[Cordelia]He is standing in front of me, water beading down his chest, outlining each muscle as it makes its path down his body, trailing all the way down to where my hands rest on the waistband of his pants. I have never taken this kind of initiative with him, taking over, demanding what I want. Our sexual relationship is still far too new. I still have so much to learn. "Are you going to take what you want," he challenges me, raising one eyebrow in provocation.I unbuckle his belt. "Only if you are good." I tease. "Maybe I'll make you suffer first."My hand rubs the hardness of his dick outlined sharply on the wet slacks as they cling to his body. He closes his eyes in pleasure, his mouth opening as I stroke him slowly, giving the tip of him extra attention. He moans, placing his hands on the wall above me to steady himself as I continue to pleasure him through the slick layer of cloth. He begins to rock his hips against my hand, increasing the rate and depth of each stroke, usin
[Angelica]When my parents told me that Atlas had agreed to have our little engagement party, I was over the moon. Finally, something is going my way.In appreciation and apology, I decided to stop by Steele Industries with some homemade jam and scones, along with some high-end loose-leaf tea that I know he likes. Putting on a pretty cashmere sweater dress edged in fur from the latest Paris line, I make myself look as pretty as I can for him. When Atlas looks at me, I want him to see the girl he once saw 5 years ago, the girl he fell hopelessly in love with.I need him to see me that way. For my sake as well as Cordelia's. If Sydney gets involved, Magnus will have no use for me and I won't be able to keep my sister from getting involved. The further away from Magnus I can keep her, the better.Cordelia has always been sheltered from the worst in life. As the little sister, she was protected. She's never had to deal with a dangerous viper like Magnus.She has no idea what a man like him
[Cordelia]Propped up on pillows covered in silk, I try to remain still and calm as Atlas lays his head on my belly for about the hundredth time today. When he isn't feeding me, kissing me, or making love, he likes to have conversations with our son. "You are making your mama dizzy with all that moving, little guy," he kisses a spot where our baby's foot is pressed up against the skin hard enough to show a little dent. Usually, it's an elbow to the bladder when the little guy moves, but when Atlas speaks to him, he floats to his father's voice. "I think he hears you," I play with Atlas' hair, which I had never realized was curly until I got him alone without all of his hair care products. Without his mousse and pomade putting every hair in its place, he has a beautiful mound of softly curling blonde hair. "Do you think he'll have your curls," I ask casually as my fingers trace the outlines of his hair. "I know he'll have your chin. All you Steele boys have that strong chin and I thi
[Cordelia]The world stops. "Hit by a bus," and "tragic accident" were the last things I heard right before all the other sounds around me became white noise.It feels like Deja vu, only I can imagine this is what my parents felt like when they heard that the two of us had gotten into a near-fatal car accident. Did their world stop spinning too when they heard about Angelica and me?Sitting stunned and numb at the foot of the bed, the comforter pulled around me like a cloak, I didn't even notice that Atlas had left until he came back into the room. He must have called down to the concierge to have clothing brought up because as soon as he sees me he hands me a little bundle of comfortable, soft clothing while he pulls off his bathrobe and begins dressing from his own small pile. "It's going to be okay," he murmurs on repeat as we both get ready, "It'll be okay, Cordelia, it'll be okay." I have a hard time believing him. It doesn't matter how many times he repeats those words. Every
[Cordelia]I am grateful for Atlas' company as he guides me down the long hallways to where we both plan to get tested as potential donors. I hold onto his arm tightly as I explain to him how I've been deathly afraid of needles since our car accident 5 years ago. "I know I got off easy," I acknowledge, "I wasn't the one in a coma, Angelica was. But I had gotten knocked around bad enough to need a couple of days in the hospital.""I remember," Atlas looks like his mind is far away, his eyes unfocused as he stares in front of him. "I was there too. I," he looks at me sadly. "I visited both of you. Even though you had been the one driving, and even though I was so angry at you, I still..." he pauses. "I still felt this need to keep you safe, to protect you.""An annoying trait you still haven't outgrown," I try to joke, to help ease the tension.But it doesn't go the way I had hoped. Both Atlas and I are still too overwhelmed with the tragic nostalgia of shared grief and past trauma to f
[Cordelia]"She's going to find out one way or the other," My father hisses. "How would you like her to find out? From us or the doctors?" He grumps. "Or even worse, the media?"I take a step backward. I want to hear what they are saying, but I also feel guilty about eavesdropping and nervous about their words. What is it that they are hiding from me now? Is there no end to their secrets? And how does it concern me?"Nobody is going to find out," she insists. "Isn't that why you pay these doctors so well? To hide our family secrets. I'm sure that physician told her everything he felt she needed to hear.""But how can you be so sure," my father insists. "Things this big tend to find a way to float to the surface where everyone can see it. "She will never forgive us for not being honest with her, Stephen," she sighs. "Is that what you want? To lose two daughters this week?"Two? Angelica, is she going to die?"Is Angelica dying?" I can't keep the tears out of my voice as I turn the cor
[Cordelia]The four of us rush towards Angelica's room. A thousand different scenarios are playing in my head as we all skid around the corner, none of them prepare us for what we find when we make it to her room. Her machines are fine. She's exactly as she was. The person in the bed next to her is the one who is in dire need. The nurses in the room create a barrier between us and the other patient by pulling a long, wide curtain in the space between the two beds, but not fast enough for me to miss seeing the body in the bed convulsing as the patient struggles to breathe around a tube that was keeping them alive.The curtain isn't enough to protect us from the sounds of the doctors and nurses working frantically to stop the patient from seizing, nor does it stop us from hearing them say "critical condition," or "they are going flatline!" "Dear God," Atlas says under his breath pulling me in tighter. We all turn to look at Angelica. We had all thought it was her. At that moment we
"Now Meghan," my father rubs her back in an attempt to calm her. "Cordelia had nothing to do with this accident."THIS accident. He doesn't need to mention the other accident. We all know that I'm the one to blame for that one. I was the one driving after all. "Of course she is," she sobs, wiping her nose and her eyes with the back of her hands, leaving ugly streaks of black across her face. "If she wasn't so busy stealing her sister's fiance, Angelica would be at home right now planning her engagement party." Her glare is burning hot with anger. "If she wasn't being Atlas' whore, Angelica would have found her fiance exactly where she expected him to be. "I sit there stunned. Is that how they see me? As Atlas' whore? We were married for 5 years--a marriage they arranged for me. I remind them of this, and my mother scoffs, rolling her eyes. "You're pregnant by his brother, engaged to him, and yet Angelica found you two in bed together." Her voice grows louder, drawing the attention