Mysterious Love: A New Adult Billionaire Romance (89 page)

The next day I was anxious. Nothing in my wardrobe seemed appropriate for the event. I changed in and out of a few dresses and managed to get out of my flat in time, wearing clothes that were too thin for the windy weather. There was nothing fancy about walking and drinking coffee in a park but I wanted to look my best. I felt comfortable in a simple outfit and the long cardigan was covering my backside.

We agreed to meet at a subway entry. I got there earlier than I should have and started asking myself how far I should let things go between us. My body was screaming all the way, but my head was spinning around only the thought of his red, pouty lips whispering “I will be yours as much as you want me to be.”

What should I do? It was already time to see him, but he was nowhere around. So I called him, “Hello? I'm here, all alone. Is it the right spot?”

“Wow, hi there!” he answered, “It is, sorry! The traffic is crazy! Look, just stay on the phone till I get there. If Lucian asks why you called me, you asked if today was free or not. Or you forgot some training brochures at the office and requested a copy. If you think of a better lie, please tell me first about it.”

“Why would I lie? He won't know I called you. This is my personal phone number.”

“Raven, you are calling from your other phone number. Check it out.”

I took the phone from my ear and stared blankly. He was right, I called him from the wrong cell phone. Being the end of the month, Lucian would also check our call history. We've started from the beginning with a bad move. Then paranoia hit me. What if someone from work sees us?

“Theodore, are you sure about this?” I questioned.

“Well, I wasn't, but standing here, looking at the most beautiful woman I've ever seen makes it all worth it. Look to your left.”

He was just standing a few steps away from me, wearing a green leather coat with white sleeves, a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans looking like a famous football player. His hair was all messy and his eyes were brighter than ever. I hugged him like it was the first time we were seeing each other in years. His hands were strong and gentle. It was a long, close hug that lifted me up from Earth and into paradise. When he let go, he stared into my eyes and reached to kiss me. Instinctively, I backed up. Theodore didn't seem bothered at all. He hugged me again, kissed my cheeks and took my hand in his hands while walking me towards the park. We talked as if nothing happened, he knew he rushed things a little, but now we were alright. It felt natural; somehow it was like things were meant to be this way. On the other hand, I felt glad that I refused to be kissed immediately. I knew then that I was still in control over myself and that I could trust my reflexes again.

“Would you like to sit near the lake with me?” he pointed toward the center of the park, “It's more intimate. I also promised to tell you more things about me today. Some things about my character and the way I am will be left for you to find out all by yourself. Others, I would prefer you to know. It depends on you if you will stay afterwards or not. "Okay?”

Oh, my! He is still married! What could be so dark and horrid that I would run away that quick? Is he telling me that he only wants sex? Is that what that kiss was about? Or worse: is he ill?
My mind was running amuck while my face showed otherwise. I still forced this goofy grin from ear to ear while I knew full well that I just wanted to run.

I could feel my pulse beating in my ears and my face flush. My mouth was dry. If I had not laid next to him, on the grass, he would have seen that my legs were shaking. Even so, he never looked at me. Theodore started smoking, looked at the vastness of the lake and shared his story.

“There are things you do when you are quite young without thinking of the consequences,” he took a long drag, then continued. “When I was about your age, I thought life was simple and I could do anything I wanted to. The women I've slept with were the women I sincerely loved and cared about. In a simple way, I would say. They were not smart as you are or beautiful, those things made me think it easier to get to know you. But even without any experience, I tried my best to make things work out with them. My first girlfriend was a deaf girl who I lost my virginity to. We stayed together three years, moved into my mom's place and tried to bond as a family. But the two of them never got along. We were not rich people. Mom didn't work, she was going to school so I started evening high school classes to work, pay the rent and maintain some level of financial sanity. Money was a real struggle; fights between those two were a daily routine. And we were all living in a one bedroom flat. Our relationship was destroyed, my mom left me alone with all the bills and ran away with a stranger somewhere in England. I never heard anything about her since then.”

His gaze cut across the lake and he seemed to check into that memory. Theodore was reliving what appeared to be a difficult time. I felt my fears begin to dissipate and my curiosity grew over his early family life.

“What about your father? How did he cope with it?”

“He didn't have to,” he shook his head. “They divorced. Even if he stayed, he would have drank his way from being just poor to a beggar. My mom was a gold digger, but money never seemed to like her. So she was a mediocre woman all her life. Thinking that life had ruined me, I had a crazy period of drinking, binging and whoring. I dated married women, older women, prostitutes, everything. Until, I met my ex-wife, Gloria.

“She seemed like the perfect girl for me at that time. Gloria taught me how to make love, not just hump a girl, how to take things slowly and enjoy the moment. Unfortunately, she had no ambitions of her own, no concept of the future and no job. I was again working for two people, cleaning, cooking, everything, just to make her happy. When she was mad at me, I hated myself and tried to do anything I could to get her back. She was the only thing I had left.”

He paused to take a drag off his cigarette and scratch at the bridge of his nose, “But there was something inside me that limited my feelings towards her. We had money now, I was working in another city and had an excellent salary, but we never bought anything just for us. An ATV, a car or anything. We paid the rent and bills, traveled a little, but did not plan for our future.

“Once, we joined a college in France, but slept in almost every day and missed classes. We both ended up quitting it. The only thing we created was my little girl.” I swallowed and felt a slight bit of relief since now I think I knew what he wanted to get off his chest.

“Yes, Raven,” he looked at me and nodded, “I'm sorry, but I have a girl named Christy. She is with her mom now. We married because she got pregnant and I wanted to be a responsible dad for my baby girl. I had a reason then, a family, someone to work for. But after seven years of marriage, my ex-wife started to go out too frequently, was missing nights at home and started hiding things from me. She was having an affair and when I found out, I suffered a lot. But I knew we could not provide a healthy environment for Christy. So we divorced, she won the custody of Christy. Now she doesn't even know I'm her dad. She calls me Theodore from New York when I see her.

“I practically lost my family twice. I'm telling you all about me now because I have problems getting close to women. I will change for you if you let me in. I need to know you.”

After he had been done with the story, I was still recovering from my first shock. I remained optimistic about this new addition to our relationship and was willing to learn more about his daughter. I knew him well enough now that I felt it could possibly work out.

I grabbed his face between my palms, stared deeply into his eyes. “I love children and I think you’re a strong man. Everyone makes mistakes; maybe you blame yourself too much. I'm not running anywhere.”

His eyes welled up, but each seemed to capture each tear and hold them. Before they could splash down from his eyes, Theodore pulled me towards his face. He kissed my lips like he was eating a juicy, sweet fruit. I felt my control slip and was willing to let it happen this time.

Chapter 5- Behind Closed Doors

We continued talking in the park as it began raining. I was cold and the fact that we were kissing didn't warm us up at all. When he was holding me close, I could feel his hips pushing against me hard and his hands sliding into my jeans. We were getting too excited for a public place so I asked him to walk me back home. At the bus station he was passionately kissing me, biting my neck and earlobes. My hands were dancing under his t-shirt all the way up his spine and shoulders.

“You make me go crazy, love,” he whispered slowly into my ear.

“What would you do if I change my mind and sleep with you now?” I asked playfully.

“I would kiss every inch of your body while undressing you slowly. Lift you up against the wall and taste those soft lips of yours.”

“Stop it,” I begged while his palm slid into my jeans at the line of my panties. He gathered them in his palm and lifted slowly while watching my expression change from turned on to shocked. My mind was in another dimension, but I was still afraid someone would see us.

“Then I would grab your breast and kiss your neck, going down and down till my tongue slides slowly in your warm—”

“Shh!” I pushed his hand away from me, “Stop it, I’m telling you! I just wanted to know if you would be gentle. Shut up, please!” I kissed him thirsty and wild.

“I can be anything you want,” he coyly smiled at me.

This changed my mind instantly. I wanted him in my bed, I couldn't think about anything but his body and my appetite. The bus stopped and I practically dragged him from the bench and on board.

“We are going to my place,” I insisted.

“Mine is closer,” he raised his eyebrow, “We will stop at the next station. Also, the house is empty.”

When we got to his apartment, I saw nothing except the bed. We wouldn’t allow any distance between our bodies. Theodore undressed me quickly, rolled me over him and I could not wait to feel him intimately. He was careful and tender but dominant and kinky at the same time. Nothing was as I imagined. Before any of this, I thought he would make things look magical or unique. The only thing special now was our chemistry between sheets. An incredible feeling of delusion and withdrawal grew into a single passion for each other.

But as I was feeling amazing he flipped me to face up on the bed. Theodore spread my legs and pulled my hips next to his abdomen, bent over, started kissing me gently, looked deep into my eyes and touched my cheeks.

“I can't do this…you deserve more.”

Everything changed in one second - he was one with me, caring and vulnerable, adorable and attentive. His touches were like the feathers of an angel, his lips were god's ambrosia. It was like getting used to listening to dirty rap then someone switches the song to a well-known melody that could only touch your soul and make you tremble. I never felt so good with someone my whole life. His experience with all sorts of women left him marked with trust issues, but he was the perfect lover.

Somehow, he knew exactly what to do to make me moan and beg for more. After we had made love I knew we were both satiated. I slept naked in his arms, but awoke several times to kiss him and make love again. I’d fall back asleep and dream about him just to find him in my arms the following day.

**********

“Mornin' love!” he greeted me in bed, “Coffee is ready. Breakfast too!”

“Morning,” I replied.
Did I just meet the perfect guy? Breakfast in bed and making love all night? Please don't wake me up, I adore this dream!

“Did you sleep well, love?” he asked as he helped me sit up and handed me a perfectly plated breakfast tray. “Hope you like toast and bacon.”

“I slept like a baby,” I stretched widely, “Can I have some fruit? Sorry, I'm a vegetarian. I haven't eaten meat for over ten years.”

“I didn't know, sorry,” he snatched the bacon from my plate, “But, why? Why won't you eat meat?”

“It's simple,” I shrugged, “Mom was a doctor and secretly hoped that dragging me to the hospital with her would turn me into a smaller doctor. After seeing a dissected dead body, the only thing it was to remind me that we are all flesh. That flesh and blood represented life and I got sick of the thought of harming another living being. So, I eat just veggies, fruits, rice, pasta, cakes - anything except meat.”

“That's a point,” he agreed, “but humans are the number one danger in the chain of being. Isn't it a proof of weakness to show mercy to smaller creatures?”

“No, I think it is called civilization. We can have anything that we want, but we don't have to hunt others to show dominance. Eating meat is barbarity.”

“See? I told you that you’re a real lady,” he laughed while kissing my hand. “May I ask you something? Hope you don't mind.”

“Please, anything,” I froze for a moment when I thought of all I learned yesterday. “Stop! Wait! You are divorced, right?”

“Yes, baby, I am. Just wanted to tell you that you’re welcome to stay with me today, to cook together, and watch movies or whatever. But tomorrow morning you would have to go to work first on a different road, I go to work with the accountant and I don't want him to know about us. Okay?”

“Of course! But, what are we going to do in the future?”

“What do you mean in the future?” he asked.

“Like, how were Joanna and Sugar caught? Won't our job affect our relationship? You will see me every day, won't you get bored?”

“You are kidding, right?” he tucked his chin and lifted an eyebrow at the thought. “How can I get tired of you? Love, you don't even know how beautiful you are. Don't husbands wish to see their wives every day? Only simple minds get bored. A person's soul is an endless ocean of mysteries.  I want to discover yours. To answer your second question, well, they were not careful enough. They moved into a rented flat a few streets from our office and people saw them.”

“Was Lucian furious?” I wondered.

“He was. He even made a session with all the company for us to vote about who should stay. It was awful. I refused to vote. What right do I have to choose a person's destiny? I also thought that if I were in their shoes I would quit and not ask for pity.”

As much as I would have enjoyed staying with him, there were still things I had to do back home. Plus, I didn't have any clothes with me except the ones lying on the floor so I had to leave. I washed my face, got my ponytail and glasses on and had a quiet breakfast. Theodore got his smile back and was very attentive and loving.

I was never “Raven”, just “love”, “baby” or “sweetheart.” When we were not making love, I was a cheerful schoolgirl that played and laughed with this calm and proud man. Only between closed curtains he would turn me into a lustful, voracious woman. Before him, I never had an appetite for sex. Now, I was rather sensual and focused on pure pleasure, on nerves that would make both my mind and body tremble under his touch.

After I got home, I could see things more clearly. It didn't matter that he tried to have a family before meeting me. We all have made mistakes that we regret, the reason behind them is mostly the fear to leave before managing to do the right things for the one you care about. But aren't mistakes an excellent way to learn? Of course, you may get hurt, if something goes wrong at least, someone will regret it. In his case, he was always alone. What if he did the right things at the right moment and got stuck in a routine of misery like I was?

At his place, he showed me pictures of his ex-wife and his daughter, I asked him to take things more slowly. I was not ready yet to face Christy's innocent eyes. Theodore never pushed the subject, he was afraid that showing me his pictures would mean that he was still bound by his past. I assured him that he could always keep in touch with Christy. And if we grew closer and had a long relationship I would open to meeting and getting to know his daughter. He looked like a good and beloved father so I smiled at every picture I saw of him. There were also pictures of him as a young boy with long curly black hair and the same beautiful green eyes. Something about all he experienced made him more charming now, in his mid-thirties. Without his past, he wouldn't be the man he is now.

**********