I step inside and shut the door behind me, locking it, and then turn to face her. She looks, for all the world, like a man with a machete intent on cutting her head off had just stepped into the room, rather than a man she'd recently shared more than a few amazing nights – and orgasms - with. I lean against the door, blocking her only way out. I’ve left her no choice. If she wants out of this room, she has to talk to me now.
Her beautiful red hair is pulled back into a French twist with soft tendrils floating around her face, framing it and accenting her alabaster-colored skin. Her green eyes are wide and filled with what looks like absolute terror as she backs away from me. The way she's looking at me, you'd almost think that I had been beating her on the regular. Not that I'd ever hit a woman and especially not this one. She, of all people, should know that.
Her black pencil skirt hits right above her knees but does little to hide the luscious curves of her body. And even though her long-sleeved blouse is high-collared, I can still see the hint of her full, perky breasts underneath. Damn. She must give her students plenty of dirty thoughts and wet dreams. I bet she doesn't even realize it.
My cock grows hard in my pants, remembering the way she sucked it the last time we saw each other. Those red lips around my shaft, sucking and licking and – fuck. I stop that train of thought before it can continue any further. This is not the reason I'm here. Chill out, Brayden, I silently snap at myself, and stop thinking with your cock.
“Well, golly, my dearest wifey,” I tease. “Long time, no see. Guess you can't avoid talking to me now, can you?”
The look on her face tells me all that I need to know – she is just as conflicted about me being here as I am. Her cheeks flush, turning a soft shade of red, and her chest heaves up and down as her breathing grows ragged – no doubt, adrenaline is flowing through her body, free and unfettered. Her heart is probably beating like she’s just run a marathon.
She swallows and clears her throat before she opens her mouth to speak. She looks at me and I can see a maelstrom of emotions reflected in her eyes.
“Brayden, I – I'm sorry,” she says, her voice barely higher than a whisper. “I didn't mean to avoid you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I - I just had a lot going on and a lot to think about. But, I promise you, I will file the paperwork to have this marriage annulled. You don't have to worry about that.”
Though it is exactly the outcome I've been expecting, just hearing her say those words, with that tone of cold detachment in her voice, causes my heart to drop into my shoes.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Holly
Brayden leans against the door in tailored black dress slacks and a white button-down shirt. The top button of his shirt is undone, and his sleeves are rolled halfway up his forearms – the Brayden Anderson version of dressed-down casual. Those piercing blue eyes in that sweet baby face of his turn my insides into mush and set my heart racing. His face is as clean-shaven as I remember, and his hair neatly trimmed as always. It seems like months or even years have gone by since we last saw each other. But truthfully, is has only been a few weeks.
But we're so far from Vegas. We’re back in the real world now. And as perfect as things seemed there, as amazing as things might have been, and as much of a fairy tale as it was, things feel different right now. Things are different. And as much as I'd love to touch him or pull him to me and kiss him, it doesn't feel right.
Especially now that I'm harboring this secret. A secret that I can’t tell him and that he can't know right now. I know that I should, but the mere thought of it almost sends me into a full-fledged panic attack.
Instead, I keep my distance, not trusting myself to not fall into his arms if I he gets too close. It’s hard. So damn hard. My mind is screaming at me to stay away, but my heart and body are telling me to do the complete opposite.
“That's great,” Brayden says. “I have the paperwork right here.”
“Alright, great,” I say. “You came prepared.”
“Goddamn right I did,” he says, and I can't help but notice the bitterness in his voice, which makes me sad.
I should tell him. I need to tell him. But, I can't do it. I can't seem to force the words out of my mouth. I open my mouth to speak, to tell him – and then shut it again without saying a word, drawing a curious look from him. But, with so much already going on, this isn't the time or place. At least, that's how I'm justifying it to myself. Although it's relatively chilly in my room, for some reason, I feel flushed. My skin is on fire and my heart feels like it’s stuttering within my breast. It's not usually all that warm in my classroom. Typically, I keep the thermostat at a comfortable sixty-seven degrees, even in the winter. If I don't, too many of the kids complain about it being too hot, even though they're wearing multiple layers, like hooded sweatshirts with designer name brands splashed across the front.
Meanwhile, I'm usually cold. Especially when I'm in a skirt, like today. Despite the chill in the room, I feel beads of sweat accumulate across my brow and slowly roll down my face. Brayden gives me a crooked smile and shakes his head.
“What is it?” I feel the slight twinge of a grin forming on my face as I look at him.
“Nothing.”
“No, tell me,” I urge. “I want to know.”
“Fine. I just keep picturing you in that dress I sent you,” he says. “You looked so incredibly gorgeous. I'm imagining what it would have been like having a teacher like you back in the day wear something like that. I probably would have gotten myself in trouble.”
My cheeks burn even hotter now as I recall the dress I'd worn for him the night we went to that sex club – Velvet and Leather. I recall the way he looked at me, like he was in absolute awe. As if I was the most beautiful woman on the planet. And I recall what we'd done together as we watched that other couple fucking for the audience onstage.
It's easily, the hottest, most erotic experience of my life and one I know I'll never be able to repeat. One I never want to repeat with anybody but Brayden. It's a special, cherished memory that I'll hold onto forever.
My cheeks aren't the only things burning right now though. Just the way he smiles and looks at me – like he's doing right now – does crazy things to me. And as he looks at me with that familiar light of awe in his eyes, I feel my panties quickly growing damp. The way his blue eyes drink me in makes me quiver and my heart race. It makes me feel like I'm some sort of goddess or something.
“Can I ask you one thing before we get down to business and move forward with our lives?” he asks.
“Of course.”
“Why did you leave Vegas without saying goodbye?” he asks. “After the time we spent together, I thought I meant more to you than that - as stupid as that may sound right now. But, I thought what we had at least warranted a goodbye.”
My heart skips a beat, and I'm frozen still as I look at him. I quickly look down at the ground, not sure how to answer his question. I know that he deserves answers. Brayden deserves to know just how much I think of him and how much he matters to me.
But, at the same time, I can't give that to him. I can't encourage him or lead him on. He deserves better. I want to tell him everything, but I don't know how much I can tell him about what's actually going on in my life. About my father. About Armando. About anything that is the shitshow I'm living.
So, instead, I do the only thing I can. The only thing that seems humane to me – I lie.
“It wasn't intentional,” I say. “My dad called and there was a family emergency, and I – well, things are complicated here. I haven't really had a chance to sit down and think about what happened. But believe me when I say you've never been far from my thoughts.”
“But you had a good time, right?” he asks. “I wasn't imagining the connection we had, was I?”
“Of course not, Brayden.” My voice comes out almost breathless as I speak. “I loved every minute we spent together, and that connection was very, very real.”
“So, where did it go?” he asks. “It feels like you're a million miles away from me. Like that connection never existed and I'm just a stranger to you.”