye contact. Just gave a quick squeeze on her leg, making her laugh and squirm. When they got to his place, he opened Lucy’s door to let her out of the car and walked arm in arm with her to the door. They had a catered meal and a couple bottles of Lu
NOLAN He deleted Gina’s texts without reading them and called her again the next day. “Nolan.” Her greeting was a little more cautious this time. “Just stop,” Nolan replied. “Stop with the texting. I don’t want to have to block your number.” “Then just meet up with me, please,” Gina said. “I have absolutely no interest in doing that.” “Well, maybe you should do it anyway,” she argued stupidly. “I am trying to make something very clear to you,” Nolan said, keeping his voice even. “Do not contact me. You are embarrassing yourself, trying to interfere in my marriage.” Gina was quiet. For a second Nolan thought she might have hung up. But then she said, with a cold tone of voice, “So you do love her, don’t you.” Nolan wrung his face in his hands. He was starting to remember something he wished he had not let slip his mind. It was impossible to win an argument against Gina. She was like a badger. Tiny but vicious,
YENA “Sorry I couldn’t come over yesterday,” Lucy was saying. “No problem,” I told her. “Everything okay?” “Yeah, yeah,” she said. “Just this thing I had to go to with my family, out of town.” “Oh, that sounds fun. Where was it?” Lucy looked away and squinted. “Hmm,” she said. “I don’t remember the name of the town. We stayed at a little place on the mountainside. It was very cold.” “Huh.” I couldn’t tell why, but it seemed like she didn’t really want to talk about it. “Anyway, you want to try some stuff on?” Lucy gleefully accepted this invitation, and the work I needed to get done with her kept us very busy for quite a while.The big windows at the short end of my studio parlor were always helpful for telling the time. I watched the shadows move across the room and decided we should call it a day when it started looking like late afternoon. We had some snacks before Lucy got a ride home, and then it looked like she had s
YENA I got so relaxed in my lavender-scented bubble bath that I could’ve fallen asleep in there.I’d picked up a design book from the school bookstore last time I was on campus, and I’d been enjoying it. But tonight it was putting me to sleep. I decided to let myself get into bed early. Nolan said he’d be working for just a couple hours, but that was probably a lie anyway.Not an intentional lie. He was just always running at least an hour later than he planned. And if he wanted to wake me up when he got to bed, he could. He probably wouldn’t, though. I passed out pretty quickly and slept for most of the night.When I woke up it was dark, and Nolan was asleep beside me. I might have laid there for hours. Just thinking. I didn’t look at my phone to check the time. I didn’t want to move at all, because Nolan would wake up if I did.So I stayed very still, lost in my thoughts. Watching the silhouette of my husband’s big chest rising
NOLAN “The party tomorrow is very important,” Luna said. Nolan nodded. “You can use some good publicity,” she continued. “And not any more of that secret altruism nonsense. We need an image of you looking like a proper prince, and we need it in the minds of the public as soon as possible.” “I understand,” Nolan said. “Do you?” Luna arched one of her dark, thick eyebrows at him. That was a question that did not invite an answer. Nolan scooted to the edge of the couch and rested his elbows on his knees, putting his hands in a lazy sort of prayer position. “I have invited some associates of your father to the party,” she continued. “People that you could stand to get on your side.” Nolan nodded again. “The time is now to establish allies. Everywhere that you can.” “I agree,” Nolan said, feeling some relief. Finally, she was acknowledging the impending conflict. “These associates…?” Nolan asked, letting Luna fill
YENA Nolan let his eyes flutter closed again and we made out slowly while he started waking up. His breath was hot, and his kisses were sloppy. He kept one hand on my thigh and used the other one to lazily push away my hair, which was falling all around his face.I leaned in to kiss his ear and whispered, “Happy birthday.” He answered with a small smile and a contented moan. Then he had me on my back. I think I yelped, just out of surprise. I’d forgotten how quickly Nolan could rouse from dead sleep.He let out an enormous exhale that seemed to rush around the room like a blast of wind as he slid his big, hard dick inside me.I gasped, taking in a huge breath of his heat and his scent.“I missed you,” Nolan said sleepily.“I’m right here,” I replied. “Where were you all night?” he mumbled, his voice quiet and a little bit whiny.I couldn’t answer right away. I tried to catch my breath between the little jolts of pleasure that were lighting me up with every
He thought he might be able catch Yena if he looked for her in their rooms or her studio early in the afternoon.But the double doors of her studio were locked. He heard voices from within, and decided not to knock and disturb her.In their bedroom, Nolan found the surprise she had left waiting for him. And a note. Not a fancy card. Just a tiny scrap of paper pinned to the button closure on the pocket of his new suit jacket. The suit was incredible. Nolan could hardly wait to try it on. He ran his hand along the fabric and smiled at the soft feel of it. He pulled out the pin and the paper. Unfolded it.Happy Birthday, the note read. Remember. I’m Yours. Yena#YENA I got ready in my studio. I’d made a gown for myself to wear to the party this week, using leftover fabric from Nolan’s suit. It was a black satin dress, with an emerald silk accent that showed under a split in the skirt. Of course, the deaconess insisted on helping me
NOLAN Yena took a step back, interrupting the rhythm of their slow dance, and looked around. They were at the center of the dance floor. The crowd had filled it up around them. “Okay,” she said slowly. Her voice was quiet under the sounds of the music and the lively party. Nolan pulled her close to him again. “Is this the best place to tell it to me?” she asked, sounding nervous. Nolan’s heart was racing. It was the first time in a while that he was hearing Kent’s voice, articulate and clear as a bell, loud in his mind. Saying, It’s almost too late! You fucking COWARD! Nolan felt like his chest might explode if he did not tell Yena he loved her, before the two of them left this spot on the dance floor. “Yes,” he said.His hands trembled slightly.Pressing his mouth to her ear, he told her, “I love you, Yena.”It was easier to get it out without looking into her eyes.She put her hand to his cheek, though, and